One Little Bag by Henry Cole

One Little Bag is a wordless book - these are sometimes referred to as textless books and IBBY call them Silent Books - but of course they are far from silent. This one for example contains a really complex and very satisfying story about the creation of a paper bag beginning with a tree in the forest and then moving from the factory to the grocery store. This is not the end, however, because this bag is used and reused over and over again and even becomes a part of the generational story of one family. 

"On the very first Earth Day my entire school celebrated. ... That day ... my lunch was packed in a small paper bag. On that first Earth Day, however, I did not throw my bag away after lunch. Instead, I folded in and slipped it back into my back pocket. ... The next day I used that same little bag to carry my lunch to school again. And the next day. And the next day. For three years. ... It looked a little weather beaten with all the stapes and scotch tape I used to keep it together. I figure that bag was used about seven hundred times."  Henry Cole

This book needs to be added to your school library BUT here in Australia it is way too expensive. This book was published in 2020 and while it is still available it now costs AUS$53+. Back in 2021 the library where I borrowed this book paid AUS$32.

Here is the blurb by Henry Cole: From a tall tree growing in the forest-- to the checkout counter at the grocery store-- one little bag finds its way into the hands of a young boy on the eve of his first day of school. And so begins an incredible journey of one little bag that is used and reused and reused again. In a three-generation family, the bag is transporter of objects and keeper of memories. And when Grandfather comes to the end of his life, the family finds a meaningful new way for the battered, but much-loved little bag to continue its journey in the circle of life.

In this video Colby Sharp talks about reading this book to his class. Take a look at the Kirkus Star review. Here is the webpage for Henry Cole. 

Cole beautifully shows how small acts of reusing something can become tradition in a family. The book never seems like a lecture, always just showing and demonstrating how reuse is possible and its great potential as well. The paper bag in the story if remarkably resilient for so much use by generations, but I think we all have items in our families that survive despite being used by everyone, to be handed to the next generation. Told in images only, the book is filled with fine-line drawings that shine with light. The paper bag is the only color on the page, its brown color becoming all the more warm and glowing and the red hearts popping with color. A truly great wordless picture book. Waking Brain Cells

I previously talked about Nesting by Henry Cole.

Lotus and Feather by Ji-Li Jiang illustrated by Julie Downing

Lotus has been unwell, and her illness has taken her voice away. The other children no longer invite her to play. She lives with her kind, wise and compassionate grandfather beside a lake that used to be filled with lotus flowers, birds and fish. 

"One morning, Lotus went to collect reeds for her Grandpa. She stopped in awe when she saw a big bird, as white as fresh snow, standing in the marsh grass. Its wide wings edged with black feathers, like lace on a dress. Above the long, curved neck, its head was crowned with a red top like a dazzling ruby."

As Lotus stands looking at this exquisite creature a gunshot startles her. Her bird has been shot. She carefully carries him back to her grandfather. Over the coming weeks and months Feather gradually heals and eventually he stands up and even seems to dance. This entrances the other children. Then one evening Feather begins to crow loudly. He has sensed an earthquake. Lotus and her grandfather rush to alert the villagers because their lake is about to flood. 

Bookseller blurb: A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.

Elegant storytelling and arresting compositions combine for a deeply satisfying emotional and aesthetic experience. Best shared one-on-one or in a small group so that children can pore over the lively and engaging artwork. School Library Journal

Downing’s finely crafted illustrations perfectly complement this reassuring story. Done with watercolor, pencil, and paint and digitally collated, they have the look of Chinese paintings, with misty backgrounds and gently bending reeds. The rosy-cheeked children wear red scarves, alluding to the author’s own childhood during the Cultural Revolution. Kirkus

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything set up an extensive display of books for Chinese New Year and among them I found Lotus and Feather. This is a book to read and treasure and it has wonderful illustrations. It was published in 2017 but I think it is still available although sadly, as with all US Picture books now, it is very expensive at over AUS$40. I have not found a paperback edition. 

Here is the webpage of the illustrator Julie Downing. Read more about Ji-Li Jiang here. You can watch a video of the book at Storyline Online. 

Read the book!

This post on Facebook shocked me last week - not the content - the fact that this teacher did not think he/she should have read the book first before reading this book or perhaps ANY book to the class and then I was even more shocked to read that he or she isn't even going to read it over the weekend - the story will unfold for the teacher and the class next week. Surely this is just meant to be facetious?

I asked for recommendations for my class a couple of weeks ago and was overwhelmed by fantastic suggestions. My class chose "You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum" and we're absolutely loving it... or at least, we were...We have a long weekend this weekend and finished chapter 8 at 2.58pm. School finishes at 3.
JAKE DIES AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER. Cue half a class of seven-year-olds crying, me frantically flicking through in search of a spoiler (the whopper dog can't really be dead!), parents peering through the window wondering what on earth is going on... Honestly, should have come with a trigger warning. It's going to be a long five days waiting to find out what happens next! I've got my fingers crossed hoping Polly pulls something out of the bag...

