We are Together by Britta Teckentrup

"When life is confusing,

and our way seems unclear,

The horizon is distant

but our friends will stay near."

We are Together seems like the perfect for our times right now (COVID-19).  Each page celebrates our humanity.

As you can see in the example above each page has four lines of text following the format of alone then together. Here are some of the other lines that resonated with me:

"If storm clouds gather,
and we'e caught in the rain,
Let's splash through the puddles
till the sun shines again."

"Hear the song we sing
to encourage and inspire.
If we all sing together,
one voice becomes a choir."

The pages of this book are die cut so each one reveals sets of children peeping into the scene culminating on the final spread where we see all the children together. 

This is a book to treasure in a library and on your family book shelves.

Teckentrup is one of the most innovative picture book artists working today. Her intricate collage style is striking, original and perfectly brings to life a simple message of unity. LoveReading4Kids

If you don't know the work of Britta Teckentrup from Germany I recommend you add her name to your list of illustrators to explore. Her work is enchanting. Taking a look at her body of work I have discovered Britta did the covers for books I have read in the past and loved such as Dog by Daniel Pennac and Love Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles along with a page the new book Kind. Here are some picture books and non fiction titles previously mentioned on this blog:

Birds and Feathers

Little Mouse and the Red Wall

How big is the World?

Bee

Why do you cry? by Kate Klise illustrated by M Sarah Klise

You can cry for any reason. Or for no reason at all.

Today I have watched a few YouTube videos (COVID-19 stay at home) and as usual many of the ones involving music, young children and acts of kindness leave me in floods of tears. I am a crier. I cry over television commercials, I cry when kids sing in school assemblies, and of course I cry in movies.  I was very intrigued by the title of this book - why do you cry?

Little Rabbit declares, aged five, that he is "done with crying."  He has lots of friends who he plans to invite to his birthday party but he decides the friends can only attend if they meet his criteria:

"I'm inviting everyone who's big like me, and doesn't cry anymore."

Little Rabbit heads off to interview his friends and he makes some surprising discoveries.

Squirrel - cries when he is excluded from a game
Cat - cries when she is alone and fearful
Horse - cries for lots of reasons - pain from a bee sting, seeing a snake or if a new haircut looks terrible

It seems no one can come to the birthday party. Even mother cannot attend because she sometimes cries too. "Sometimes I cry when I watch a sad movie ... or when I have a bad toothache and sometimes I cry when I look at you."

Little Rabbit has discovered so much about crying. He is persuaded to change his mind and so he decides everyone is allowed to attend is birthday party and it is a big success.  Only one person cries?

This is a fairly old book (2006) but I think it is still in print.  I would pair this book with Sloppy Kisses.

There are several books about Little Rabbit by Kate Klise:

Happy by Nicola Edwards illustrated by Katie Hickey

Happy is a children's book of mindfulness.  Each page contains a topic, a rhyme and a suggestion or question accompanied with joyous and colourful illustrations. While I do like the text of this book - the rhyming parts, I especially love the illustrations.

Topics: Listening, Feeling, Relaxing, Tasting, Touching, Discovering, Smelling, Loving, Appreciating, Breathing, Happiness

Rhyming text - here are two examples of pages I liked:

Touching
Touch calms the wildest emotions,
We connect to the world all around,
When we dip out toes into the ocean
Or crunch crisp golden leaves on the ground.

Appreciating
It feels good to give thanks at the day's end
For the pink blushing sky overhead,
A hot meal, comfy shoes or a good friend,
And the warmth of a soft cosy bed.

A fine resource for sharing moments of mindfulness, empathy, and reflection with young children. Kirkus

In a society full of stress and pressure it’s often difficult to find time to stop and appreciate our surroundings and the people in our lives. Screen time is increasing, outside play is decreasing and many children now have anxiety and mental health problems. Teaching them mindfulness can help them to slow down, relax and find ways to cope with stress. Story Snug

Here are some additional Mindfulness books to explore from Megan Daley.

