The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Jon Klassen

Compassionate and complex. Kirkus Star review

Occupied France, 1944. Lucas Dubois lives in an abbey orphanage. There are rule and constraints but Lucas has some freedom because he works as a delivery boy for a local town greengrocer. Once his deliveries are completed he can enjoy a little free time and some fishing but on this day he sees two of the older orphanage boys stuffing some kittens into a sack. 

"When Marcel cinched the sack, Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do, either. Two against one; the two known to relish brawls. Lucas famous for running from them."

But not this time. Lucas follows the boys the bridge. He desperately tries to bargain with these bullies and hands over his precious fishing lure "but Claude didn't hand over the sack. He swung it out toward the canal and let go. Then both boys ran off laughing."

Perhaps all is not lost. Lucas grabs the bag and yes he saves all but one kitten but what will he do with the five that are left? There is an abandoned stable up in the hills above the town. To get there he has to ride past the Nazi maternity home - this is a place he visits regularly with his deliveries. On arrival at the stable Lucas makes an amazing, and life-changing, discovery. There is a horse in the stable and a girl. Alice is hiding her racehorse because:

"The Germans issued orders ... All healthy horses are to be seized for the war effort. They don't mean the racing horses still here - the Germans love their horse facing too much. But Bia doesn't race, so they would take her. They would probably use her to move artillery in Poland where the roads are gone until she was wounded or dropped dead of exhaustion. Then the soldiers would eat her."

The lives of these two kids in occupied France now collide. Lucas needs help to keep the kittens alive and safe; Alice needs Lucas to keep Bia, her horse, a secret; and then there is the further twist when Lucas steps in to help the local resistance movement helping Mme Garnier headhouse keeper at Lebensborn. 

"Lucas lay wide awake that night. Beneath his pillow was a slip of paper Mme Garnier had dropped. She had been so afraid of those Germans discovering this paper that it could mean only one thing: She was in the Resistance and it was a secret message."

As expected, this all puts Lucas in grave danger - this tension will keep you turning the pages of The Lions' Run desperately hoping Lucas, Alice, Bia and those kittens will all survive. Do NOT flip to the end of the book - the ending you will arrive at is unexpected and more.

This is the second book where I have read about the Lebensborn.

"to be accepted, the pregnant girls must pass all these tests. Not just blue eyes and blonde hair. They measure their heads, they measure the space between their eyes, everything. It's called 'Aryan,' what they're breeding for. Some with the men, the fathers ... Two blonde parents are most likely going to have blonde children."

Adding to all the complexities of this story - Lucas meets and talks with Clare, one of the young pregnant girls. As an orphan himself he is so dismayed when he hears that her baby will be taken away and she will never see him again. 

This immersive story is driven by Lucas’ emotional yearnings and the sometimes complicated relationships among the well-drawn characters, ... the history and the specific setting are accurate and carefully delineated, creating a strong sense of place. Kirkus Star review

... this a book the reader won’t be able to put down. Historical Novel Society

Pennypacker’s tale feels both relevant and necessary. She captures the idea that bravery doesn’t always look grand or heroic; sometimes it’s found in the smallest, most private choices. A Book a Week

Please read this interview of Sara Pennypacker by Betsy Bird. The Lions' run is available in hardcover for a really good price here in Australia (shop around I've seen this book between AUS$18 and AUS$25) so I highly recommend you add this book to your library collection. The cover by Jon Klassen is perfect - you need to stretch it out to see the front and back images together. Listen to an audio sample of Chapter 5 and you can read chapters one and two here.

Companion books:

Waiting for the Storks

All the Beautiful Things

Faceless

Birdie

I am a huge fan of Sara Pennypacker.

Pax; Pax: The Journey Home

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Leeva at Last

Sparrow Girl

Our Beautiful World by Sarah Speedie illustrated by Margeaux Davis

Please grab an atlas or find a simple world map online to share alongside this book. You will begin in Australia then travel on to Chile, China, England, Italy, Canada, Japan, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Morocco, and South Africa. Each location is matched with a landscape and a colour. Purple grapes in Chile, white snow in Canada, and yellow sunflowers (see the cover) in Italy for example. 