I read You're a Bad Man Mr Gum when it was first published in 2006. I didn't remember much about the story so I re-read it last night. This is just meant to be a fun/funny/silly book - the term slapstick comes to mind. What this teacher didn't seem to know:

• This book is aimed at readers aged 7+ so it is very unlikely or even I might say impossible that a main character, even a dog main character will die. Sure, in books for older children such as Charlotte's Web and Bridge to Terabithia a loved character does die but You're a Bad Man Mr Gum is just a funny illustrated junior novel perfect for younger children or reluctant older kids who just want a laugh. (think of books like George's Marvellous Medicine).
• If you read the words from the scene on page 110 chapter 8 where Jake eats the poison left for him in Mr Gum's garden and then think about them it seems obvious that he is not dead: "But before he could take another bite, he gave a sad woof and fell over on his side, his big furry belly moving rapidly in and out."  I assume this is where the teacher stopped.
• The teacher could have turned to the last page and read "and Jake the dog played happily in gardens all summer long." (page 160). Voila - a happy ending - surely you are not surprised. 
• Finally, if the teacher had looked at the back cover there is a happy illustration of Polly and Jake together.

I seem to read comments like this so often - they make me despair. Teachers and parents asking for advice about books - when all they need to do is actually read the book themselves. It took me less than 20 minutes to read You're a Bad Man Mr Gum - surely this teacher could manage that!

The teacher could also have read a few review comments - because if Jake had died, I think the reviewers would have expressed their outrage. Here are a few comments I found on Goodreads. None talk about Jake dying:

It's silly, surreal, often abstract, did I mention silly? And it works enough of the time to pull you through the book and deliver the promised good time.

I haven't genuinely laughed at a book, like I did with this one in a long time. It was completely absurd and completely fun.

The nice thing about Andy Stanton's Mr. Gum books is that they're written with a two-dimensional villain in place with whom you never, at any point, sympathize.

Finally, back to my comment that surely teacher would have read the book prior to sharing it with her class. I maintain this is vital. If you personally don't like a book then it is surely okay to find another one to share. When a teacher truly loves a book it is nearly always true the class will too. I adore dystopian stories but I am not a fan of timeslip. Everyone has their own personal preferences and taste. I realise the teacher did like this first book from the series of eight by Andy Stanton but I just do not understand why he/she had not read it themselves. Sorry for the rant. 

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kira has been a lost child. She has been rescued by Cady and her son Jude but she still has scars - visible and invisible that have damaged her from her time 'alone' in the wilderness. 

Cady is an expert with training and using tracking dogs. Kira, perhaps because of that time spent alone surviving in the wild, has a special bond with the dogs especially a rescue dog named Saskia. Cady has been called to the small town where she grew up because a very young girl named Bella is missing. But as the story unfolds finding this missing girl is not the only reason Cady needed to come home.

This is one of those stories where reading feels like viewing a television show. Nearly every character has a back story and as a reader you will want to know more about each key person and discover how they are interconnected. Of course, the plot is also driven by the desperate need to find young Bella. 

Readers who enjoy survival stories and who have a special affinity with dogs are sure to love this book. The ending will be a surprise and as with all good Young Adult titles there are still a few loose ends. 

I recommend this book for readers aged 13+ mainly because there is a very violent scene towards the end when Kira is taken for interrogation by the local sherif. He is a vicious and nasty man who exposes parts of Kira's story that are utterly dreadful and harrowing. If you look at my labels for this post you will have a better idea of some of the issues raised in this story.

I bought this book by accident but I am glad I found and read it. I was browsing one of our city bookstores (Abbey's York Street). As usual I had found one book to buy but I decided I needed two! Abbey's have a good shelf of front facing newer titles and this one caught my eye. I thought I had heard of the author Jennifer Lynn Barnes but in fact she is new to me. High School readers, this is a Young Adult book, are sure to have heard of her book series The Inheritance Games. The Lovely and the Lost was published in 2020 but my copy is the UK 2025 edition. 

You can read a long description of the plot on the US publisher page. 

Blurb from the author page: Kira Bennett's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady's son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world's most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady's estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child, Kira's memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

How did I decide this was a Young Adult title? What are some things I should have noticed?

• The print size is very small
• The bookshop price sticker (these are always worth exploring) says "Young Adult Fiction"
• The cover endorsement - 'A propulsive mystery-thriller ... You will cling to this book until you reach the end' Maureen Johnson - not a name I know - this should have been a strong hint

The hardcover edition of this book certainly has a Young Adult image:

Anno's Alphabet by Mitsumasa Anno

Look at the cover - see how the '?' is made from wood. Under the dust jacket there is a close image of the wood and then the first page has a huge tree. 