I talked about another book by Nicola Edwards here recently - Goodnight World.

I love the illustration style in this book so I have added a Christmas book illustrated by Katie Hickey to my ever expanding shopping list.

Here is a Christmas Lighthouse illustrated by Katie Hickey for an art challenge in 2017.

I am also very keen to see this book by Nicola Edwards:

A house without walls by Elizabeth Laird illustrated by Lucy Eldridge

Safiya is a young girl living in Syria. Her family are forced to flee to Jordan. Safiya has a complex past. Her mother died when she was a baby. Safiya is a twin but her twin sister Saba was taken away when the babies were just a few weeks old. Safiya has never seen Saba who is supposed to be living with relatives in America but in Jordan, Safiya discovers Saba. Uncle Hassan and Aunt Israa have moved back to Jordan and are living in a nearby city.

Safiya is a very resourceful girl. She knows the name of the company where her uncle works. She has been extraordinarily lucky to get some work in a Beauty Salon helping with paper work and answering the telephone. This gives her access to a computer and a telephone, Safiya cleverly phones up the company where her uncle works and spins a tale about a delivery of flowers for Saba. The unwitting receptionist at Askil International supplies an address so now she can surely find her long lost twin sister. 

This fragment of information is vital but Safiya is living in a tent. She is a girl in a Muslim community so she is expected to cook and clean and keep silent. Basic care of herself, her father and brother is very difficult.  They have hardly any money. She is not allowed to travel alone and while her Baba (father) does love her he cannot talk to Safiya about the death of her mother or the loss of her twin sister.  She really has no one to turn to for advice. Safiya is sure her twin will recognise her and that they will immediately become firm friends. This is an important dream which keeps Safiya buoyant with hope but sadly this is really only a dream and the reality is far harsher than she could ever have anticipated.

The strength of this book comes from Safiya herself and from the vivid descriptions of her struggles living in the tent.

"The only thing I knew how to make was pasta with tomato sauce, but it was going to be horribly difficult doing it on a little gas burner outside by the water tank where I'd made a sort of kitchen space. I had to squat on the ground because we didn't have a table, and cut up the onions on a plate with a blunt knife."

"Sweeping out the tent was the next job, and the one I hated most. Masses of dirt crept into the tent every day and grit got caught in the woven matting, even though we always took off our shoes when we came in and left them by the open flap. It took forever to clean up."

There are some extraordinary moments of kindness in this book. The grocery man across the street gives Safiya "stale" cakes and he orgainses a monthly charity food box. The owner of the beauty salon gives Safiya a prettier hijab printed with pale blue flowers. Her uncle Malik joins the family. He is skilled with his hands and repairs and builds things for their tent helping Safiya to make their small space so much more comfortable.

The illustrations in this book by Lucy Eldridge are perfect.

Why will no-one tell her anything about her dead mother?Will she ever find her lost twin sister? Is she being set up for an unwished-for early marriage? Chapters often end on these or other urgent questions still hanging in the air, hopefully to be answered in the next. This is story-telling at its most skilled and experienced. Books for Keeps

Here are some background notes about this book. I have always loved the storytelling of Elizabeth Laird in books such as Secret Friends and The Lost Riders. I also highly recommend you search out Oranges in No Man's Land.

I would pair a House without walls with No Ballet shoes in Syria and The Night Diary.

What Clara saw by Jessica Meserve

The full title of this book is What Clara saw (and what the animals did!). The children from the delightfully named Dearest Darlings Primary school are spending their day at the wildlife park.  Clara is a very observant girl. Her teacher has an agenda for this excursion and he is determined to show that his views are right! Even though all animal lovers, especially Clara, know he is utterly and completely wrong!

Mr Biggity, the teacher, is simply awful:

He "liked to ask questions he already knew the answer to."
"He also liked to answer questions with more questions!"