"Yellow, bold sunflowers and in neat rows. The Italian summer puts on a bright show."

Each landscape is a double page spread but the text placement varies. The children in each country change too. I especially loved the Japanese kids in their iconic school uniforms. 

Our Beautiful World celebrates a rainbow of colours and these same colours are used across the front and back end papers. 

I really like the cover of Our Beautiful World and, this might sound strange, but when I first saw this book in a shop in April 2025, I thought it looked like it came from a Japanese illustrator - I had no idea (at that time) that this was an Australian title. 

I love books about concepts like colours, days of the week, numbers and the alphabet. Our Beautiful World uses simple colours and landscapes to explore the world.  It reminded me of this truly exceptional book:

Our Beautiful World is a 2026 CBCA Early Childhood Notable title. 

Margeaux Davis is the illustrator of a book I really loved - What Stars are for. Here is her blog.

I was sent one of Sarah Speedie's early titles when I was a previous CBCA judge. I am going to honest and say it did not really appeal to me. I gifted it to a friend for her library and she told me her students really enjoyed it so that's great!

Here are the previous books by Sarah Speedie:

Here is my blog post about The Great Dawn Choir

Derek by Anne Donaldson illustrated by Matt Shanks

Bookseller blurb: Derek is a fish with many questions. Why is the universe round? Where do bubbles come from? Why does food rain down from above? But the question Derek asks himself more than any other is: ‘Why am I alone?’

I actually gasped when I turned the page and read that question - Why am I alone?

The solution is unexpected, delightful and hilarious.

Derek is a debut picture book for Anne Donaldson (her book/s will be in good company on your library shelves beside the famous Julia Donaldson!) and here are other books illustrated by Matt Shanks. 

Here is part of the ReadPlus review:

The wonderfully sparse illustrations are full of extra inferential information and make brilliant use of perspective and proportion. The front cover foreshadows Derek as a curious, wide-eyed fish in a big world. Observant endpaper readers know from the beginning of the story where Derek is (a pet fish shop) but it is never explicitly said.  Derek is a curious fish; among other things he wants to know why the (his) universe is round and why the (his) earth is pink. ...  The big creatures that Derek sees 'when food rains down' are shown just as a giant hand (as would be seen by Derek) and poor Derek is desperate to know why he is all alone. Adventurous Derek decides to make contact with the big creatures above but try as he might they are never that interested in him. There's a great little goldfish joke here as it is noted 'they must have very short attention spans'. 

Derek is a 2026 CBCA Early Childhood Picture Book Notable title. I have not read all of the 2026 Notables in this category, but I am hoping Derek will make the shortlist of six. 

Here are the judges' comments:

Check out this post from Kinderbookswitheverything where you will find lots more goldfish books. 

Companion books:

Paul meets Bernadette

Aquarium

Poor Fish isn't directly linked with Derek but it is a wonderful book to read aloud to Grade One or Two

For middle primary readers try to find these two books (short novel and a picture book):

Growing Home (Highly recommended)

Whale in a fishbowl

Once I was a Giant by Zeno Sworder - a deeper dive

"This is an enigmatic and challenging book of 
wisdom and beauty." Dr Robin Morrow

You might like to begin with my earlier post about Once I was a Giant. This book has just won the Victorian Premiers Literary Award - Prize for Children’s Literature.

Zeno Sworder's work, "Once I Was a Giant," was recognized with the Victorian Prize for Children's Literature at the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. This award highlights the importance of children's literature in fostering a love for reading and writing among young readers. Sworder's elegy on memory, loss, and regeneration has been described as a 'luminous' and 'authentically drawn' portrait of grief and care. His work continues to inspire and educate young audiences, making it a significant contribution to the literary landscape of Victoria.