Image under the front dust jacket. 

Turn the page and an axe has cut down the tree. Then we see a mechanical device cutting the wood into the shape of a book. You can see the title page below with an open book (made from that same piece of wood). 

As you would expect Anno adds so much to his alphabet book and it is far from simple. Perhaps you have seen his visual tricks in books like Topsy Turvies; Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar; and Anno's Upside Downers. The sophistication of those images and the ones in this book make me suggest this alphabet book will probably appeal more to adults or art students.

Now for something surprising. I was quite shocked by the G page. G is for gun and I expected to read some criticism of this, but I didn't find any. It is a pop gun with a cork but the gun does look quite scary to my eye. 

 

Images from Impossible World

I did enjoy the pages with L is for lock; M is for mirror and map; O is for orange oil paint; R is for rocking horse and T is for typewriter. I wonder if Mitsumasa Anno ever actually saw a real Kangaroo. Oh and as with all Alphabet books it is fun to see how they interpret X and Z. 

Handsomely designed and produced, with graceful leafy borders, carefully rendered pictures and, facing them, woodgrain upper case letters that seem to have been lovingly hand carved, this looks like the beautiful sort of book that wins prizes for graphic excellence. And so it is. But you can't expect the creator of Topsy-Turvies (KR, 1970) and Upside-Downers (KR, 1971) to let it go at that, and if you take another look you'll notice the peculiarity of the letters, which resemble, variously, Escher's impossible fork, a partial Mobius strip, and other inconceivable three-dimensional illusions. Kirkus Star review

There's a small street library near my home and I regularly walk past and look inside. I was very surprised to see Anno's Alphabet yesterday. This book was published in 1974 and the copy I found was a 1980 reprint. Amazingly it is in good condition with a dust jacket.

Here is a list of the words used for A to Z:

Mitsumasa Anno (1926 – 2020) was a Japanese illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books with few or no words. He received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1984. Anno's Alphabet was an ALA Notable Children's Book and received the 1975 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.

Two years ago Dr Robin Morrow and I explored Alphabet Books as a project for our IBBY Australia members so I am always on the hunt for more examples. You can see our video (13 minutes) here. We were just learning how to make these videos - sorry the name label on the narrator is incorrect. Our latest video for IBBY Australia members explores the topic "One poem in a Picture Book".  I was excited to see Anno's Alphabet was originally purchased from The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft - the shop originally owned by Dr Robin Morrow. It cost AUS$14.95. 

Water, Water by Cary Fagan illustrated by Jon McNaught

Overnight something catastrophic has happened to the world. Rafe finds himself alone in his room with just his dog. His room has somehow become detached from his house. The room is floating on an endless ocean. His parents and whole neighborhood are gone. From the other things he finds floating on this endless sea it seems everything in the world has been destroyed. 

Luckily Rafe is a resourceful kid and luckily his room has some useful things and even luckier on the water there is debris which he can use including cans of food. Then a girl washes up next to his floating room - she is on an air mattress with her cat. She does not speak English but Rafe helps her to climb into his floating room and the pair quickly establish a wonderful friendship.

The chapter headings reflect the problems Rafe has to solve. For example 50.RD is a box he pulls out of the water which contains fifty plastic ducks - can you think of a way he might use these? Stovepipe Hat is the chapter where the kids meet some pirates. It's a thrilling scene when they manage to escape. One of the things Rafe has in his room is his homework from school. He has been assigned a novel to read and his book report is due but he has not even opened his book. With all this time to fill he starts to read and the story, as with all good stories, totally transports him away from his current difficult and uncertain situation. This book also becomes important at the end of the story - this discovery will make you smile. 

You can see I have given this book five stars. This is a book that you should add to your school library and it would also be a terrific family read aloud. This book has 150 pages and 17 short chapters so it is a very quick book to read (and enjoy).

This apocalyptic Robinsonade makes unusual middle grade fare. Each episodic chapter addresses a new problem to be solved—finding food, surviving a storm, evading pirates—and, for the most part, the challenges are all handled in short order. Fagan never addresses why this flood has occurred (tsunami? rising sea levels? climate change?), if its effects are global or localized, or probes any sadness on Rafe’s part now that he is an orphan. In fact, many younger readers may read this as simply a grand fantasy adventure tale. ...  Water, Water is an accessible adventure that may spark deeper discussions. Canadian Review of Materials

Publisher blurb: One morning Rafe wakes up to discover his bedroom is floating in a vast sea of water. Alone with only his dog for company, Rafe adapts to this strange new world by fishing cans of food out of the water and keeping watch. Boxes float by, as does a woman, playing her cello. Then, one day, Rafe fishes out a young girl, who joins him in his room — they don't speak the same language, but they will face this uncertain future together.