Mr Biggity believes humans are superior to animals, their brains are smaller, the don't have emotions, they don't communicate, and animals don't help each other. He is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Luckily none of the children are listening to Mr Biggity.  Instead Clara shows the children exactly how every clever the animals are and how they communicate and work together and even use tools.

Clara is excited to visit the wildlife park because she wants to see Elsie, the tortoise. Clara sees a sign which says Elsie is being moved out of the zoo because she is now 150 years old. Clara sees the zoo keeper putting Elsie into a wooden crate. As the keeper moves around the zoo a sneaky monkey takes his keys. The animals pass the keys, in clever ways, to Clara and she opens the crate and sets Elsie free. What happens next is a simply beautiful moment - you need to see this book!

Do animals make friends?  YES
Do animals care for their babies? YES
Do animals need kindness? YES

Can I also mention the beautiful end papers in this book. Take time to observe the difference between front and back and the differences in the animals over the course of one day at the zoo. This is a book where you really do need to "read the pictures".

The message of this story is to observe with an open mind.Throw off those preconceptions and try to figure out what the animals in frontof you are doing. Book Murmuration

There is much to read into the story,  to infer. Jessica Meserve’s pictures are broad stroke created, tender and empathetic. I love their gentle tones and suggestions of nostalgia. I am reminded of Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic ‘Madeline’. Bookwagon

Meserve has a way with illustration. Her child characters are hugely differentiated,personalities zinging from the page, and she holds an astounding attention to detail – the shoelaces of the children like little wings, the crafting of the teacher, Mr Biggity, as condescending, before the reader has even read a word. Is it his long nose, his large nostril, the upturn of his toe, his hand positioning, the way his eye glances back at the children. He’s going to be tricky. Minerva Reads

Jessica Meserve is the illustrator of several of my favourite books - Misty and the Daisy Dawson series.

This book does not have the depth for discussion in What Clara saw but I would pair this book with an older Australian title which should be found in many school libraries.

Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton

Harris is going out.
"Will you be good, George?" asks Harris.
"Yes," says George.
"I'll be very good."

Your young reading companion is sure to be laughing.  It is so obvious that George will not be good! Harris leaves. George sees a cake!

What will George do?

George sees Cat! George sees some fresh soil in the flower bed. Three disasters - then Harris returns home.

"I'm sorry,"  George says. 

Harris cleans up and forgives George and the pair set off for a walk. Along the way there are so many temptations - cake, soil, and Cat. George shows amazing self restraint but then they walk past a delicious rubbish bin. George?!!

Oh no, George is available in 17 languages and it was nominated for numerous awards in 2012. Chris Haughton has some terrific activities on his web site along with a recipe for the cake! It's a Strawberry and Raspberry Cake originally made by Zoe at Playing by the Book. Here is an interview with Chris.

I have made an odd discovery.  In US editions of Oh no, George the boy's name has been changed to Harry - I wonder why?

One activity you could do with older children is to study the way Chris Haughton uses colour in his books and also the amazing power of these eyes.  Here are four sets of eyes for George:

Have you met Chris Haughton (via his books) previously? His work is the perfect combination of story, art and humour all packaged for a young child and at the same time thoroughly enjoyable for the adult reader too. Here are some of his classic books which are perfect for the preschool and Kindergarten audience. I would think all of these books would be essential purchases for ALL preschools and child care centres.

Here is the book trailer from Candlewick Press (Walker Books).

In UK there were plans for a live theatre production of Oh no, George by Can't sit Still Theatre Company but sadly the show was cancelled.

You can also read/see the whole book here.This series of books by Chris Haughton would be a perfect present for a young child aged 2-4 and all the titles are available as Board Books.

