Ella lived in the red-dirt country where the earth was as dry as old bones
and it hadn't rained for years and years and years and years.
One night Ella dreamt of the ocean.
Dad have you ever seen the ocean? Mum have you ever seen the ocean? Ben have you ever seen the ocean? Gran have you ever seen the ocean? Does it crack open? Does it get tangled? Can you catch and tame it?
"I've dreamt about the ocean twice,' said Ella.
'Now I want to see it."
Dad, Mum and Ben don't see the point of bothering but Gran knows dreams are important. The family make the long journey by car and plane over our wide Australian landscape. When they arrive at the ocean they see it is big, it is blue and it is beautiful. Everyone dives into the cool water for a delicious swim.
"and all their broken dreams were washed away."
The family then make the long journey back to their farm. Everything is still in drought. The land is red and dry, the animals will still need hand feeding but the family look at their familiar environment with fresh eyes. They see the colours of the hills, they look up at the enormous sky and they hear the song of the birds. They have HOPE.
At its heart this is a book about pessimism and optimism. About the way we view the world. It shows how a small experience, like seeing the ocean for the first time, lead to an important change which helps everyone move forward.
When you pick up this book begin by comparing the end papers. They are the perfect way to introduce this book - orange, dry, dusty at the beginning and blue, green, watery at the end. I am going to predict this book will be included in the 2020 CBCA Notable titles (usually about 20 books) but I also hope it makes the short list of six in the Early Childhood picture book category.
Take a look here to see more picture books illustrated by Jonathan Bentley.
Ella and the Ocean is a powerful picture book about the harsh reality of farming in the Australian outback yet it is also a quiet reminder of the importance of hope, following your dreams and the importance of a supportive network of people. Educate Empower
When the family see the ocean for the first time it reminded me of the wonderful Margaret Mahy book The Man whose Mother was a Pirate. Take a look at my review where you can read some beautiful words about this experience. It would be good to compare these with the words used by Lian Tanner in Ella and the Ocean.
No comments:
Post a Comment