This book is a splendid new discovery by Canadian author Cary Fagan. I previously loved The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster. In 2022 I said it was my book of the year! I am not sure how I discovered Water, Water but I think it might have been when I was perusing the Tundra book publisher catalogue. The paperback edition [9780735270053] of Water, Water was published in 2024. I absolutely adore the cover and the internal illustrations are also terrific and mirror the cover in their use of aqua blue, black and white. Jon McNaught lives in Edinburgh. 

Cary Fagan (born 1957) is a Canadian writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. Here is partial list of his books:

• Gogol's Coat (Tundra Books, 1999), illustrated by Regolo Ricci, 
• The Market Wedding (Tundra, 2000), illus. Regolo Ricci
• Daughter of the Great Zandini (Tundra, 2001), illus. Cybèle Young
• The Fortress of Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2004), novel
• Ten Old Men and a Mouse (Tundra, 2007), illus. Gary Clement
• My New Shirt (Tundra, 2007), illus. Dušan Petričić
• Directed by Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2007), sequel novel
• Mr. Karp's Last Glass (Tundra, 2007), illus. Selçuk Demirel
• Ten Lessons for Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2008), sequel novel
• Thing-Thing (Tundra, 2008), illus. Nicolas Debon
• Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas (Tundra, 2009), illus. Dušan Petričić
• Book of Big Brothers (Groundwood Books, 2010), illus. Luc Melanson
• The Big Swim (Groundwood, 2010), novel
• Banjo of Destiny (Groundwood, 2011), illus. Selçuk Demirel
• Ella May and the Wishing Stone (Tundra, 2011), illus. Geneviève Côté
• Mr. Zinger's Hat (Tundra, 2012), illus. Dušan Petričić
• The Boy in the Box (Penguin Canada, 2012), novel; Master Melville's Medicine Show, book 1
• Danny, Who Fell in a Hole (Groundwood, 2013), illus. Milan Pavlovic
• Oy, Feh, So (Groundwood, 2013), illus. Gary Clement
• Little Blue Chair (Tundra, 2017), illus. Madelie Kloepper
• A Cage Went in Search of a Bird (Groundwood, 2017), illus. Banafsheh Erfanian
• Wolfie & Fly (Tundra, 2017), illus. Zoe Si
• Mort Ziff is Not Dead (Penguin Canada)
• What Are You Doing, Benny? (Tundra, 2019), illus. Kady MacDonald Denton
• The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster (Tundra, 2019)
• King Mouse (Tundra, 2019), illus. Dena Seiferling
• Mr. Tempkin Climbs a Tree (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2019), illus. Carles Arbat
• Son of Happy (Groundwood, 2020), illus. Milan Pavlović
• Bear Wants to Sing (Tundra, 2021), illus. Dena Seiferling
• Water, Water (Tundra, 2022)
• Boney (Groundwood, 2022)
• Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door (Tundra, 2023)

If you enjoy Water, Water and want another dystopian story involving a flood and survival look for this book:

Across the Risen Sea

The final scene in Water, Water reminded me of this amazing picture book for older readers:

As Time went by

You might also look for this verse novel if you like survival stories:

Alone

Why Evergreens Keep their Leaves by Annemarie Riley Guertin illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

A little redbird is injured and cannot fly south for the winter. She needs to find a new shelter so she asks a variety of trees in the forest if they can help her. Silver Birch, oak, and maple all say no. A pine tree hears her cries then a blue spruce offers further help and finally the juniper offers her berries as food and for their healing properties. 

"So it is said, because of their act of kindness, not only do the fir, spruce, and juniper trees get to keep their leaves in winter ..."

If you are working in a school library or you collect books for your own shelves it is always well worth perusing sale sections in bookstore. This book retails for over AUS$36 but my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything found it in one of our big city chain bookstores for just AUS$14. This book is not about Australian trees of course but it is a terrific example of a pourquoi story and so it is one you could use as a companion text when you explore our indigenous dreaming stories. 

Kirkus do identify one fairly serious error in this book - again it is not something entirely relevant to us here in Australia - only male cardinal birds are red but in this book it is the female who searches for a safety among the trees. On this blog post you can find some useful websites and activities to use with this book. And here you can read more book details. 

Here are books by Annemarie Riley Guertin - she has another pourquoi story called How the Finch got his colours.

Here is the website for Spanish illustrator Helena Perez Garcia. She is the illustrator of a book on my shopping list about the suffragette Ethel Smyth entitled Rise up with a song.