Run by Sarah Armstrong

Cas (short for Casper) has experienced some dreadful things in his short life. He is only twelve. His mum left him and his dad when Casper was just four years old. He has no real memory of her but he has so many unanswered questions. Did she leave because he did something wrong? Does she miss him? Where does she live now? Cas is left with his dad but that's when live becomes even harder because dad cannot cope. He does not buy food, he has no job and he shows no affection towards his young son. Cas is forced to scavenge for food in dumpsters. If anyone offers him the tiniest touch of affection it almost overwhelms him. Eventually Cas is sent to live with Mel - his father's sister and his aunt. She tries hard and is able to give Cas a stable home but then, unbeknown to Cas, his father wants to resume contact. Mel organises for Cas to spend a day with his father but he absolutely does not want to go. At the last minute Mel is unwell and so she sends Cas with her former partner Kimberley. 

Cas is seething so when Kimberley's car veers off the road Cas takes his chance and dives out of the car and runs away. Note the title of this book - run! Cas is now running. He thinks of the way people survive on television series like Alone. Of course he lacks skills and equipment and he knows he has put himself into a dangerous situation and then he meets three people - a father and his two daughters. They have been living in the bush for two years but why? And who are these people? Can he trust them? How will he find his way home without them? But then there is a major landslide and it seems he is stuck. 

Waking up in the middle of the night and wanting to keep reading is a sign of a great book. I started Run at about 9pm on night and by the middle of the next day I finished off the whole book. I think this action thriller will greatly appeal to readers aged 10+. It is a survival story but is it also a story about forgiveness and about 'growing up'.

Publisher blurb: Cas thought running away from home would solve all his problems. But he didn’t count on getting hopelessly lost in the tangled Australian bush. Alone and afraid, Cas has given up all hope of rescue when he stumbles upon a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. He won’t survive without their help. But when he discovers they’re also on the run – from something so big, they won’t even talk about it – he realises his problems are just beginning …

This is a fast-paced survival story that also manages to thoughtfully address themes of family and forgiveness. Set in the bush, it’s an exciting read filled with strong, memorable characters. The plot is gripping, yet written with sensitivity and an inclusive approach. Readings Melbourne

Without giving away too much that would spoil the suspense or the story itself, it really has many layers and moral dilemmas entwined throughout and will have you questioning what you would do if you were not only in Cas’ situation, but also that of Mack, Pearl and Viv. And then there are the feelings and emotions that his family and friends are going through, not knowing where Cas is, or if he is even safe. A suspenseful and fast-paced story of survival, with many twists and turns, but also a story of family, friendship, trust and belonging, and is suited to those in lower secondary and also to those in upper primary as well. Lamont

Companion reads:

The Honest Truth

Cop and Robber

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Lovely and the Lost

Sunshine

Pax

A Different Dog

I'm Sticking with you by Smriti Halls illustrated by Steve Small

Bear and Squirrel do everything together and they seem to be the best of friends until a small disaster with a sneeze upsets Squirrel so much she just walks away. At first Squirrel enjoys being alone but of course it does not take long for her to realise she does need her true friend.

Here is some of this text - which reads like a jolly song:

Wherever you're going, I'm going too.

Whatever you're doing, I'm sticking with you.

Whether you're grumpy, or silly, or mad,

Good times ... and bad times, happy or sad. 

Whatever you're thinking, I am ALL EARS,

I'm ready to listen to ALL your ideas.

I'm sticking with you was short listed for the Klaus Flugge Prize in 2021 and the Oscar's Book Prize. Here is an interview with the illustrator.

How did I miss this book? It is GEM - add it to your list today and then share it with a child. When I was judging the CBCA Picture Book of the Year in 2021 and 2022 we were sent so MANY book in rhyme and nearly all were, sorry to be blunt, nearly all were hopeless. This book should be supplied to authors as an exemplar of how to write a perfect rhyming picture book. The pace, page turns, and the way the rhythm is maintained are all perfect. I also marvel (again) at the way an illustrator can take a deceptively simply text and then interpret it in such a clever and very appealing way. Luckily the three books in this series are all still available. 

I have talked about the problems of rhyming in past posts.Take a look at this blog post:  Do you control the verse, or does the verse control you? by Michelle Robinson. As I already said, there is absolutely no problem with the rhyme in this book - it has been created with huge care. 

Here are the sequels - I'm Sticking with you too and Let's Stick Together.

The second book - I'm sticking with you too - is the tried and true trope of two is company three is a crowd but in this case, of course, Bear and Squirrel work out that Chicken should join their band and that a chicken can be a really good friend.

The third book - Let's stick together - blurb: Much-loved characters Bear and Squirrel are back and it's time to party! Squirrel is the expert at throwing parties and knows exactly what to do to make this the biggest and best EVER, but Bear isn't so sure and is feeling a bit shy. Can the two friends find a way to work through their worries and wobbles and stick together?

Take a look at Steve Small's web site.

Here is another book by Smriti Halls:

The Little Island

Sea in Winter by Christine Day

Author blurb: It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions. Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up. But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?

Maisie lives in Seattle. Her mum is Makah from Washington State, her dad was Piscataway and he grew up in Baltimore. Sadly her dad was killed in Afghanistan. Her new step dad is an enrolled citizen of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and he great up in Port Angeles. Over the course of their road trip Jack tells Maisie and her brother Connor stories of the ancestors but the main focus of this story is on Maisie's ballet accident and her hopes to be a performer some time in the near future. Then she has a second accident and the story becomes one about accepting change and finding a new path.

Awards for this book:

• An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book!
• A Finalist for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award!
• Washington State Representative at the National Book Festival!
• Top 10 in the Winter 2020-2021 Kids’ Indie Next List!
• A Junior Library Guild Selection!
• A School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, and American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) Best Book of 2021!
• A Politics and Prose Children & Teens Favorite of 2021!
• An Indigo Books Best Kids Book of the Year!

An insightful, stirring read about healing and resilience. Kirkus

It’s important to note that that the book itself is also historic as it is part of the first list of books to be published by Heartdrum—a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, which offers stories about young Native heroes by Native and First Nations’ authors and illustrators. The Children's Book Review

Christine Day’s writing is always quiet, poignant, and insightful, and The Sea in Winter is especially so. Maisie is a deeply introspective character whose suffering will be deeply felt by all who read this book. Yet, this book manages to be uplifting with the help of Maisie’s brother Connor and her warm, loving family and friends. Reading Middle Grade

Mrs Bibi's Elephant by Reza Dalvand

Mrs Bibi loves her elephant. They walk together, play with the children, eat tea and cake, and Mrs Bibi tells her elephant gentle bedtime stories. 

BUT the people (adults) of the town don't like this elephant. All they can see is trouble. 

"They said instead of talking to an elephant, Mrs Bibi should read the newspaper, check the stock market and keep up to date with economics!"

There is a protest and Mrs Bibi is ordered to take her elephant to the zoo. Mrs Bibi is desperately sad and so the next day she decides to leave her town.

Can you guess the outcome? 

"After Mrs Bibi and her elephant left, the town wasn't the same. ... everyone felt as if something was missing."

Sorry - now you will have to read this book to discover how this tricky situation is resolved. 

Here is the blurb from Flying Eye Books: "A heart-warming story with a message as big as an elephant, this fanciful tale of friendship between an eccentric lady and her beloved pet is as poignant as it is beautiful.  When the townspeople tell Mrs Bibi her pet elephant is too big for the town, she reluctantly packs her bags and heads off somewhere they can live together in happiness. But what they both leave behind is far bigger than the other people could have imagined. Delicate artwork complements messages of acceptance, tolerance and love in this moving children’s story."

You can see art from this book here. And take a look at these glorious end papers which to my eye celebrate difference, happiness, nurturing, filling life with colour and filling your life with things that bring you joy.

... an older reader will be able to pick up both the sophisticated style of the illustration and all the lovely detail and reflect on the book’s more profound message. Book Trust

No matter how often children open this book, they’ll always discover something new. Kirkus

The illustrations are stunning. From the embossed cover to the end papers, there is so much to enjoy. For example, on the title page, Mrs Bibi is sitting under the title- look closely at her hairstyle. You can see the elephant, curled up! Each picture is packed with details- so many opportunities for storytelling offer themselves. North Sommerset Teachers Book Award

I have so many favourite things that delight me as I read through hundreds of children's books but one thing I really do enjoy is the discovery of a book which can be used across ages. Take a look at all of the themes I listed for this book. Two journalists were recently discussing the writing of children's books on a radio program. I was utterly horrified and even 'angry' when I heard one of these 'experts' declare anyone could easily write a children's book. She said 'How hard could it be?'  This is utter nonsense. I wanted to scream at the radio and grab a big pile of splendid books - picture books, junior novels and middle grade novels, and thrust them into the hands of this presenter. 

Reza Dalvand is from Iran.  Here are some of his other books:

I walk with Vanessa: A story about a simple act of kindness by Kerascoet

 

Begin with the subtitle - a simple act of kindness. The act of kindness in this book is not simple, it is brave, it is powerful, it is heroic, and it is wonderful AND there are no words in this book!

Vanessa is new. She sits alone during play time. She sets off for home alone. But along the way she is confronted by the class bully. He shouts at her and hurls abuse (keep in mind there are NO words in this book). When the bully walks away little Vanessa is left in tears. BUT this incident has been observed. Her young classmate watches Vanessa heading home then she heads back to tell her friends exactly what she witnessed.  That night both girls can be seen in their rooms. You are left to imagine that poor little Vanessa still feels upset but more importantly her classmate is thinking and thinking hard about the action that needs to be taken. 

The next morning she knocks on Vanessa's door and invites her to walk to school. As the pair of new friends walk through their neighbourhood other children join them. The crowd grows bigger and bigger as everyone steps up to walk with Vanessa.

A wonderfully illustrated, hopeful book that can help caregivers tackle an emotionally fraught subject with even very young... Kirkus Star review

Kerascoët’s perfectly constructed wordless picture book powerfully demonstrates the feeling of being overlooked and ignored, the emotional toll of being bullied, and how an act of bullying affects even those not directly involved. Celebrate Picture Books (A very detailed review well worth reading)

What can one person do after all? But there is something one person can do. One person can bring together lots of people, and together they can really bring about change. Looking Glass Review

Silent, wordless or textless books should not be "read" on a video but in this production the images are simply accompanied by music. My only small criticism would be the page turns come a little too quickly. 

About the authors:  Kerascoët is the joint pen name of the French illustrators Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset. A married couple, they met while attending art school. They chose their pen name in 2000 after the hamlet of Kerascoët in Névez, Brittany where Pommepuy grew up.

Take a look at my Pinterest collection of picture books about Kindness.  And my collection Say No to Bullies. Here are a couple of Kindness titles I have talked about recently:

Finding Kindness

Be Kind

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates

"By the front door there is an umbrella. It is big. It is a big, friendly umbrella. It likes to help. It likes to spread its arms wide."

Yes it is raining. Time for this umbrella to go to work. One person, two people, four people, tall, short, hairy, even plaid - they all need shelter and the umbrella is happy to help.

The Big Umbrella is a picture book about kindness. It is one of those wonderful books you could share with preschool aged children but you could also share it with a much older group.  The text I quoted at the start of the post comes from the first six pages of this book. You will want to talk about the themes of inclusiveness, tolerance, compassion, community, and perhaps diversity but you could also use this book to talk about the structure of a picture book. Pacing, word placement, page turns, and the use of pages with no words. The illustrations by Amy June Bates are perfect. The Big Umbrella was first published in 2018 and it is still available but here in Australia the hardcover edition is quite expensive. 

A subtle, deceptively simple book about inclusion, hospitality, and welcoming the “other.” Kirkus

This cheerful, inclusive book encourages the reader to share resources, not by demanding that everyone shares, but by showing how community grows when shared.  First Thursday Book Reviews

There’s a calming and happy tone to The Big Umbrella and a wonderful mix of realism with fantasy that makes it engaging, uplifting, and full of wonder. It expertly walks the line of impossible and possible. The Picture Book Review

The book I could use as a companion to The Big Umbrella is this one:

Rain is a very complex phenomena to paint but in this book you can almost feel and hear the rain drops.

I do like books about rain and umbrellas. Yes this book - The Big Umbrella -  is about so much more but here are some other books on rain and umbrellas:

Come on Rain

Rain for Christmas

Home in the Rain

All I want for Christmas is Rain

I have been fascinated with umbrellas since I was a very young child and I read a story about a Chinese umbrella decorated with people who appear to be running when the umbrella is open. The story came from The Youngest Omnibus.  I decided (tonight) to begin a Pinterest collection of books about Umbrellas. I am also good at misplacing umbrellas - I wonder where they all go? I once had an umbrella decorated with umbrellas - sadly lost long ago.  I seem to have missed National Umbrella Day. It is celebrated on February 10th each year. I should also mention from time to time I do wish I had the umbrella used by Mary Poppins. 

It might be fun to fill your school library with Umbrellas or invite your school art teacher to create a display.

Image Source: Teachers Web

Scary Bird by Michel Streich

Life is happy in the aviary until one day a strange bird arrives. "He looked SCARY!" 

In the opinion of the other birds this new fellow is very odd, his habits are strange, and he chirps in a different language which no one can understand - he needs to GO! 

Important wisdom comes from a small mouse who sneaks into the cage to take a little birdseed.

"Hey, birdbrains! Don't you know you're ALL exotic birds."

The birds don't listen to the mouse, "nobody listens to a mouse". One day a small bird ventures down from a higher branch to listen to the pretty song sung by "scary bird". It only takes one bird to make the move. Now the other birds join in and gradually the new arrival learns to chirp like the others albeit with an accent. He is able to talk about his home and share his customs and eventually he becomes accepted as one of the group. 

"But then some thing REALLY and TRULY SCARY happened."

Have you guessed - another new bird has arrived.

I am very wary of books with an 'agenda' or a didactic message but if a book contains some wisdom which is conveyed skilfully through a clever story then that will be a book I am really happy to promote and celebrate. You can probably tell I love Scary Bird.

In this video Michel Streich explains his illustration processes. Here is another one where Michel shows the stamps he used for the end papers.  This would be great to show to a Primary class because Michel demonstrates his drawing and shows his book as a sketched draft. Here is his website.

I would pair this book with:

The Suitcase

The Thing

Brian the Brave

I mentioned previously that I am reading Australian picture books published in 2020 with aim of identifying books which might make our CBCA Notables list. Surely Scary Bird will make the Early Childhood list of 12 notable titles.

Themes include diversity, acceptance, difference, respect, understanding, equality, tolerance, migration, culture, traditions, language, and uniqueness. Reading Time

A lively little book, Scary Bird puts diversity, adjustment and acceptance into an understandable parable for little listeners (though plenty of big listeners would also do well to pay attention to its message!) and it will sit well with other recent children’s books exploring similar themes.  Books and Publishing

It shows that anybody who looks or sounds different can be rejected, but is a story that will work to start conversations with children about refugees, racism, starting a new school, migration and many other topics where difference might be something people focus on negatively, and create a safe space to talk about how this makes children feel, and ways to prevent it.  The Book Muse

Cork and Fuzz by Dori Chaconas illustrated by Lisa McCue

"Do you know why I like you?' Cork said. 'Because you make me feel good in my heart and you always make me laugh."


Acceptance of difference + the fun of a playing together + team work =  FRIENDSHIP

Cork is a muskrat. He is short and he collects stones. Loves water. Slightly serious personality.
Fuzz is a possum. He is tall and he collects stones and lots of other things. Afraid of water. Can be a joker at times.

There are ten books in this delightful series. I have only read two but I am certain they would be the most perfect addition to any Primary School library. Each book has four short chapters, large print and very expressive illustrations.

Sadly quite a few are out of print but you might find them in a library. There are Kindle versions too. My lucky Teacher-Librarian friend found these two at a charity book sale today for fifty cents each! Here are all the titles:

I found a set of teaching notes for the first book - Best Friends. Read some review quotes on Dori's web page.

In their reviews Kirkus use words like "Sweet and funny"; "the evergreen theme of unlikely friendships"; these will make "learning to read a pleasure"; "illustrations reminiscent of Garth Williams"; "a simple sweet tale"; "timeless sensibility".

You can read more about each book here.

Blurb Book One Best Friends Cork is a muskrat. Fuzz is a possum. Cork eats only veggie stuff. Fuzz eats beetles and worms. Cork likes to play hide-and-seek. Fuzz likes to play find-and-eat. Cork and Fuzz have nothing in common. Or do they?

Blurb Book Two Short and Tall  Even though Cork is a short muskrat and Fuzz is a tall possum, they can still be best friends. Or can they? "I am older," Cork said. "I need to be taller. It is a rule." Can friendship break such rules?

Blurb Book Three Good Sports  Cork is a short muskrat who likes to win at games. Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to win at games. Two best friends. Both like to win. What will happen when they play games against each other?

Blurb Book Four The Collectors  Cork is a short muskrat who likes to collect shiny stones. Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to collect shiny stones. Fuzz tries to collect a stone from a duck's nest and, in turn, the mama duck tries to collect him. Will Cork be able to save his friend?

I am really keen to read the Christmas picture book about this pair of odd ball friends:

Here are some other books (all simple beginner level like Cork and Fuzz) about unlikely friends. Their friendship also reminds me of the Toot and Puddle books.