Ten Little Figs
Written by Rhian Williams
Illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom
Age Range: from 3 years
Picture book from Walker Books Australia
Review copy thanks to Walker books
Release Date: April 1, 2020
Click to view at Walker Books

A child counts down the figs on the backyard fig tree, as each one is snatched away by a different Australian animal, in this ode to Australia’s natural landscape.

Ten little figs are on my tree. I love figs and they’re all for me. Ten Little Figs is a joyful rhyming picture book about a child keeping careful watch of the figs on the fig tree in his backyard. With his dog by his side, he counts down the number of figs as they are taken by various hungry Australian animals (flying fox, finches, green ants and others) until only one fig is left. Who will get that very last fig? Luckily Dad comes to the rescue and surprises his little one with the very last fig.

I sat down with my three and six-year-old to read Ten Little Figs. The story kept Mr 3 and Mr 6 in one place long enough to read the story from start to finish – Always a sign of a quality children’s book. When I asked them if they enjoyed the story, they both replied yes with smiles on their faces. Mr 3 then started bouncing up and down singing out AGAIN, AGAIN.

Ten Little Figs tells the tale of the native Australian sandpaper fig tree and its delicious bounty. It entertains by telling and showing all the native animals that feast from it.

The artwork is beautiful, the images appear bright and open, but they are also packed with detail and it was fun to watch my boys discovering all the details, pointing out what the puppy was doing and the different creatures hiding in the images.

The words have a lovely sing-song rhyme to them and flow easily off the tongue, making this book a delight to read out loud.

Things children might sneakily learn while enjoying the tale; Australian animal identification, Australian sandpaper fig tree identification, and a better understanding of some of the benefits to wildlife of green spaces.

Ten Little Figs celebrates native Australian plants and wildlife and all the things one can discover in one’s own backyard.

About the author
Ten Little Figs is by newcomer Rhiân Williams. She is an ardent explorer of the natural world and is passionate about stories and children’s books. She lives in country NSW.

About the illustrator
Nathaniel Eckstrom is an illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. He has worked on a number of children’s picture books including Stubborn Stanley, The Hole Idea, Roadtrip and The Dress-Box. DUCK!, written by Meg McKinlay, was his first book with Walker Books. His second is Ten Little Figs, written by Rhian Williams.