“In the tradition of Woody Allen’s ‘Manhattan’, this is less a love story about two people (or in this case, animals) and more a love song about life in New York City. Presented with a deft mix of illustration and collage, you want to live in Gordon’s New York, which is sometimes moody and isolating, but always charming and teeming with possibility.”

“Music is the food of love for Herman, a crocodile who plays oboe, and his neighbor Rosie, a doe who sings jazz at the Mangy Hound. The two lead parallel lives, enjoying bits of each other’s music as it wafts through the air until at last they meet on a Manhattan rooftop. Gordon, an Australian, sets his charmingly illustrated story in the present day, adding texture and history with old maps and newspaper clippings.”

“Hipster parents who name their kids after jazz singers will love “Herman and Rosie” – but then so will lots of others. Gus Gordon’s ode to two musicians (an alligator and a deer) in the city (populated only by animals) celebrates the power of music, as singer Rosie and oboe player Herman finally find each other after a lonely spell. Wonderfully loose, effervescent illustrations incorporate scraps of found paper and old postcards. We feel the energy of Gotham on every page. Grade: A+”

“In my capacity as a children’s librarian I make a habit of keeping an eye peeled for any and all New York City related books for the kiddos. And as luck would have it, in the year 2013 I saw a plethora of Manhattan-based titles. Some were great. Some were jaw-droppingly awful. But one stood apart from the pack. Written by an Aussie, Herman and Rosie author Gus Gordon has created the first picture book I’ve ever seen to successfully put its finger on the simultaneous beauty and soul-gutting loneliness of big city life. The fact that it just happens to be a fun story about an oboe-tooting croc and deer chanteuse is just icing on the cake. I’m gonna call it. The best New York based picture book of 2013.”

“How do shy magnolias find a sense of purpose in a world of billions, amidst the hustle and bustle of a crowded city? That’s precisely what Australian author and illustrator Gus Gordon explores with infinite gentleness, simple words and gorgeous pictures in Herman and Rosie. “The city kept on moving, but everything had fallen out of tune,” Gordon tells us with his tender touch and poetic mastery of language. With its impossibly charming illustrations and timeless story of loneliness and belonging in the big city, Herman and Rosie is honey for sight and soul, bound to bring a smile to hearts of all ages, reminding us that in the big city, as in life itself, happiness comes from finding your tribe and savouring that shared sense of purpose.”

“This Australian picture book doesn’t skimp on fantastic details: Rosie’s club is called “The Mangy Hound”; Herman’s call center is inhabited by boars, giraffes, and owls; and Grandma Herman’s photo sits framed on the bureau. Gordon’s heavily-lined characters and collage backgrounds give rise to the vibrant Big Apple, populated by all species, and anchored by two endearing artistic types. Not since Petra Mathers’s Sophie and Lou (2001) has a picture book, the arts, and romance converged so charmingly.”

“Gordon brings alive [New York] through lyrical drawings and inventive collage. His soul-mate characters are equally terrific: two sweet but lonely souls (think Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine—or maybe it’s Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) who live in tiny apartments and eke out a living while keeping their wistful chins up. Readers of all ages will fall for Herman and Rosie from the start, and Gordon knows how to keep the dramatic and romantic tension just taut enough to keep the pages turning toward their inevitable meeting.”

“In pictures and text, Gordon cleverly foretells the pair’s entwined destiny, engaging readers conspiratorially as Herman and Rosie continually almost connect. Gordon utilizes vintage postcards, ledgers and maps to create collaged tableaux. Evocative of William Steig and Bernard Waber, the pictures at their best juxtapose New York’s duality: its cacophonous enormity and charming intimacy.”

“Gus Gordon, an Australian author-illustrator, has skilfully brought the buzz and sensory overload of New York to life in this soulful tale about overcoming adversity and following your dreams. Full of rich cultural and musical references, this is a clever and vibrant tale, which, like a catchy jazz riff, lingers in the mind.”

“More than anything, Herman and Rosie shows you how a real artist can transcend genre and bridge generation gaps to produce a genuine, unpretenscious work of art. Clever, sweet and brilliant in every way.”

“This picture book is so hip it positively swings, but it also has soul and leaves you feeling like you’ve eaten honey straight from the jar.”

“Gus Gordon’s mixed media illustrations are amazing. They incorporate maps, newspaper, postcards and photos of instruments and give the impression of a loud bustling city. The flowing text and illustrations work together beautifully to tell the story. The book has depth and romance, but by using animal characters Gus Gordon has avoided an ‘adult’ feeling and created a book about friendship perfect for both adults and children.”

“If there is such a thing as a perfect Australian picture book, this might be it.”

“It took an extremely talented Australian to remind me why I moved to New York 40 years ago.”

“Quirky, soulful and alive…a book to treasure, like a favourite song.”