Meet the illustrator Anna Walker

Anna Walker launched her newest book at Gleebooks on Saturday. I have loved her work for decades but had never heard her talk or had the chance to introduce myself. Here is her newest book:

Publisher blurb: In a small boat, the turtle sets off on a journey to deliver dreams in the nearby city. Meanwhile, a young girl, scared in the night by the shadows in her room, finds comfort in her toys ... but cannot sleep. As the two stories unfold side by side, the young girl and the intrepid turtle must each harness their courage and overcome their fears as their worlds collide in the most wonderful, magical way.

Kirkus review: With few words, Walker beautifully blurs the borders between consciousness and sleep as the intrepid turtle’s actions result in tender dreams for the youngster. Vivid, expressive watercolors accentuated with spray paint use texture confidently—splotchy, speckled, and sparkling—to convey the story’s narrative arc. Sparkling, splendid artistic techniques create a world worth lingering in. 

This book may just be my very favourite of Anna’s. It is almost a wordless picture book that resembles a graphic novel format with story panels throughout, there is so much scope to make the story your own. I may have cried the first time I read this gem, it is such a powerful and beautiful reassuring tale of courage, hope and finding light, even in the darkest moments. This is storytelling at its very finest, and as we find ourselves debating and discussing support for nostalgia vs contemporary picture books and also the importance of quality storytelling and art experiences for children, Anna’s entire catalogue is a masterclass in picture books being a rich storytelling experience and also an absolute work of art! Rachel Robson Gleebooks

Anna Walker bio from her webpage: Anna Walker is an illustrator and author of picture books based in Naarm/Melbourne. Using traditional mediums, Anna creates stories inspired by the quiet and sometimes joyful details of life. Her books include Florette - New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book, Mr Huff shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and winner of the CBCA book of the year Early Childhood. Her most recent book is The Dream Keeper, an exquisitely imagined journey of imagination and courage.

Anna Walker contributed her art to the launch of The Little Bookroom. Here is her Instagram page. Here is an interview with Let's Talk Picture Books. 

Some things I discovered at the book launch for Dream Keeper:

• This book took seven years to create - you need to share this with your students and also adults who think they could so easily just throw some words and illustrations together for a picture book!
• Anna completed 110 drafts of this story.
• She used spray paint and a stencil for some of her illustrations.
• Take time to linger over the end papers which are different front and back. The back ones are sure to generate some deeper discussions with an older group of students.
• Anna Walker calls her book "a story in a story".
• Notice the toys in the child's bedroom and the compare these with the animals on the island and with the final end paper.

Questions I did not ask at Gleebooks last weekend:

• Your new book Dream Keeper is almost wordless - did you consider making it completely wordless? Do you like this form? 
• Do you prefer to work alone as author and illustrator - many of your books are collaborations especially with Jane Godwin.
• Can you tell us about your plans for any new books?
• Can you talk about your CBCA awards and in particular your award for New Illustrator with your first book Santa's Aussie Holiday.

Anna Walker awards (an abridged list):

• 2026 Between by Anna Walker | Received a Notable for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2024 A Life Song, written by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Anna Walker | Winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards for Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0-6)
• 2023 Snap! by Anna Walker | Winner of the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award, 0 - 3 category
• 2023 Snap! by Anna Walker | Shortlisted the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year: Early Childhood Award
• 2023 Snap! by Anna Walker  | Selected as a 'White Raven'—a prestigious annual selection of 200 books for children from around the world by the International Youth Library based in Germany.
• 2022 Don’t Forget, written by Jane Godwin, Illustrated by Anna Walker | Received a Notable for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2021 Hello Jimmy!, by Anna Walker | Received a Notable for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2020 Tilly, written by Jane Godwin, Illustrated by Anna Walker | Shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2020 Lottie and Walter, by Anna Walker | Received a Notable for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2019 Go Go and the Silver Shoes, written by Jane Godwin, Illustrated by Anna Walker | Received a Notable in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award
• 2018 Florette by Anna Walker | Won The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children’s Literature
• 2018 Florette by Anna Walker | Shortlisted for CBCA Book of the year
• 2018 Shortlisted in the Australian Book Design Association Best Designed Children’s Illustrated Book: Florette
• 2016 Winner of the Book of the year: Early Childhood, CBCA – Mr Huff by Anna Walker
• 2013 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Short List: Peggy by Anna Walker.
• 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Children’s fiction shortlist: Peggy by Anna Walker
• 2011 CBCA Awards 2011 Early Childhood Notable: I Don’t Believe in Dragons
• 2010 58th Book Design Awards of Australia Lets Play House
• 2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable I Love to Dance
• 2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable I Love to Sing
• 2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable I Love Holidays
• 2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable I Love Birthdays
• 2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable Little Cat and the Big Red Bus

Books I have explored here on this blog illustrated by Anna Walker:

Peggy

Kirkus Star review: A charmer of a chicken has a big adventure ...

Don't Forget

A Life Song

Mr Huff

What do you wish for?

I own a limited edition print from Florette. The Kirkus Star review said: Lessons in both gumption and the sacred nature of urban green spaces.

About Hello Jimmy Kirkus said: Walker’s artwork is delicate and understated; gentle precision gives a light touch to everything from facial expressions to chairs, shoes, and headphones.

Here is one of her newest books:

Anna Walker talks to Joy Lawn at Paperbark Words about this book

Other books to explore about dreams (a few here are from Bookroo):

When the world is dreaming

The big dreaming

Dingo's Dream by Helen Milroy

Bookseller blurb: There is someone in distress, but who? Dingo checks on everyone in his community but they're all fine. He mounts a search and rescue mission. He searches all over the countryside until he stumbles across his homeland he hasn't visited for many years and is now an empty landscape. They find a strange animal stranded at the bottom of ravine. It was Dingo s country that called him to rescue the stranger - a Tasmanian Devil a long way from home. Dingo remembers the packs of dingoes who sang at sunset long ago and he goes back and sings, and soon many packs of dingoes are singing at sunset again. Tasmanian Devil helps Dingo on his way home and tells all the dingoes across the land, their country is calling them home.

The stunning illustrations on glossy pages are a visual delight with the white text being a standout feature. This skilfully written narrative is highly accessible and would be a perfect read for those Early Years children seeking an early chapter book or would be an entertaining short novel to be read aloud in class. Read Plus

Read more about Dingoes - Bush Heritage Australia.

Taronga Zoo

This book is part of a series by Helen Milroy from Magabala Books (thanks for my review copy). Dingo's Dream is the first book from the second series. You should try to collect all of these for your school library. 

Tales from the Bush Mob are books about a group of animals who work together to solve problems. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Each book shares a rich landscape of characters and places, including Dingo, Willy-willy Wagtail, Eagle, Platypus, Koala, Wombat, Kookaburra, Echidna and Kangaroo. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, 

perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Helen Milroy is a born storyteller and a talented artist. She is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia but was born and educated in Perth. Currently Helen is the University of Western Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Helen has been on state and national mental health and research advisory committees and boards with a particular focus on Indigenous mental health as well as the wellbeing of children.

The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

"Every child in the village grew up hearing the tale. It was folklore. A long time ago a shark attacked a Portablow fishing boat as a it sailed up the river with its catch. A giant octopus who lived at the river mouth fought with the shark, saving the fisherfolk and their livelihood. And from then on, an octopus had always lived at the river mouth to protect the fisherfolk from sharks. At least that was the story."

Pippy lives with her elderly great uncle. She desperately misses her mother who has died recently and also longs to talk to her father, but he has headed away to sea and has been gone for nine months. It is clear Uncle Isaac who is caring for her now, is suffering from memory loss. It has begun to feel dangerous to sail with him, but Pippy needs to do this because Uncle Isaac, like all the people in this village, rely on fishing for their income.

The village is near a cove and decades ago there was a problem with shark attacks. Pippy is sure this is not the fault of the sharks but rather a symptom of things being out of balance. There has always been the story about an octopus but surely this is just a folktale. Young Pippy discovers it is her own mother who has been the Keeper of the Octopus but now that her mother is gone destiny determines Pippy herself must now feed, care for, and learn to communicate with Octavia. Uncle Isaac gives Pippy a special talisman, a stone that she wears around her neck. It glows and helps her know when Octavia is near. She also has the diary written by generations of her ancestors which tells her how to care for and recognise the moods of the octopus. 

Then three brothers arrive in the village. They appear at first to be fishermen but then they bring back an enormous catch with all sorts of precious sea creatures - way more than the town could ever need. Pippy knows this is a wrong and dangerous practice and then she hears one of the men talking about Octavia and so she knows this will be a race against time to keep Octavia safe and to convince the town authorities that the Calamary brothers are dangerous. 

As with all great stories there were moments in this book when I gasped, when I cheered, and when I sighed. One special character, apart from young Pippy who is wise beyond her years, is her friend Wally.

"Wally had been born with a deformed foot, a foot that turned inwards and downwards, worsening as he grew older, which meant he couldn't walk very fast nor go very far. Teased at school because of his limp, Wally stuttered a little when he spoke. He never said much. But he was a child who noticed things, small things."

And there is an element of magical realism because Pippy and her uncle live with a family brownie named Ferg. He tends to the house and the cooking. I loved his way of talking he always addresses her by saying - Pippy Cocklebiddy, daughter of Claudine and he uses words like bairn, Mither, orright, and nowt. He reminded me a little of Dobbie from the Harry Potter series. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"There were masses of bluefin tuna, black bream, tommy ruff and kingfish; hundreds of snapper, flathead, silver perch, and graylings; and many smaller good eating fish such as garfish, whiting, salmon and trevally. There were even parrot fish, which Pippy thought was odd because everyone knew they were inedible. Portablow fishers always tossed them back into the sea. The brother hauled even more baskets onto the wharf, tipping out dozens of sharks, Bronze whalers, and even a huge basking shark ... It was beautiful but its bright blue eyes quickly faded to a dull grey, dead colour."

"Pippy felt heavy with sadness. Uncle Isaac's memory was getting worse. He'd just put both their lives in terrible danger. It was as if his brain was erasing everything he'd ever known, including her, and that was what hurt the most. She had to do more to help him, more to look after him, but she wasn't sure how much more she could do unless she was with him for every minute of every day."

This book is certain to be a 2026 CBCA Notable title in the Younger Readers category. Here is the web page for Neridah McMullin. Here is a link to some detailed Teachers Notes.  I have previously talked about Eat my Dust; Drover; Tearaway coach; Fabish the horse that braved a Bushfire; and Evie and Rhino. 

Publisher blurb for The Keeper of the Octopus: Since her father sailed away, Uncle Isaac is the only family Pippy has left. Together they spend their days fishing off the coast, until one day Pippy is knocked into the sea and rescued by a gentle, giant creature … Uncle Isaac knows it’s time to tell Pippy the truth. Pippy is the descendent of a long line of Keepers – the Keeper of the Octopus, responsible for the giant octopus who protects the fisherfolk of the village. At first, Pippy is hesitant to meet Octavia, but soon the octopus is sharing her dreams with Pippy and they recognise each other as kindred spirits. But when the Calamary Brothers come to Portablow, she learns of their search for a particular giant octopus. It's up to Pippy - and her rag-tag crew of a cat, a dog, a hobgoblin called Ferg and an albatross – to rescue Octavia from the Calamary’s clutches.

I was enthralled by this book, because it captured a timeless world with a touch of magic, coupled with a commentary on some of the issues we face today: grief, environmental issues, bullying and disability. Wally was such a cool character too, and I loved his friendship with Pippy, and that he believed her without question. This is the mark of a true friendship. It was one that I loved, and one that I think kids need to see more of in the books they read. And it’s another reason I love reading kids’ books, because they feel less judgmental and more accepting. The Book Muse

Companion books:

My Friend the Octopus

Song of a Thousand Seas

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Where do dreams come from? For myself, my dreams are really vivid stories, and I have several each night - many are repeated scenes and many involve dangerous situations such as being lost or in an out-of-control car or with no way to make a phone call home. Perhaps our dreams come from the tiny creatures in this book but where do they get the ideas to create our dreams? Littlest One is learning to do this. Each evening she goes with her teacher and she practices touching objects very softly, using her gossamer touch, so she can gather happy memories. These are then threaded together and sent into the ears of the humans in the house.

Who lives in this house? There is an older lady who is living alone but then a young boy arrives. He is coming for foster care. He has been so badly damaged, and his response is to react to everything with violence. Littlest One and Thin Elderly work hard to gather tiny fragments of happiness for young John but there is danger and it is close. Have you considered nightmares - these are given to us too, but these come from Sinisteeds. Littlest One can hardly bare to think about these awful creatures and knows she and Thin Elderly will need to work really hard to protect John from revisiting his worst experiences.

Each morning Littles One and Thin Elderly return to their gathering place called The Heap:

"This gathering, this dwelling place where they slept now, heaped together, was only one, a relatively small one, of many. It was a small subcolony of dream-givers. Every human population has countless such colonies - invisible always - of these well organised, attentive, and hard-working creatures who move silently through the nights at their task. Their task is both simple and at the same time immensely difficult. Through touching, they gather material: memories, colours, words once spoken, hints of scents and the tiniest fragments of forgotten sound. They collect pieces of the past, of long ago and of yesterday. They combine these things carefully, creating dreams."

This book is a strange mix of magic and sweet fairy-like characters juxtaposed against extreme domestic violence that has been metered out to a very young child and his mother. There were times, reading this slim novel of 140 pages, that I just had to walk away and take a breath. I would recommend this book for mature readers aged 11-12+. If you believe in magic and crave stories with a happy ending this might be a book to explore.

Wikipedia have a detailed entry with the full plot of Gossamer and a character list. You can see other books by Lois Lowry here - of course you probably know her famous titles such as The Giver; Number the Stars; and I have talked about Tree Table Book; Bless this Mouse; The Windeby Puzzle; Gooney Bird Green; The Willoughbys; and the sequel The Wiloughby's Return.

Publisher blurb: Where do dreams come from What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears This imaginative novel from New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare. In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and fantasy, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.

For such a slim work, the characterizations of Thin Elderly and Littlest are strong—she the sprightly little girl learning her trade, he the bemused and patient elder. The prose is light as gossamer; the story as haunting as a dream. Kirkus Star review

Kirkus gave Gossamer a star but Ms Yingling had the opposite reaction. 

Companion book for younger readers:

The Night Fairy

A Kite for Moon by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple illustrated by Matt Phelan

If you work in a library that is filled with book treasures, how can you showcase them to your borrowers? Little children especially, cannot read book spines or browse huge book collections. There are a few things you can do. Firstly, where possible use front facing display shelves. Secondly set books out on displays and change these regularly. 

I've been working in a school library recently and constantly changing, relevant book displays is one way the teacher-librarian ensures her massive, rich book collections are discovered and circulated. She has a few distinct display spaces. I asked to set out books about the Moon on one of these and as I checked the shelves, I discovered this book. Now I hope a young child might discover it too!

Why did it catch my eye? This goes back to something I talked about at a recent conference - field knowledge. Do you know Jane Yolen? You should. Have you read her books? You should. (Owl Moon is a favourite of mine). What about her daughter Heidi Stemple or the illustrator Matt Phelan? Yes, it is true I live in Australia and these creative book people are in the US but as I have said many times, we are so lucky to speak English and have access to the best books from USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

If you work in a school or a preschool this book A Kite for Moon could be a great one to add to your read aloud pile - and you could then add in some other books about kites; the moon; and astronauts. There is also a theme here about following your dream. All of that in a picture book that probably has less than 100 words.

A young boy notices the moon looks sad. He has been flying his kite, so he grabs a pencil, writes a message on his kite and then sends it up, up, up to the moon. Over the coming days he sends many more kites up to the moon.

"Days went by, years.

Moon waxed and waned.

She counted shooting stars and meteors.

She worried about peace down on earth

and strange objects whizzing by.

She eclipsed."

The moon watched this boy grow up. He went to school and studied algebra, geometry and astronomy.

"Then one day when he had learned enough, he went up, up, up in a big rocket ship ... "

Make sure you check out the dedication "For Neil Armstrong who showed us the way." And read a post by Jane Yolen about the inspiration behind her book. 

If you are reading this post and it is still October 2025 I found one online seller with a copy of A Kite for Moon for a really great price. 

Publisher blurb: What would it be like if the moon was your friend Find out as you walk alongside a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. And then blast off with your little one as you zoom to the moon together! The story begins when a little boy, who is flying his kite, notices a sad Moon. He sends up kites to her, writing notes promising he will come see her someday. This promise propels him through years of studying, learning, and training to become an astronaut. Until … he finally goes up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail.

A kite for Moon was the winner of the 2019 Northern Book Awards. The judges said:

From its breathtaking cover to the celestial canvases and poignant prose, this book is a true treasure. The fact that stars are used instead of periods makes it even more memorable.

And here is the judging criteria:

The Northern Lights Book Awards considers children’s books to be an art form and honors books that excel in aesthetic and literary qualities with an emphasis on permanency. We are seeking works that will leave a lasting impression, stories that will resonate with the reader not only now but in years to come. NLBA accepts traditionally published and self-published children’s books from around the world regardless of copyright year. Books must be printed in English.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Yoko Takana

“You must follow the elephant,” said the fortuneteller. “She will lead you there.”

This is the second time I have read The Magician's Elephant.  This time I noticed:

• The inventive character names: Peter Augustus Duchene; Vilna Lutz; Madam La Vaughn; Leo Matienne; Hans Ickman; Count Quintet; and the dog Iddo. 
• The rich vocabulary: gesture, audacity, honorable, midst, excruciating, and sleight for example
• I had forgotten about the importance of dreams in this story
• The city and the winter cold feel like additional characters.
• The way Kate DiCamillo builds the story so that a reader just knows there will be a very happy ending. I was so happy to discover Leo and Gloria longed for a child of their own.
• Readers have to 'join the dots' in the final scenes to work out that this does come true and the two children are now living with and loved by Leo and Gloria Matienne.
• There is an important minor theme in this story about the futility of war.
• It is wonderful that this book is designed with lots of white space and a larger font size.
• The short chapters and rapid scene changes make this a perfect book to read aloud.
• The way the people in the town became obsessed about the elephant reminded me of the books I talked about in a previous post that tell the story of the arrival of a giraffe in France. 

Blurb from author page: When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the lightness of a magician’s touch. On this page Kate talks about her book too (5 minutes)

Awards and Honors

• ALSC Notable Children’s Book
• American Booksellers Association Indies Choice Book Awards
• American Library Association Notable Children’s Recordings
• BookBrowse Awards, Best Young Adult Book
• Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth
• Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens
• Colorado Children’s Book Award
• Delaware Diamonds Booklist
• Hudson News Best Book of the Year
• Indie Next List
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award
• Maine Student Book Award
• Minnesota Book Awards
• Parents’ Choice Award
• Publishers Weekly Cuffie Award
• Washington State Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award, Picture Books

Tonight, I have discovered there is now a movie of The Magician's Elephant. After watching the trailer the movie looks very, very different from the book. 

This page from Candlewick has a wealth of activities and an audio sample to use with The Magician's Elephant. 

Reading like a fable told long ago, with rich language that begs to be read aloud, this is a magical story about hope and love, loss and home, and of questioning the world versus accepting it as it is. Brilliant imagery juxtaposes “glowering and resentful” gargoyles and snow, stars and the glowing earth ... Kirkus

Here are a couple of text quotes:

He stood in the small patch of light making its sullen way through the open flap of the tent. He let the fortuneteller take his hand. She examined it closely, moving her eyes back and forth and back and forth, as if there were a whole host of very small words inscribed there, an entire book about Peter Augustus Duchene composed atop his palm.

Not far from the Apartments Polonaise, across the rooftops and through the darkness of the winter night, stood the Bliffendorf Opera House, and that evening upon its stage, a magician of advanced years and failing reputation performed the most astonishing magic of his career. He intended to conjure a bouquet of lilies, but instead, the magician brought forth an elephant.

The questions that mattered, the questions that needed to be asked, were these: Where did the elephant come from? And what did it mean that she had come to the city of Baltese?

I first read and talked about The Magician's Elephant (published 2009) back in 2010. Today on my train journey I re-read and devoured the whole book again and I absolutely loved it. I think I have read nearly every book written by Kate DiCamillo. She recently visited Colby Sharp's school in Parma - I loved reading about the visit and also I loved the way all of the staff embraced this visit and shared many of her books with their students.

You can see the gentle art from inside The Magician's Elephant on the illustrator web page. Here is another book illustrated by Yoko Tanaka:

Dandelion's Dream

Sparrow Girl

Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio translated by Denis Muir

As a soup lover, I hope that this story will also have a gastronomic impact: that is, if children liked this literary soup, it is not excluded that they could start eating 

real soups without raising a bat of protest. 

It will be enough to tell them that to cook them you have followed the secret recipe of the infamous Lepron Soup, and said soups will evaporate from the plates 

in the blink of an eye. Giovanna Zoboli

Click here to read more about the creative processes and original inspiration for Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup at Topipittori and see the exhibition at the Bologna book fair.

Mr Lepron is an older and handsome hare. He loves his family, his forest home through all the seasonal changes and his huge family. Reminiscent of Peter Rabbit, Mr Lepron loves vegetables, the vegetables in the nearby famer's fields - carrots, onions, celery, lettuce, beans, pumpkins, radishes and a variety of herbs. All of these are perfect ingredients for soup. These are seasonal vegetables and so each autumn everyone helps to gather the abundance from the fields. Mr Lepron has a wonderful cooking pot "which he bought by mail order from a world-famous shop." 

It is important to note - "the pot doesn't like to be watched while the soup is cooking, just like Mr Lepron doesn't like to be watched while he's hard at work in his kitchen."

While the soup simmers Mr Lepron dreams of magical things only waking up when the soup is ready. This soup is so delicious. What is the secret? No one seems to be able to create it in quite the same way even though they use all of the same ingredients. Over time word spreads about this soup. Everyone wants some. 

"Then suddenly, one day, to everyone's surprise, Mr Lepron opened a factory: a big brick building that worked around the clock cooking up soup."

Can you think of a problem? Will the soup still be delicious? Why or why not? What might happen to Mr Lepron?

Mr Lepron loves making vegetable soup, and all the other creatures love his soup too, It isn’t too long before he decides to monetise his passion and starts making soup at industrial scale. Well that’s fine, he can employ the other creatures which is great – we all need a job. But before long Mr Lepron has been sucked into the very machinery of capitalism. The money-making business of soup takes over his life, his dreams and his nightmares. His coat is no longer so shiny and his eyes lose their brightness. What should Mr Lepron do? Well, this is a fable so I can tell you he doesn’t do quite what the capitalist machine would have him do. Just Imagine

There are several things that drew me to this book. When I was researching Italian children's book illustrators prior to attending the 2024 IBBY Congress in Trieste I saw the name Mariachiara Di Giorgio. I previously read and loved another book by this illustrator - The Midnight Fair. You may also know the famous wordless book Professional Crocodile. 

Next, I saw this book was a 2024 IBBY Honour book for illustration. It has the Italian title: La zuppa Lepron. At the congress there were lots of books on display including all the 2024 honour books and so I was able to see Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup but, because it was in Italian, I could only guess at the story. Opening the book, though, I spied the most delightful endpapers and so when I later saw this book had been translated into English I just knew I had to find it and even buy it. 

See more illustrations from this book here.

Walker Books Australia have the English version of this book [9781529520859] but very strangely I have found it hard to source. Luckily one of our city bookstores did have a copy and because the author's name starts with 'z' it was hidden on a low shelf. Even though the shop had stocked it back in July 2024 it had not been sold. One more thing that made me determined to read Mr Lepron's Soup - I am collecting picture books for older readers (Upper Primary/Elementary and Junior High School) in readiness for a library conference later this year. The age range listed for this book is ages 3-8 but that, in my opinion, totally misses the themes of this book about commercialisation, consumerism, enterprise, exploitation and the dangers of spreading rumours. You could also think about the way social media can inflate or ruin a reputation and there is the issue of the fleeting nature of fame. 

Image Source: Bologna 2022

Zoboli’s lengthy, descriptive text, translated from Italian, and Di Giorgio’s watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil art, together infuse Mr. Lepron with a deep humanity and construct a compelling, dreamy world that harkens back to the past in its tone and look but, with its nods to the all-consuming nature of capitalism, feels grounded in current realities, much like their previous collaboration, Professional Crocodile (2017). A clever, compassionate, and elegantly wrought reminder to do what makes you happy.  Kirkus Star review

Publisher blurb: Mr Lepron lives in the forest and has a toasty warm home and many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Oh, and he adores vegetables and making soup. Mr Lepron also enjoys napping and he always dreams of being a famous chef, cooking his magnificent soup. After his vivid, fantastical dreams, Mr Lepron's soup tastes out-of-this-world irresistible. So irresistible, that Mr Lepron becomes famous. So irresistible, that Mr Lepron opens a soup factory that starts working around the clock. But as his dreams turn to nightmares about the factory, Mr Lepron's soup loses its magical flavour, and he realizes that what matters most in the world is not fame and riches, but time spent with his beloved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, playing, laughing, napping and, sometimes, cooking his soup ... with love.

Beginning with the title you could talk to your group about the name of the hare Mr Lepron. In French hare if Lievre; in Italian it is Lepre; in Latin it is Lepus; and the Spanish is Liebre. One reviewer also noted the eyes of the hares throughout the book look startled as though they are on alert for predators. And if you look closely at the cover it does resemble a can of soup. 

When you open this book take a moment to think about the official Mr Lepron portrait opposite the title page. Older students could compare this with the portraits of actual people (known and unknown). 

Image source: Topipittori

Think about the opening words of this book: "Mr Lepron is a very handsome hare with a bright, shiny coat and lovely, long ears." Do looks equate with success? Why has the illustrator used this pose? 

... this is what happens until Lepron decides to follow his fantasy, that is, to want the whole world to taste the soup. Thus he opened an industrial plant, where, however, the initial success was quickly followed by the awareness that the soup made in this way could not maintain the same flavor, since the vegetables would have to be available all year round and the preparation would have to be mechanized. ... A story that makes us reflect on the simple pleasures of sharing, of waiting for the times of nature and of the reward and gratification we derive from it. ... Lepron's dream had never been to earn, but to make his autumn soup known in the world. Instead, the soup produced in his factory, canned and designed to have a long shelf life, had nothing to do with the delicious taste of the original soup and this had made him sad.

Another reviewer commented: Lepron's dream of greatness, which does not foresee the times of nature and the importance of human work, instead turns into an ugly reality, so much so that even his dreams change and become disturbing. Fortunately, he decides to follow his heart, close the factory and make peace with himself.

This Reviewer links the illustrations in this book especially the pantry and kitchen scenes with the work of Beatrix Potter and Jill Barklem.

Giovanna Zoboli is the author of over 30 picture books, including Professional Crocodile, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio and The Big Book of Slumber, illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Giovanna is also the co-founder of an Italian children's publishing company where she is currently editor and art director.

Mariachiara Di Giorgio is an illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer from Rome, Italy. She illustrated Midnight Fair, a wordless picture book with a storyline by Gideon Sterer, which won the 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Shadowers' Choice award. Her first picture book, Professional Crocodile, was also wordless, with a storyline by Giovanna Zoboli.

Companion books to read after Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup:

Read more here.

Finally, not to trivialize the themes of Mr Lepron's Mystery Soup but my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a Pinterest collection of picture books about soup. Stealing the vegetables from the farmer's fields also made me think of this book for young readers - The Vegetable Thieves.