Story Rug by Sophie Blackall illustrated by Phoebe Wahl

This book is sure to create a craze in your library or classroom for braiding and for making braided rugs - even small ones. I really enjoyed the repeated refrain used in this story as Noah and his friends approach each problem:

"I want to braid. Noah knows Mrs Morena will have an idea. She always has an idea."

"But how to join the strips? Noah knows his Dad will have an idea. He always has an idea."

"It's too much braid to fit in Noah's backpack. But what to do with it? Everyone knows Noah will have an idea. He always has an idea."

There is one small plot jump in this story - I am sure your class will have ideas when you discuss this. The kids braid many different cloths. The braid is so long. Noah has a terrific idea and he tells everyone to meet him at the library which I assume is the local town or city public library. The kids coil the braiding and form a huge rug - a story rug. Turn the page and the next scene is back in the classroom. 

Do make time to linger over the end papers and notice the extra details in the classroom. This might seem obvious, but this book takes place over a few days and on each new day at school the kids are wearing different clothes. The way the kids also weave in their stories made me think about the stories people share over quilts. Here is a Pinterest of quilt books from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything.

Blurb from Illustrator webpage: The children of Class 203 are learning to braid. They started with hair and shoelaces, and now the children have brought rags from home. Their braid gets longer and longer until one idea transforms it into an extraordinary surprise for their teacher. Here is the story of a rag rug, woven through with the stories of the scraps used to create it and those told during its making. The result is a special handmade spot where the whole class can gather, ready for more stories.

Braids together the personal and the communal—and will hopefully inspire real classrooms to follow suit. Kirkus

You can hear Sophie Blackall talking about her book here to NPR with Phoebe Wahl.

You can see a video about braided rugs in this review by The Bottom Shelf (Barbara Braxton).

It is such a celebration of kids working together to create the most amazing thing, interweaving not just the fabrics but their own lives and their stories, sharing snippets of their diverse out-of-school time.

You will know Sophie Blackall from all her fabulous books - take a look at this post. The difference with Story Rug is that Sophie penned the text and did not do the illustrations - instead we have vibrant pictures by Phoebe Wahl. I previously talked about her book Sophie's Chickens.

Elmer Day 2026

Read about Elmer Day here

It is a testament to the wonder and appeal of this special little colourful elephant named Elmer that so many of the books in this series are still in print. I picked up a copy of my second favourite Elmer book - Elmer and the Hippos at a recent charity book sale and it is in mint condition. My other favourite is Elmer on Stilts.

Blurb for Elmer and the Hippos: The elephants are not very happy: the hippos have come to live in their river because their own has dried up. When the elephants complain that the river is over-crowded, Elmer the patchwork elephant soon discovers that the problem can easily be solved, but only if the hippos and the elephants work together!

Reviewers said (of Elmer and the Hippos):

"A lesson in tolerance, co-operation - and recognising colours."  Culture Sunday Times 

"With its vibrant, eye-catching colors and engaging goings-on, this book is a visual delight."  School Library Journal 

"A lovely story about co-operation . . . The Bookbag 

In a previous post about David McKee, who died in 2022, I shared nearly all of the Elmer books. Here are a few:

If you need new copies of the Elmer books or you have not yet added this series to your library I found a terrific deal - 30 titles in a set for around AUS$300 - that's only AUS$10 per book! [9781839136924]

Last week my friend and I discovered there is one new Elmer book that has just been published.

Book seller blurb: With a gentle environmental theme, this is the last Elmer story that David McKee was working on, finished by his close friend and artist Marysia Milewski. When the ice starts to melt at the North Pole, a polar bear sets off on an adventure that takes him all the way to Elmer's jungle! When a mysterious white bear appears in the jungle, Elmer and Wilbur are keen to hear his story. He has come all the way from the north pole on a floating scrap of ice, and now he can’t find his way home. Luckily, Elmer and Wilbur have an idea! But what caused the white bear’s icy home to melt in the first place? That’s a much more puzzling question. With a gentle introduction to the themes of climate change, this is David McKee's (1935–2022) Elmer story with artwork by his dear friend and fine artist, Marysia Milewski.