Reading the in-depth review in Magpies Volume 41, issue 1, March 2026 by Dr Robin Morrow has added to my enjoyment and appreciation of this wonderful book. I really felt an urgent need to share the deep wisdom of this piece because I am hoping with all my heart that Once I was a Giant will win the CBCA Picture Book of the Year for 2026.:

"First impressions: I run my hands over the high-quality fabric cover, with its debossed lettering for the title."

"Then I note the unconventional lack of a title page or imprint details at the start of the book. The reader is plunged right into the story. The first end paper depicts a deary apartment block, with an unnamed first-person narrator stating now I live in a concrete box. Luridly coloured pictures in the next spread show the narrator is a pencil, being used by a picture-book maker who has run out of ideas."

"Four spreads of artificially-lit indoor scenes have given way to the start of the pencil's life-story (and) we now enter the natural world, a place of patient time and growth."

"Sworder's skill has transformed a cliched topic (the autobiography of a pencil into a tale reminiscent of those by Hans Christian Andersen, in having a seemingly inanimate object central to the story, and with its magic-making character the wanderer."

"Once I was a giant will evoke discussion of the book as constructed object, as it uses such devices as dramatic page turns, and the contrast of small strip-cartoon illustrations with dramatic large-scale pictures" 

Here is a screen shot of the CBCA judges report from the 2026 Notables booklet:

The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge illustrated by Emily Gravett

"The Wall had once been built to hold back the strange, voracious encroachment of the Forest, and protect the towns and cities of the plains. It had done so for a while, but eventually it had failed. The green had found weak points in the Wall and torn its way through them. Now on all sides there was Forest, 

and the only place people could live was the Wall."

Feather has taken something that was so precious to her community. She is one of the older children who leave the safety of their community each day to forage in the Forest but this is no ordinary forest - it is a dangerous entity and we read about this danger very early in the story:

"Of necessity, all the rooms within the stronghold of the Wall were long and narrow, with stone floors and ceilings. The only windows were round, palm-sized panes of clouded rock crystal, currently letting in the early morning light. Already those on broom duty were sweeping the floors in case tiny seeds had been brought in by accident."

Think about the story fragments in these three sentences. The word 'wall' has a capital letter - Wall - and it is stronghold. The way the windows are described reinforce this feeling of living in a fortress. Then we read the strangest idea which is implied by the sweeping - that seeds could be dangerous.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books describes the forest as "vaguely sentient with a deep sense of malice toward the humans that exploited it."

This idea is reinforced by the word placement in this sentence: "she could already smell the heady, insidious green scents of the Forest, like the breath of some great beast."

The inhabitants of this place have developed ways to collect dew in funnels, tend to beehives, create bird traps, and even use metal. The community are sure they are the only ones left living in the Wall, but Feather discovers this is not true when she encounters a stranger.

On this day Feather prepares to go outside. Her clothes give further hints about possible danger - "her outdoor clothes coloured stone-grey and pale lichen-yellow for camouflage. She pulled on her tough gloves, the feather cap which stopped her scalp getting sunburnt and her squirrel-leather boots with cleft toes for climbing. ... fastening her tool-belt and hanging her gather- bag and climbing gear over one shoulder." (The audio sample includes this quote).

Feather takes her pet ferret Sleek with her. He is wild animal but he does have some loyalty to Feather and more than once on her journey he is able to alert her to danger. Feather does not go foraging, she goes back to meet the stranger who is called Merildun. He has promised to show her how to make maps but instead he does the most unthinkable and dreadful thing:

"She was opening her mouth to ask a question when a violent shove in the back knocked the breath out of her. She pitched forward into nothingness, and fell."

Feather survives but now she has to track this man. He has stolen something very precious. Feather steps into the unknown and follows the Wall making the most amazing discoveries along the way but also experiencing huge dangers. 

At the beginning of this book you will have NO IDEA what is going on - and I love that. Frances Hardinge is making you, the reader, work hard to join together fragments of this story. Who are these people? Why do they fear the forest?  Are their strange names significant - Feather, Ember and Cherry. Feather is the main character and she is leaving the safety of her home on the Wall. Why do they live inside the top of a very high wall? Everything feels so dangerous right from the beginning. In one scene Feather sleeps inside the empty carapace of a huge beetle - so along with the Forest itself there are also dangerous animals, reptiles and insects to contend with. 

"The human mind is a very strange thing, it can get used to anything, even continual moral peril."

If you love reading children's books as much as I do, then you really should believe me and RUSH out and grab this book - it blew me away. If you teach a Grade Four or Five class this could be a splendid read aloud - not to study, not to dissect, just to share and enjoy. I love the words used by The Horn Book that this is a quasi-post-apocalyptic story. I feel deeply privileged to be able to read and experience a book like The Forest of a Thousand Eyes.

Publisher blurb: The hungry Forest is moving forward like an army, a green and constant threat to the humans living in and on an increasingly crumbling Wall. Feather, accompanied only by her scaled ferret, Sleek, must avoid the Forest's tentacles, and the many dangerous creatures it shelters, to return the community's precious spyglass to its rightful place. Along the way, she develops her resilience, and meets other people living on the Wall, whose stories and experiences open her mind, and those of her community, to new horizons.

In a scant 128 pages, Hardinge immerses readers in a world of dangers and wonders, where nature isn’t neutral but actively hostile, waging an eternal war against the few remaining humans. ... Sumptuous worldbuilding and deft plotting make for a harrowing dystopian story that nevertheless thrums with hope. Kirkus Star review

The message about caring for others and building community is well-crafted, and the quick pace of the adventure along with the evocative illustrations will make readers want to devour this book in one sitting. The Story Sanctuary

(An) atmospheric tale told through Hardinge’s skillful fairy-tale prose and Gravett’s art, which intertwines, illuminates, and sometimes takes over pages altogether. ... Softly shaded illustrations emphasize the natural world’s overwhelming magnitude to Feather, sometimes in close-up views of insects and birds; sometimes opening out to expansive vistas; sometimes dissolving into impressionistic flecks of light and greenery. Horn Book

Read some more review quotes here. 

Here is the US cover:

I am now very keen to read this book by Frances Hardinge also illustrated by Emily Gravett:

Frances Hardinge spent a large part of her childhood in a huge old house that inspired her to write strange stories from an early age. She read English at Oxford University, then got a job at a software company. However, a few years later a persistent friend finally managed to bully Frances into sending a few chapters of Fly By Night, her first children's novel, to a publisher. Macmillan made her an immediate offer. The book went on to publish to huge critical acclaim and win the Branford Boase First Novel Award. She has since written many highly acclaimed children's novels including, Fly By Night's sequel, Twilight Robbery, as well as the Carnegie shortlisted Cuckoo Song and the Costa Book of the Year winner, The Lie Tree.

Fly by Night was published in 2006 and I know we had a copy in my former school library and I am fairly sure I did read it but I had not started this blog back then and so I don't have a written record of my thoughts or the plot. 

Emily Gravett has a rare talent for creating exceptional books for children. The winner of two CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals, her skill and wit are second to none. Emily first sprang into the limelight with the ground-breaking Wolves, which has been followed by such modern classics as Meerkat Mail, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, Monkey and Me and Again! and the fabulous Bear and Hare series for younger readers, as well as the beautiful Tidy, Old Hat, Cyril and Pat and Meerkat Christmas. Each book is unique and different from the last – and each features endearing, beautifully drawn characters that touch the heart and tickle the funny bone. Emily lives in Brighton with her family.

IBBY Who What and Why

IBBY is an non-profit organization that was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1953. Today, it is composed of 85 Sections all over the world. It represents both countries with well-developed book publishing and literacy programmes 

and countries with only a few dedicated professionals who are doing pioneer work in children's book publishing and promotion.