Here are some review comments for Oh no, George:

George’s crimes are ones of passion, and it’s hysterical. It resonates with anyone with blood pulsing through their veins—and especially with children, who are constantly being told what not to do. Kirkus Star review Julie Danielson

And that, I believe, is Chris Haughton’s gift. He knows how to create entertaining picture books that make light of human nature. Oh No,George! is about a dog who would really love to please his owner, Harris. If only he weren’t faced with so many temptations. My Little Book Case

Baabwaa and Wooliam by David Elliott illustrated by Melissa Sweet

You may remember with Bear and Tiger in A trip to Panama there were two friends with different interests and skills who one day decide it is time for an adventure.  In this tale Wooliam is a reader ("There are not many sheep who read") and Baabwaa loves to knit ("Knitting is a very practical hobby for a sheep").  These two sheep are very content with life in their little caravan but one day Wooliam, who has been reading a book about pirates and treasure, announces it is time for an adventure.  Off they go! It is beautiful day. Which way should they go? Wooliam suggests they turn left. This means they end up walking in a circle. Eventually they stop for a bite of fresh grass when along comes a third sheep.

A sheep with a long rangy tail.
A sheep with a sharp, whiskered snout.
A sheep with a filthy wool coat.

Wooliam is not fooled. "It's that Wolf in Sheep's Clothing I've read about."

Wolf chases the sheep but then he stops with a question. "Have you actually read about me?"  Wooliam is happy to share his book but Wolf cannot read. The sheep offer reading lessons and Baabwaa will knit wolf a new coat. Can a Wolf and two sheep become friends?

There are some truly delightful words in this book:

rambunctious
lupine howl
outraged
chattercheeks

I should also make special mention of the end papers where you will see a trail of red wool with twists and turns rather like the funny plot of this story. This book should be included in every school library collection.

Melissa Sweet is the perfect illustrator for this picture book.  I adore her work. Go back and look more closely at the front cover. You will see the Wolf, the cute caravan and then notice the book Wooliam is reading - An illustrated History of Wolves!

Much of the action is set in frames, of both the hanging-on-the-wall variety and the graphic-novel variety. The characters are all highly expressive, and the graph paper and strands of yarn in the page design add to the nonstop merriment.  Great for knitters, for readers, for fun-seeking adventurers. Kirkus Star review

Sweet’s illustrations are charming, enchanting, and make it so easy to love this book from the moment you set eyes on the cover. Elliott and Sweet do an excellent job of creating characters we can all identify with and root for. Everyone gets to be both the sheep and the wolf in this story.It’s a fun way to practice empathizing with multiple perspectives. The Picture Book Review

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has a brilliant Pinterest collection of picture books that feature knitting. She also has a collection of picture books that feature wolves.

Here are a few titles I have talked about recently Moon by Alison Oliver; Bear and Wolf by Daniel Salmieri; Brenda is a sheep by Morag Hood; and I am so clever by Mario Ramos.

The House of Light by Julia Green

"I found a boat and a boy from the sea and I bought them back here so we can help him and maybe use his boat for fishing and going on voyages."

This is a book about light and dark. The title and lighthouse image on the cover are perfect signposts of these themes.

Darkness:
For Bonnie and her Granda life in their community is dark but they both try hard to keep some light in their lives. Julia Green gives her reader tiny fragments to show this darkness. Bonnie finds school is tedious and that she is often shouted at. She has to recite The Rules of Civil Conduct and copy out The Duties of Citizenship. Food is very short and so Bonnie needs to scavenge things from the beach near their home. She finds "sticky sea flowers"; "green crabs"; and "fresh green edible sea-leaves, and pink seaweed that tasted good in soup." There is a Border Notice on the beach and concrete blocks "big, ugly things which had been put there to stop tanks invading from the sea in some old war, years and years ago."

Then we hear about the Border Guards. Granda has been away for the day completing the Registration. "Their stupid rules and punishments... The guards. They're keeping tabs on numbers. How many people live in the village. How many cross the border." In this place of darkness babies have died in the past because there were no medicines. People call this "the seven day death."

Light:
That same day Bonnie finds a row boat on the beach. A boat means hope. Hope that she and Granda can leave this place and travel over to the light. The light comes from an island, one of twenty five, which can be glimpsed from the shore on clear days. The lighthouse island is now uninhabited because everyone has been told the islands are poisoned with sickness and death. Granda regards this, though, as "superstitious nonsense."