Here are a few other newer Elmer titles:

And this one could fit in with your Book Week reading and the 2026 slogan A Symphony of Stories:

Bigfoot vs Yeti: a love story by James Foley

"The Bigfoot say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started wen a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift."

Think about the word 'rift'. It can mean a large crack in the ground or a serious disagreement that separates individuals. In this book both meanings apply. 

Late one night two younger community members are left to guard the edge of the rift - a Bigfoot named Bevan and a Yeti named Yolanda. Yes, we have a boy and a girl. There is of course no way to cross the rift it is way too wide but "does it really go on forever?" After days of their journey Bevan and Yolanda finally come face to face and instead of fighting they help one another and "and slowly, ever so slowly, the rift began to narrow." Yes, this is a love story and the end does contain a heart-warming twist but for me the interesting part comes before this scene when it is clear there are still some community members Bigfoot and Yeti who "could neither forgive or forget." 

They were sent back "back to the village and the mist and the rift. And they're still there to this day, hurling insults into the wind."

As I was reading Bigfoot vs Yeti by James Foley I thought of these books (see below) which I used to share with my Grade Five students as part of a conflict resolution theme. Notice the title of Bigfoot vs Yeti also says - A love story. The ending reminded me of a favourite book - Clancy the Courageous Cow. 

The Two Giants

The Seed

Bigfoot vs Yeti (trailer)

Blurb: The Bigfoots say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started when a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift. Who could say for sure? One night, a young Bigfoot and Yeti decide to find the end of the rift so they can finish the feud – once and for all. 

“So very clever! The buildup in this story and the unexpected (but perfect) change of colour from black and white to colour … James Foley has given us a story to remember and perhaps learn from too.“

– Dr Belle Alderman AM, Emeritus Professor of Children’s Literature, Director of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature

This link will take you to different teachers notes for Bigfoot vs Yeti. Readings Melbourne list three reasons to read Bigfoot vs Yeti. Here is the Storylinks review.

This picture book is so clever on many levels. Big, serious themes such as conflict, culture, racism, war, history and social norms are all explored in an accessible and humorous manner but will invite deep discussion. ... The graphic novel elements, used for the most part in the book, will appeal to many readers, and the final page is a surprising, humourous and delightful ... Reading Time

Look for this wonderful book by James Foley:

Stellarphant

Two Turtles by Kiah Thomas illustrated by Jack A Minton

Terrence and Frank are serious rivals. Everything is a competition. If you have siblings you might relate to this. 

"Who has the shiniest shell ... Who can walk the slowest ... Who is the best at pretending to be a shark?"

Then Frank falls off the cliff or perhaps he rolls off - is this an accident? - he cannot bear to lose so he turns this mishap into a competition too and calls out to Terrence 'Bet I can beat you to the bottom'. 

Naturally Frank takes up the challenge and he also jumps off the cliff. Luckily (or perhaps it could be a disaster) this is a very very high cliff. This means there is time to think. About halfway they both realise this could end very badly. At this point you, the reader, are invited to offer some help.

Both turtles have lots of things inside their shells. There are things they have stowed that can could save them but ... you and your young audience need to shout:

HEY, TERRANCE AND FRANK! JUST WORK TOGETHER!

What did they have in their shells? Do they land safely? And most important of all did they learn a life lesson about cooperation (not competition)?

Two Turtles is listed on TWO CBCA 2025 Notables lists - Picture Book of the Year and the Early Childhood list so I thought it must be an amazing book - sorry but I was slightly disappointed. First off I disagree that this is a book for very young readers aged 0-6. 

I made similar comments about Jetty Jumping (here are the teachers notes) and the inclusion of risk-taking behaviours for an audience of very young children. Jetty Jumping is a beautifully illustrated book and it tells a special story but I worried about it being listed for very young children. 

Secondly, Two Turtles is overtly didactic with its lesson about the importance of cooperation, but the ending shows the two turtles are not going to change that that their propensity to see every aspect of their relationship as a competition and it seems their rivalry will continue.

I do like:

• the way this book 'breaks the fourth wall'
• the expressive faces on the two turtles (and the bird)
• the humour - packing a toaster
• the wise little bird watching these silly turtles - you could write a whole story from his/her perspective
• the wordless page
• and there is room here to read other books such as The Hare and the Tortoise (text reference: who can walk the slowest); and The Great White Man-eating Shark by Margaret Mahy (text reference: who is best at pretending to be a shark). 
• The story structure is interesting moving from the present back to the past and then ending where the story started.

I'm not such a fan of:

• Repeated digital illustrations (you can see inside this book here)
• The sudden arrival of extra birds on the second last page - where did they come from?
• Two pages of black showing the side of the tall cliff
• The patterned end papers - do they relate to the story or are they decorative?
• I'm not sure how the four pigs fit into the narrative and also there is a puzzling wire frame around the tree stump where the bird is trying to catch a worm
• There are tiny butterfly decorations on some pages - are these necessary?

The Kids' Book Reviewer totally disagrees with me. 

The illustrations are stunners, with a gorgeous green and brown palette throughout and the funkiest of animal pals. A birdy spectator features on the pages, expressing its own views about the juvenile turtles with the most entertaining facial expressions. ... Two Turtles is a story for everyone. It’s a story about all of us. I highly recommend you grab a copy. It’s an award winner for sure!

What Book Next.com say: But instead of this becoming a tale of a terrible tragedy, readers will laugh out loud at the antics of two rival turtles. ... Entertaining to the last possible moment!  

Other reviewers liken Two Turtles to books by Jon Klassen such as This is not my Hat. Some other (better) books about rivalry for readers aged 6+ are:

The Real Winner

Best Test

I previously read and enjoyed a middle grade novel by Kiah Thomas - The Callers.

The Callers (five stars from me)

Jake A Minton entered this book in the CBCA New Illustrator award 2023. It didn't win but I was one of the judges and we all agreed this book had very special illustrations. 

There's no such book

Flood by Gillian McClure

It has rained and rained and the land is now totally flooded. The Fussy Hen is, well fussing. The sly fox is hungry. Old Slogger the ox just keeps her head down but eventually the water level is just too high. 

"The hungry fox was swept off his feet and Fussy Hen freed from his stare let out a squawk and flew up in the air and landed on Old Slugger the Ox."

Chaos ensues and somehow the hen ends up in nestled in the brush tail of the fox and the fox is now hanging on to the tail of the ox. They have formed a kind of boat. At first they go round in circles but then Fussy Hen discovers she can steer their group.

"And so on they went through the great flood, steered by Fussy Hen, looking this way and that from her nest at the back until they saw land."

The land is a tiny island with hardly enough room for this group. They have to put aside their differences and squash up close. Peace is restored while they wait for the rain to stop and the flood waters to subside. 

I love FLOOD. For several reasons. The brevity of the text. The drama, real drama. The characterisation. The way you enable us to suspend our disbelief and accept a pacific outcome. But what makes the book quite outstanding, and to my mind the most successful of all, is the fluidity of the way you have set the text, the images of ox, fox and hen wrapping round each other, and the all- enveloping downpour that swirls and rushes from page to page.  Kevin Crossley-Holland

There is one word early in this book which might make your young library group gasp! The hen is squawking in the rain the old ox thinks "I wish she'd shut up!" I know from past experience this will make young reader gasp - so if I was reading this book with a group I might say 'be quiet' instead. This book was published in 2014 so it is now out of print but it was nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal so it might be in your local or school library. 

I was curious about the author/illustrator of this book. Gillian McClure is from the UK. Here are some of her books:

Bookseller blurb: One day a strange cat appears at the door. 'My name is Tom Finger,' he cries. Each day he appears, and each day he leaves a strange and wonderful gift: a silk purse, a lace handkerchief, an embroidered needle case. Queenie is completely entranced by him - her brother though is convinced he is a witch's cat. But Queenie is determined to find out - and one day starts following the cat through the snowy forest, following a trail of red wool...What Queenie finds at the end of the trail is totally unexpected.

Other books about floods and long rain events. I have a Pinterest collection on this topic:

Big Truck Little Island by Chris van Dusen

"Out on the ocean, one bright summer day,
bound for an island, still five miles away,
a tugboat was towing a truck on a barge-
a truck that was hauling a load, extra large."

Told in verse, the narrative, which seems at first to simply be about a truck’s glacial journey to its destination, turns out to be an excellent lesson in kindness and problem-solving. Kirkus Star review

A huge truck (we might call this a B Double here in Australia) arrives on a small island. We cannot see the load because it is covered in a tarp. The roads on the island are narrow and wind around below a small chain of hills. This truck really is way too long to maneuver, and it is not too long before it becomes well and truly stuck. This is the main road on the island - into and out of town. Meg has a swimming lesson, Barry is already late for his ballet class, Pete is working on a school science project with his friend, and Sue really needs to get her dog to the dog wash- he just encountered a skunk! The parents are just frustrated and beginning to grow angry, but the kids can see the solution. Everyone can walk around the side of the truck and swap cars! Oh, great idea - and when the truck is unstuck can we finally discover what it was carrying - yes - but I am not going to spoil this wonderful surprise.

Reading a picture book is such an easy way to introduce new words to your young reading companion or library group. This book has such rich vocabulary - barge, bound, load, hauling, wraps, treacherous, trundled, chugged, oversize load, transected, isle, switchback, payload, battlement frappe, frustration, convened, solution, departed, summoned, revealed, and delight. The other aspect of this if you read through this list, you are sure to see many words that are unlikely to be part of your daily conversation and yet by reading this book look at all the words your child will hear. And this is a story that warrants re-reading so they will hear these words more than once and hopefully some will become part of their own word repertoire. I do love the word switchback! This book will be enjoyed by children aged 6+ especially those who are fascinated by large trucks. And the page with the island landscape is certainly one to linger over. Oh and what a wonderful celebration of community life and the trust we should have in others. 

Van Dusen is in full command of his rhyming text, using rhythm and sound to set the pace and convey mood. His expressive characters add humor to the situation. Horn Book

A perfect little slice of life with a unique take on kindness and compromise. Kirkus Star review

This book is based on a real incident on Vinalhaven island off the coast of Maine. That truck was carrying a wind turbine - there is a photo at the back of the book - you can see it was a very long load. People did swap cars just as they do in this story.

I talked about another Chris van Dusen book recently. This one is also based on a curious true story:

The Circus Ship

The Big Freeze by Pippa Curnick

 

Llamas are not fans of Summer it is way too hot especially since they are already wearing warm coats but luckily after Summer comes Winter. Winter is the perfect season for llamas. Winter also means the Winter Woolly Party where everyone wears their fabulous, patterned sweaters. Granny Brock's shop is the very best place to buy a wonderful new sweater. This year this is especially urgent once Sharma and Bahama have discovered the moths have chomped right through their old woollies. The problem is the weather has now turned nasty and the shop is far away. The roads are covered in ice and snow and inevitably there is a terrible crash. 

Sharma and Bahama to the rescue. They just need to convince all the other animals that, with teamwork, they can build a new vehicle using pieces of the broken cars, ice cream truck and bicycles. 

"One little push and the snowmobile swept down the hill towards Granny Brock's shop." 

But oh no when they arrive, they see there is a huge line of others also waiting for new sweaters and by the time the friends reach the front of the queue Granny Brock has run out of stock. Time for another round of teamwork!

This is an inexpensive paperback book which you could add to your library. Fans of all those llama and alpaca books by Matt Cosgrove are sure to enjoy this book too. 

The Big Freeze is the perfect companion book to read before or after Frank's Red Hat.

Pippa Curnick is the author of this series:

And the illustrator of this series:

The Queen of the Birds by Karine Polwart illustrated by Kate Leiper

Who is the best? Who is the biggest? Who is the strongest? Who can fly high and far? Who has the best song? Who has the brightest feathers? Who should be the king or queen of the birds?