In social situations I am often asked about IBBY. It is difficult to know how much detail to explain and exactly what to say and an even bigger puzzle, which I cannot answer in this post, is whether I should try to entice the questioner into joining IBBY Australia. But first I will focus on the bigger international picture by starting point with the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund:

Go to the webpage and click on each image to read more

IBBY also compile and maintain several very important book lists and collections - Silent Books (wordless); International Honour Books; Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities (Australian list is here); Children's Books from and about Palestine; Books to support the Sustainable Development Goals; and IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages.

I recently read a fabulous interview between the US IBBY president Susan Polos and Betsy Bird. I am going to quote large chunks of it here.

Betsy: The other day a librarian colleague of mine reached out to me. They found that after years of doing their job they found themselves in a bit of a slump. They were hoping to find new outlets of interest in the world of children’s literature to pursue. At the same time I was also meeting with a newly minted children’s librarian, fresh out of library school. For her, she was looking for ways to advance her career. Or, maybe, just keep in touch with the wider world of children’s books out there.

Enter the USBBY. And it’s not a new organization, not by any means. But to get at its origins you need to look at another organization first. In 1953 The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) was founded, based on the vision of its creator, Jella Lepman. IBBY´s mission is to promote international understanding through children’s books. And USBBY is the U.S. national section of IBBY.

All well and good, but what’s the organization do? And what’s the advantage to joining? To answer that, we’re talking today to the President of USBBY, Susan Polos. After all, there’s no better way to get some answers than to start asking some questions.

For folks unfamiliar with the organization, can you tell us a little bit about what it is and what it does?

Susan: The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) is the United States’ section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). As such, it works with 84 other sections to promote increased international understanding through sharing outstanding books for children and young adults.

What, would you say, are the benefits of seeing books for children from all over the world?

Susan: Reading books from other countries and cultures broadens children’s awareness of the world and their place in a global society.

If a person is interested in learning more about books for kids from other countries, what’s the best way that they can begin their education? Where should they be looking? What would you recommend that they read?

Susan: Read works by recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Award to understand global narrative and artistic traditions. Consult curated reading lists such as IBBY Honour Lists. Explore catalogs from independent presses specializing in translated and international children’s literature. Engage with academic journals, conferences, and university coursework focused on comparative children’s literature. Develop critical awareness of translation, cultural context, and representation when selecting and sharing international texts. And note how illustrations are often so distinctly different from what we are used seeing.

Use global awards/international lists as entry points, not endpoints, asking why certain books are recognized and others are not. When you read books from other countries, pay attention to how you feel after reading these books. Sometimes the plot in books from non-Western countries are not in the order of “starting point-climax of the story-ending” because there are many other types of storytelling such as circular narratives, nested stories, etc.

And if a person were interested in joining USBBY (or IBBY or  IBBY Australia), what could they expect? 

Susan: There is an IBBY Congress in Ottawa with the theme “Listening to Each Other’s Voices” this August (2026). ... Whenever you do anything with IBBY or USBBY, you can be assured that you will be surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in publishing and education you will ever know. You can expect to grow and learn and be very glad you joined!

In these terrible times, we look for hope. ... USBBY (and IBBY) will continue to be engaged in uplifting stories that represent many different cultures and that speak to and celebrate diversity within cultural groups. Jella Lepman, a founder of IBBY, believed that books for children could help heal the world after the atrocities of WWII. We need healing now, don’t we? I agree with you that people who love children’s books are some of the kindest and most open-minded people. ...  International children’s books (are) as USBBY’s mission declares, they are a bridge to understanding. Thank you!

Back to IBBY Australia - celebrating 60 years in 2026:

IBBY Australia, was established in 1966 and Ena Noël, OAM became its first president remaining in this role for over 20 years.  Australia has twice hosted International Children’s Book Day the annual international celebration on behalf of IBBY.  The first time was in 1978, when Colin Thiele wrote the message and Robert Ingpen illustrated the poster with a picture from Storm Boy supported by a grant from the Literature Board.  The second time was in 1988, when Patricia Wrightson wrote the message The Magic Carpet, and Robert Ingpen again illustrated the poster with an image from The Idle Bear with support from the Bicentennial Authority.

IBBY Australia nominates Australian children’s authors and illustrators for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Awards.  The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children’s books. The award is made to a living author and illustrator whose body of work has made a lasting contribution to children’s literature. In 1986, both Hans Christian Andersen Awards were won by Australians: Patricia Wrightson for writing and Robert Ingpen for illustration. Our 2026 nominees were Bruce Whatley (illustration) and Emily Rodda (writing). 

Take a look at our past Newsletters and read about the prestigious Ena Noel Award.

Purpose and goals:

• To promote international understanding through children’s books
• To give children everywhere the opportunity to have access to books with high literary and artistic standards
• To encourage the publication and distribution of quality children’s books, including those in their own languages (eg the Indigenous languages across Australia)
• To provide support and training for those involved with children and children’s literature
• To stimulate research and scholarly works in the field of children’s literature

I highly recommend these two books about the founder of IBBY Jella Lepman.  Click the link below each book to read more about this feisty, determined woman who had a wonderful vision for a better world. 

Jella Lepman and her library of dreams

The Lady with the Books

A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh illustrated by Aliaa Betawi

A haunting, powerful, and crucial tale of culture and identity. Kirkus Star review

On the second page of this book the teacher answers the student with the most chilling words:

"Miss Baker, why isn't Palestine on the map?' Miss Baker looked at the map. 'I think there's no such place,' Miss Baker said."

Falasteen's family are from Palestine and so now she needs answers. Before I continue I need to talk about the name Falasteen. 

The name "Falasteen" is an Arabic name that refers to the historical region of Palestine. It is derived from the word "Filistin," which is the Arabic name for Palestine. The name carries cultural and historical significance, representing the land and people of Palestine.

Back at home Falasteen asks her grandpa about the school map. He takes out his notepad and draws a map with city names including the name of their home.

"Here is your map, omri,' he said. 'Your teacher needs teaching. You can show her this so all of your friends can learn too."

Next stop, Falasteen asks her grandma who is making delicious spinach pies. Grandma shares the memory of leaving their home. Falasteen's mother was a tiny baby.

"The soldiers came with their tanks and guns. ... They burned the fields and the olive trees."

But grandma has kept hold of her house key. (Try to find this book - The Key from Spain). Grandma gives her precious key to Falasteen. That night Falasteen talks to her mother. 

"Sometimes people live in countries. Sometimes countries live in people. Palestine lives in you and me."

Publisher blurb: At school, Falasteen and her classmates are tasked with finding their families' home countries on a map, but no matter how hard she looks, Falasteen can't find Palestine. Can a place exist if it's not on a map? Confused, Falasteen turns to her family for answers. Her grandfather, grandmother, and Mama encourage her to see their homeland from a different perspective, and each of their stories helps her understand her people's history and her own place in the world.

This is a timely book that helps answer a question that teachers and parents are likely to be asked today. It is not an easy question to answer but here the author handles it with a refreshingly matter-of-fact approach that will reassure as well as inform. Falasteen is a very recognisable child and her curiosity is normal. The family’s response is well handled. The illustrations are child friendly and engaging bringing life to the text. This is a story firmly grounded in reality and should be welcomed in every library. For adults the author provides further information at the end of the book. Books for Keeps

Further reading:

• Kids Britannica
• Globe Trotting Kids
• UNICEF "A child-friendly guide to the Gaza crisis"

A Map for Falasteen thematically explores the universal idea of identity and belonging. This would be a rich book to use while learning about these topics, but also these larger ideas are explored through this specific context — offering an opportunity to consider how it must feel to not find your home on a map. This creates a unique opportunity to empathy and understanding in young readers that home, who we are, is more than what could be defined on a map? Palestinian artist, Aliaa Betawi’s art enhances and compliments the narrative. The deliberate colours of the illustrations — warm tones of yellow and orange for present-day scenes, and cool blues for memories of Palestine — help the young reader move between the past and the present, but also offer a visual representation of hope and loss. They also incorporate meaningful aspects of Palestinian culture highlighting Falasteen’s enduring connection to her homeland. Source Instagram 

Awards:

• Jane Addams Foundation Honor Award
• 2025 California Book Award
• The Arab American Book Award
• The Muslim Book Reviewers Judges’ Award
• Kirkus Best Book of 2024 
• Booklist Editors Choice of 2024

I spied this book in Gleebooks and grabbed it with both hands because I am in the process of preparing a short video presentation (with Dr Robin Morrow) on the topic of "The Refugee experience through Picture Books" and I knew this could be a text we might include.

Maysa Odeh is a Palestinian writer who grew up between Amman, Jordan and the United States. Her debut picture book was written during the assault on Gaza in 2021, which sparked a conversation between herself and her inner child. A Map for Falasteen answers the questions she was too shy to ask as a child of Palestinian refugees. What is a homeland? Where do you find it? How can you be sure it’s there when you can’t see it? Maysa resides in California with her daughter who asks questions all day long in Arabic and English, and sometimes even in her sleep. Read this interview with Maysa about her book. 

Aliaa Betawi is a self-taught Palestinian artist based in Alexandria, Egypt who developed her craft by observing her gifted mother. She believes that every kid deserves a childhood filled with magical, joyful memories and this is what she works to give to all kids, including herself. A Map for Falasteen was her opportunity to capture a single elusive memory in Palestine, a memory she could not enjoy as a Palestinian child in exile.

The sound of colours by Jimmy Liao

"A year ago I began to notice that my sight was slipping away. I sat at home alone and felt the darkness settle around me. But today I walked outside into the thin gray rain and made my way to the subway. I have a journey to go on. There are some things I need to find."

Without sight the young girl in this story uses her other senses and her wonderful imagination to create images in her mind as she journeys through the subway. She takes care on the stairs as slowly as an elephant. She can feel the crunch of the autumn leaves. If she could climb the tree she would be able to pick a sweet red apple. The next station feels so vast - perhaps it is like stepping into the ocean. She imagines hearing the singing of the dolphins. Outside she cannot see the sky, but we see the scene - she imagines of a beach which is actually on top of a huge blue whale. The girl is stretched out in the sun in her swimmers with her hat and dog. And so her journey continues moving from one spectactular scene to another. 

"Now it listen for the sound of the colours I can't see. I try to smell the shapes, taste the light and dark. And I hope to find a friend who will read me a poem while the window fills up with sunset."

This quote touched my heart. My mother and two aunts had macula degeneration and so their vision was greatly impaired. I worry about losing my eyesight because this condition can be hereditary but if that happens it would be so special if someone could read me this book and take me on a journey like this one. 

Take a look at this detailed description of The sound of colours. 

Read more about Jimmy Liao here.

Blurb from author page: Follow the blind little girl to hear the sounds of colors together, and see how colors make sound. From one stop to another, visit the city corner, the breezy treetops, the entrance to the underground, and the exit to the sky anew.

Home is the place where everything I've lost is waiting patiently for me to find my way back.

Companion books:

The Seeing Stick

The Black Book of Colours

The Sound of Colours has been translated into Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chines, Japanese, English Spanish, Thai, French, Dutch, Polish, Russia,n Vietnamese, Italian, German, Portuguese and Korean

I mentioned Taiwanese artist Jimmy Liao and this book in a previous post and then to my absolute delight the Teacher-Librarian from the library where I spend fantastic days as a volunteer read my blog post and when I arrived she had this book ready for me to borrow! That is truly the best library service! The Sound of Colours was published in English in 2006. This is another example of why libraries are SO IMPORTANT. The Sound of Colours is long out of print but your local or school library may have a copy - I did have this book in my own former school library (hopefully they still have it).

Another companion book:

The Sound of Silence