Bonnie, though, finds more than a boat. She finds a boy. It is illegal to land on the beach. This boy is in danger and he is hurt. Bonnie takes him home and hides him an old barn. What Bonnie has not realised is that this boy, the boat, and her Granda will soon be able to escape over to the island with the lighthouse and that this physical journey will also mean Bonnie can make important discoveries about the journey of her own life - the mystery of her mother, her father, her past and her future. Bonnie will find the light!

This is a thrilling read, a truly heart-stopping adventure which has no need to labour the details of the dystopian society in which it is set. The setting is so vividly realised and the nuances of the relationships are so movingly portrayed that the reader is absolutely in the moment with Bonnie. A beautifully written book with a powerful but ultimately hopeful message. LoveReading4Kids

Bonnie’s relationship with both the boy, Ish, and her Granda are drawn tenderly and evocatively. The reader feels her doubts and pain, her love and instincts. Although this is a simple story, it is well told, with underlying depth and memorable characters, and a tangible setting. It sears its message and vision into the reader’s mind. Minerva Reads

Update to this post: A wonderful friend of mine has been reading The House of Light to her grandchildren. She pointed out to me the power of the chapter headings that Julia has used in her book. Words such as these allow the reader to anticipate and predict the unfolding events: Boat; Early; Eggs; Boy; Sickness; Guards; Dark; Runaway; Island; Storm; A fair wind.  She also alerted me to the power of the short sentences which are used by Julia Green. These highlight her perfect word placement.

"He was shivering. His feet were bare. His clothes were torn. She was sure he hadn't eaten for a long time."

"A small bird landed on the yew tree. Robin. It sang its chirpy song. It flew down to the wall and looked at them with its beady eye, as if expecting something. It did not seem afraid."

"They laid his body on the quiet earth. They hardly said a word."

Julia Green is the author of seventeen books. I am keen to explore some of her other titles:

Here in Australia there seems to be some issues with purchasing this book. It is fairly new - only published in 2019 so I cannot imagine it is out of print. I do hope you can find a copy in a bookstore or library as I highly recommend The House of Light for mature readers aged 10+. Lighthouse fans will not be disappointed with the wonderful lighthouse where Bonnie, Ish and Granda find their sanctuary.  I would follow this with Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk and Jubilee by Patrica Reilly Giff.

Norton and Alpha by Kristyna Litten

Norton is an inventor. He uses discarded materials to make amazing inventions including his companion Alpha - woof!  Alpha uses his robot nose to track down wonderful things for Norton.  On Tuesday he finds something that tickles his nose. Working together they "pick" this strange thing and bring it home. They do not notice - but you will - little coloured things are falling out of this thing. Back at home Norton applies his usual experiments. He "oiled it. He tried plugging it in. He even x-rayed it."  This thing seems quite useless so Norton tosses it out the window. Rain falls, the sun comes out. Finally our pair of heroes can venture outside.  "And what they saw was ... "

Image source: Sam and Stu

"Norton forgot about trying to find out what IT was, or what IT was for, but one thing he did know was ITS made him smile!"

There are some very funny moments in this book which are sure to make an adult and an astute younger reader laugh.  Alpha needs exercise! Alpha can sneeze - the IT makes his nose tickle. You will even see Alpha eating a "hearty breakfast."  Keep in mind Alpha is a robot dog.

You can preview many of the illustrations from this book on this blog post from Celebrate Picture Books.

Norton and Alpha is a simple story well told that feels like it may be sad, but is actually uplifting. Any child will love it, but a fan of robots will adore it. Adults will appreciate the art and the fact that it has a warm heart. BookBag

A quietly amusing fable that highlights the importance of nature in a mechanical world. Kirkus

The perfect book to pair with Norton and Alpha is The Tin Forest.

You could also compare the book design, colour palette and themes in Norton and Alpha with The Secret Sky Garden.

I am keen to read some other books by Kristyna Litten: