The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers

Deep under the city there is a sinister workshop where Perfect Pets are made. Sometimes the experiments go wrong and so, in a remote part of the laboratory, there are a series of bell jars holding the failures. Barbabus is one of the failures. 

"He was half mouse, half elephant, and he had lived in the lab as long as he could remember."

The failed pets are fed by huge scary creatures in green rubber suits. None of the "pets" have ever been outside the lab but a small cockroach tells them stories each evening of green spaces, mountains and stars. Barnabus longs to feel the grass under his feet. Barnabus lives by the credo:

"Nothing is impossible."

He is determined to escape and so he bashes into the side of his bell jar until in finally cracks under the pressure of his screams. Barnabus sets all the other Failed Projects free and they all set off to escape their underground prison. This process takes team work and hope but all twenty-two of them, plus one extra surprising friend, do find their freedom and that all important happy ending.

This is a story about identity, determination, teamwork, consumerism, and hopes and dreams.

This book was written for all the misfits, artists and dreamers out there. The Fan Brothers Facebook

Barnabus wonders:

"He wasn't fluffy enough, and his eyes were beady, but he liked himself just the way he was. And what if, after he was recycled, peanuts and cheese were no longer his favourite foods? What if his friends didn't recognise him after? What if he no longer cared about green trees and mountains lit with their own stars?"

When I first saw this in a local bookshop I knew I wanted to read it but the hardcover price was well above my book budget. Luckily this book is now available in paperback for well under AUS$20 which is wonderful for a larger format book with way more than 32 pages. This book should be added to every Primary school library - and shared widely with students and staff - it is fabulous!

The book design here is simply perfect. Take your time to linger over the front and back end papers, the title page and the final illustration on the author bio page. Think about the graph paper that is included and the paperclips. You can see inside this book here.  In this video (Moon Lane TV) you can see Eric drawing some of the characters. You could share this 19 minute video with an art class or a group of older students. And here is a video reading by Eric, Terry and Devin Fan. 

This epic tale of escape and liberation, set in a clandestine underground lab producing genetically engineered Perfect Pets, stars courageous Barnabus, half mouse, half elephant ...A heartfelt, timely allegory celebrating diversity, bravery, and solidarity.   Kirkus Star review

In the Fan brothers’ hands, the result feels like a happy amalgam of Jules Verne, Maurice Sendak, the Moomins, and Monsters, Inc. Quill and Quire

This book is a visual feast.  And the story? It is dream-like science fiction in picture book form. Jilanne Hoffmann

‘In a world built for Perfect Pets, half-mouse half-elephant Barnabus is a Failed Project who dreams of freedom. Shaun Tan meets “Toy Story”’ — The Bookseller

Awards:

• 2020 Governor General's Award for Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books.
• The 2021 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.
• Nominated for the 2022 Kate Greenaway Medal.
• The 2021 Le Prix Ficelle, category age 6-7.
• 2021 Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards, Shining Willow Award.
• 2020-2021 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award.
• 2021-2022 Vermont Red Clover Book Award.
• The 2022 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award.
• The Surrey School’s Picture Book of the Year (for primary readers).
• A Kirkus “Best Books of 2020.”
• Chicago Public Library “Best Books of 2020.”
• 2021 Bologna Book Fair Finalist.

I just finished reading a novel for older readers -  They Threw us Away by Daniel Kraus. It was a harrowing book to read but it has a similar theme of rejected toys, identity, value and consumerism. Thankfully The Barnabus Project has a joyous happy ending. I need to read the two sequels to They Thew us Away in the hope this more complex senior novel also has a "they all lived happily ever after" conclusion. I will talk about They Threw us Away over the coming days. 

This book reminded me of The Adventures of Beekle. 

I guess you could link The Barnabus Project with the Toy Story movie series. I would also look for these:

Ruby and Little Joe

Who are you Stripy Horse?

Eight

Teddy & Co. 

If you are reading The Barbabus Project book with an older child try to find Boot which is also about a failed project - in this case a robot. 

Boot

In Every House on Every Street by Jess Hitchman illustrated by Lili La Baleine

In this home, every room has its own story and its own personality but most importantly 

each room is filled with love. Books for Topics

In this book children can take a sneaky peak inside the narrator's house travelling from room to room and watching this mixed race family enjoying every part of every day.

In the kitchen they never just bake - everyone grabs a spoon microphone and sings. In the bathroom steam on the mirror is perfect for art and in the bedroom "we never just sleep. We hide under pillows and try not to peep! We build giant castles and count fluffy sheep. We comfort each other at night before sleep."

But what about the other houses in our street? Let's peek into their windows. You will love these four pages which open out to show the scenes of daily life. One reviewer said: The end foldout section is wonderfully diverse in both living styles and people with a range of family make up both explicit and implied (inc nuclear, blended, older caregivers and suggestions of LGBTQ+ families), body positivity, disabled representation and ethnicities- it's great to celebrate the way we all make a home. 

When my friend added this book from 2019 to her library it only cost $25 which is a low price for a book like this which has a fold out page with cutouts for the windows and is made with very high quality thicker paper. Checking out other suppliers I see this book is now selling for $35 which may put it out of the reach of many school libraries. Oddly though, Hardie Grant Egmont, the Australian distributor of Little Tiger Books list this book at $24.99. I hope you can find this book at the lower price because I think it would be a good addition to your school library collection. 

Lili La Baleine is a French illustrator. 

You could pair this with:

Little Bear's Big House

If I Built a House

Who left the light on?

 And if, like me, your young reading companion enjoys books where we can peek inside and see a cross section behind the walls of a house or building try to find this book - Hello Lighthouse:

Illustration from Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

What is part this, part that? by Harriet Ziefert illustrated by Tom Slaughter

A hug is part squeeze and also part hold.

Read the title slowly - What is part this, part that?  Perhaps these examples will help:

Just like a bee is part buzz and part sting,
a rap song is part talk and part sing.

An empty glass is part empty or is it part full?
Is this swing part push or is it part pull?

Here are some other lines from What is part this, part that? which resonate with me:

When you talk to a friend it's part listen and part say.
What time of day is part wash and part play?

A rocking chair goes part back and part forth.
When you stand on the equator you're part south and part north.

At the back of the book there are twenty part this and part that ideas presented as puzzles. Can you solve these:

What's the word that means part yes and part no?
What beaked animal is part swoop and part "whooo"?

Harriet Ziefert is the author of over 300 books. Here are some I would like to read:

What is part this, part that? works so well because the graphic illustrations are brightly coloured, and often surprising.  Here are some other examples books illustrated by Tom Slaughter.

You can read a tribute to Tom Slaughter by clicking this quote about his work. Tom illustrated twenty books for children.  He sadly died in 2014.

Slaughter’s work, with its seemingly effortless whimsy rendered with a strong sense of line, color, and rhythm, has also been comparedto Matisse. His Pop-inflected drawings, prints, paintings, and illustrations convey his love of life as he relentlessly explored the complexities of the urban scene or the simple pleasures of boating.

If you are reading my post and not too much time has passed an Australian online bookshop has this book for a greatly reduced price ($35.99 down to $7.99).  This is probably because this book was published in 2013 and is now out of print. If I had a young friend aged 4-6 I would rush out and buy this book quickly. I should mention this book does contain flaps which are always SO popular with young children.

I do enjoy concept books, especially when they can be equally enjoyed by young readers and adults alike.  Here are two other examples:

Before After

My First book of Patterns