Arguments begin. There has been a huge storm and someone needs to sort it all out. The eagle suggests they need a king and that they way to select a king is to hold a flying contest. 

"They flocked in their millions from all over the kingdom. The ruby-throated hummingbird, the curlew and the cuckoo. The white-crested laughing thrush, the heron and the hoopoe. The robin, the flamingo, the gannet and the crane."

Birds gather and the contest begins. Of course some birds don't fly - such as the penguin. Other birds only fly very short distances such as the pheasant and the partridge. Songbirds need energy for singing. Eagle knows he will be crowned the winner. He will be the King of the Birds! But as he flies high in the sky a tiny bird pops up beside him and then she flies even higher. It is the tiny Jenny Wren. 

"A queen for the birds, not a king!"

Now go back to the problem. All of this was not about winning or ruling it was about cleaning up the mess from the storm. Jenny Wren suggests that everyone can work together. Everyone can use their own special talents and very soon the work will be done. 

This story is based on a Celtic folktale. 

The art in this book is glorious:

My only very tiny quibble (I do adore this book) is the search and find page at the back which shows twenty-five birds for readers to identify does not list the puffin which as you may know is my most favourite bird. There is a puffin on the back cover and you will spy one in this illustration.

Publisher blurb: After a terrible storm, the Kingdom of Birds is looking for a leader. Will it be the bird with the loveliest song, or the brightest plumage? The fastest in the air, or underwater? The bird who flies highest, or those who stick together and work as a team? All across the sky, birds are flocking together. Nightingales and robins, barn owls and blackbirds. The eagle, the flamingo, the birds of the moor. Curlews and cuckoos and herons and hoopoes. And Wee Jenny Wren. Let the contest begin!

The Queen of the Birds has an easy to read lyrical text which uses alliteration, rhyme, consonance and different sized fonts to give it a musical quality. The words are woven around Kate Leiper’s vibrant illustrations which include lots of white background space. Story Snug

Companion reads:

Best Test

The Go-Away Bird

In a Small Kingdom by Tomie dePaola

The old king has died. Who will now rule the Kindgom?

"It was said the old king had possessed secret powers against bandits and thieves ... "

This power comes from a special and magnificent Imperial Robe. 

In three days the young prince will be crowned as the new king but (as is the way with all good fairy tales) the young prince's older half brother makes his own plan. He wants to take the power and exert his own control so he plots to destroy the Robe. 

The Robe is destroyed but luckily the greedy half brother does this by slashing and and cutting the Robe and tossing it out into the wind so all is not lost. 

Pieces of the Robe are found by young children out in the fields. The wise woman of the village can see this fabric is important and precious. She knows these are fragments of the Imperial Robe.  There is not enough to remake the whole thing but she asks everyone to bring a piece of their own fabric. Treasured pieces of fabric - each piece has special significance for the giver.  They "sewed them together with fragments of their own lives ... They did it out of love for you and for the kingdom."

Bookseller blurb: In a small kingdom along an ancient road, a bell rings out. The beloved king has died, leaving his magnificent and powerful Imperial Robe to his heir, the young prince.  But when the prince’s jealous older half-brother steals the Imperial Robe, slashing it to bits, the prince can no longer rule—and the small kingdom is in great danger. Now the young prince must find another source of power and of strength—and he finds it in a surprising place.

A triumphant story celebrating the ability of love, community, and cooperation to overcome any obstacle. Kirkus

It is a curious thing that the superb illustrator Tomie dePaola did not illustrate this book himself but in saying that I don't want to detract from the splendid illustrations by Doug Salati. This book was  published in 2018 and sadly Tomie died in 2020. In a Small Kingdom is most certainly a book teachers and Teacher-Librarians could add to their read aloud pile. This book is out of print but it may be in a well stocked library. Here is a video of the whole book.  The blurb says this story is a modern fairy tale and I agree.  I would pair this book with The Empty Pot by Demi and The Quiltmaker's Gift. 

In April 2022 a new book by Doug Salati will be published: