A Hatful of Dreams by Bob Graham

From this warm and loving house at the end of the street, dreams take flight and light the way to a brighter tomorrow. A heartfelt tale of hope and love, perfect for children and grandparents to share together, written and illustrated by master storyteller Bob Graham. Walker Books

From the front cover with that large, pink comfy chair, reminiscent of Let's get a Pup, to the title page which links so beautifully with Rose meets Mr Wintergarten and of course the little family who have surely stepped off the pages of Oscar's First Birthday - all fans of Bob Graham will be filled with happiness that we can once again enter his story world. Oh, and you will surely recognise grandad - yes, I am sure this is Bob Graham himself. 

Illustration from Oscar's Half Birthday

I collect books by Bob Graham so I went back and looked at these three books plus a couple of others. Have you noticed the way Bob Graham often highlights a small family home and his illustration contrasts this against the surrounding neighborhood for example the lightning bolt house in Max or the new house in Rose meets Mr Wintergarten. 

Houses from Max; Grandad's Magic and Rose Meet Mr Wintergarten

The title page of A Hatful of Dreams

Bob Graham is also a master of the interiors of homes. You need to take your time to notice little details such as a discarded teddy bear, washing up on the sink, slippers, the art on the walls, and the really comfortable furniture. Bob Graham is also a master of warm hugs.

Illustration from Let's Get a Pup - a comfy lounge

Illustration from Grandad's Magic - another comfy lounge

Some other things to delight you in A Hatful of Dreams: 

• The end papers show Millie and Sonny playing tether tennis (I loved this game when I was young)
• Chickens, a dog and washing on the clothesline
• Look for the photo of Grandad with his wife - we can infer she has died but grandad still loves her deeply. I love that this is now an extended family and Gradad has moved in with his daughter and the three young grandchildren
• Grandad has a tattoo of a bluebird on his hand
• Here is a beautiful phrase "Maggie! Top of the pile, her tail wagging, with a puppy smell of fresh walnuts."
• You can link this book with the theme of urban renewal - we also saw this in the book A Bus Called Heaven
• "Wrappers off toffees" - go back and read Greetings from Sandy Beach - yes there are toffees there too

Blurb Penguin Random House Canada: The Mile End Road once sparkled in sunshine and children’s laughter, until hard times came and all the people left, taking with them the sun, moon, and stars. But one family stayed on this broken-down street: the Andersons, in their house with a warm little glow, where kids bounce happily on Dad’s back, and Grandad’s fingers squeak on guitar strings as he jokes about all the secrets and dreams he keeps under his hat. “Grandad, I’ve seen you without your hat,” insists Millie, “and nothing was there except your hair.” But what will the children see the next time he doffs his hat? As always with Bob Graham, the tenderness is in the details: strewn-about stuffies, tumbling children, a blue-jeaned grandad with one leg thrown over his chair arm. It’s a story where even a derelict neighborhood can spark back to life, and where the love of a playfully bantering grandad can conjure a whole universe of light.

By the tale’s end, something has changed, and the neighborhood becomes revitalized at last. The eclectic mix of realism and magic is what makes this tale work. Graham’s greatest talents lie in the day-to-day natural messiness of life in a family where Dad drops “pieces of tissue from a just-washed shirt like a soft fall of snow.” The author/illustrator’s signature spare watercolors bring to life the gloom of the abandoned street, the warmth of the home, and the magic that leaks from Grandad’s hat. ... True magic lies at the heart of this marvelous tale. Kirkus

Briony Stewart introduces the slogan here.

Today the CBCA announced the 2026 Book Week slogan or as some people call it the theme - A Symphony of Stories. There is plenty of time of course but I am sure you will want to gather a collection of picture books with musical references. In A Hatful of Dreams grandad has composed a little tune. He plays a fragment of it on his harmonica and mum joins in with her violin. Oh, I need to mention there is a harmonica (can you spy it) on the limited edition print Bob Graham did for IBBY Australia many years ago.

IBBY Australia limited edition print by Bob Graham

Notice the harmonica which links with his newest book A Hatful of Dreams

Too many Carrots by Katy Hudson

Rabbit loves carrots. He loves them so much that his whole burrow is full of carrots, and there's no room for him to sleep there anymore. What will he do? Rabbit has lots of friends, and they keep offering him a place to stay - but every time, Rabbit brings his carrots with him. Now there's no room at anyone's house! Finally, Rabbit finds the solution and realises that sharing with friends is more important than hoarding things. Book Trust

Two of my favourite things to do are 1. Visit a Lifeline Bookfair and 2. Visit with my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything.  She spied this book and knew I was making a collection of picture books for a country Preschool.

I hope the preschool staff linger over the title page double spread - it is filled with fun - Keep Calm and Carrot On; To do eat carrots, plant carrots, collect carrots, eat carrots; and on the bookshelf Carrot Poetry, Carrot Desserts, Carrot Diaries and 'An ode to the Carrot'. And on a different shelf I spied the classic story 'War and Carrot'. 

The story here is a familiar one. Rabbit's house is too crowded - it is filled with carrots. His friends offer to share their homes but each one of these ends in disaster. Rabbit needs to 'learn a lesson' about sharing and friendship. There would be plenty to talk about at the end of this book and then everyone could munch on a carrot!

The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel illustrated by Danny Snell

Yacoub lives in his truck. He drives huge distances carrying many different things. English is not his first language, and he sometimes finds it difficult to talk to the other truck drivers he meets along the way but luckily Yacoub has his little cat named Tinka. Tinka keeps Yacoub company on long journeys and under the stars at night. But then one day Tinka is distracted by a fluttering butterfly, and he accidentally leaves Yacoub behind. Luckily Tinka is rescued by a kind young woman named Mari. Tinka is happy living in htis new place and he enjoys her bakery and the fresh fish she feeds him but he is also worried about his friend. Will Tinka and Yacoub ever be reunited?

Here is the web site for Deborah Frenkel. I previously talked about this book:

Naturoplois

Here is an interview with Justkidslit where Deborah Frenkel talks about The Truck Cat.

Here is the web site for Danny Snell. 

Blurb from the teachers notes (via Pegi Williams): Tinka is a truck cat, travelling the open roads of Australia with Yacoub in his truck. Yacoub doesn’t know many other people, but he and Tinka always have each other. Until one day, Tinka gets distracted chasing a white butterfly and ends up on a busy main road, with cars and trucks separating him from Yacoub. Luckily, Tinka is saved by a kind-hearted baker, Mari, who takes him into her home and her life and feeds him. But Tinka always worries about Yacoub, out there in the silence. Yacoub worries about Tinka too, missing the companionship of his friend … until one day, a smell draws him to the window of a bakery, where a familiar face waits for him.

By chance I borrowed The Truck Cat from the library this week and then today I saw it was announced as the 2025 National Simultaneous Storytime book which is on May 22nd, 2025 at 12:00pm AEST

About National Simultaneous Storytime: by facilitating NSS we aim to: 

• promote the value of reading and literacy, 
• promote the value and fun of books,
• promote an Australian writer and publisher, 
• celebrate and promote storytime activities in public libraries, school libraries, classrooms and communities around the country,
• and provide opportunities to involve parents, caregivers, the media, and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.

What do we look for in the National Simultaneous Storytime book?

Each year interested publishers send in possible titles. From a practical perspective, the publisher has to be able and willing to provide copyright release for use of the illustrations, book projection, translation into other languages and performance. The publisher also needs to commit to a special print run of several thousand copies. This narrows down the options. The criteria for choosing from the remaining books include: 

• a positive storyline
• appeal to a modern and diverse audience
• suitability for read-aloud (language and length)
• how well the book lends itself to craft and other activities

I was very interested to read the criteria because I had (wrongly) assumed that since (in the past) Scholastic Australia were sponsors of this event the book had to be a Scholastic Australia publication. I am pleased to see I was wrong. The book this year comes from Bright Light which an imprint of Hardie Grant Children's Publishing.

Things to talk about and discuss after reading The Truck Cat:

How do you know the setting for this story is in Australia?

Do you think Yacoub has always been a truck driver? What does it mean 'to make a living'? 

How do you know Yacoub has not always lived in Australia? 

Why is Yacoub thinking about 'the old country'? What does this phrase mean?

Think about the sentence "Until cool hands lifted him from the road, held him gently, and carried him to a car." How does the meaning of this change if you alter the words 'cool' and 'gently'. What emotions do you feel when Mari rescues Tinka.

Tinka cannot tell Mari that he is worried about Yacoub but what might he say if he could talk?

When do we get the first hint that there might be a cultural connection between Mari and Yacoub?

How does Deborah Frenkel give her story a perfect sense of completion? 

The final pages show changes to the lives of Mari and Yacoub - what has happened? Talk about the way Danny Snell has extended the text well beyond the words of the story. How has 'home' now changed for Yacoub?

Discuss the vocab from the book - interloper, mewing, lunged, daintiest, depots, tri-axle, rafters

Older students - read the end notes from the author and research refugees from WWII who settled in Australia. Find other picture books about the modern refugee experience. Here is my Pinterest with some books that are sure to be in your school library. 

Research Polish cakes and biscuits. Check if your family have favourite recipes from other cultures.

Yacoub calls his grandmother Nena. What do you call your grandparents?

Book design - note the changes to the end papers; the consistent colour palette used in the water colour illustrations; the use of framing as a way to sequence the plot.

How does Danny Snell show movement of Tinka and also of the traffic in his illustrations?

A similar thing happens on the page where the truck is carrying eggs - how do we know the truck is moving slowly so the eggs don't get scrambled?

Narrative devices - repeated structures - some cats are house cats, some are apartment cats, some cats live on farms, some live this the city. AND at the end sometimes he's a bakery cat, sometimes a sofa cat; sometimes he's a picnic cat and sometimes a train cat.

What device is Deborah Frenkel using with these phrases - brick motels with beetles in the bathtub; rest-stop huts with rats in the rafters; depots dancing with dragonflies; lorikeets landed in the lemon tree; pigeons pecked in the petunias.

You could make a library display of past NSS titles and even have a mini readathon in your classroom exploring all of these terrific Australian Picture Books.

If you can't read all of these try to find Arthur by Amanda Graham; Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles; The Wrong book by Nick Bland; Too many elephants in this house by Ursula Dubosarsky; and Mrs Wilkinson's Chooks by Leona Peguero. 

Somewhere for Little Bear by Britta Teckentrup

Publisher blurb: Little Bear lives happily in his cozy cave deep in the woods. He loves picking berries in the day, listening to the birds sing under his favourite tree in the evenings, and curling up comfily on his soft leaves to sleep each night. But when Bear wakes up one morning to find his beloved forest ablaze, he must make a quick escape, away from his cozy cave, friendly faces and the comforts he knows. He walks and walks in search of somewhere new to call home but finds he's not welcome in the places that look most familiar to him. Feeling hopeless and alone, Little Bear must journey even further into the unknown. And only in the most unfamiliar of places, does the kindness of new animal friends lead Little Bear to discover the true meaning of home . . .

"I must be brave ... I must find somewhere new to call home."

But there are rabbits in the burrow, a family of foxes under the leaves behind the log; and some delicious berries but oh no a wild boar has claimed them. Little Bear walks and walks and eventually he reaches a different forest - a place where he is made welcome - a new home at last. 

This is a book you could share with a preschool group or sitting beside your own young reading companion. The illustrations are so special, and the story demonstrates the power of kindness. 

If your library budget allows, I highly recommend adding books illustrated and by Britta Teckentrup to your collection. Her name is a label on this post - if you click that link you will see lots of her other books that I have featured here on this blog. 

Here in Australia our Grade 4 students have a unit of work about bushfires as part of their Geography studies. I have a Pinterest with other books that explore this natural disaster and its impact on our Australian bush and animals.

Here is another book about little bear:

It’s cold in the woods, and it’s time for Little Bear to start his winter sleep. But not before he says good night to all of his special forest friends—badger, deer, rabbit, mouse, fox, owl, squirrel, and wolf. Now Little Bear can happily fall asleep in his warm and cozy den all snuggled up to his mother . . . knowing that his friends will watch out for him during his long winter’s sleep.

Mushroom Lullaby by Kenneth Kraegel

"You head up your soft mushroom stair and read a book in your big mushroom chair."

For the first few pages of this lullaby, we meet various mushrooms in different situations. On the ground, on a tree branch, in a desert, under a waterfall. Then turn the page and we find a mushroom house with a front door and window. This is sure to enchant your young reading companion. The path to the house even has a small lantern hanging on a twig rather like the light from Narnia. There is an outdoor table with a checkers board game and inside the house you will see shelves crammed with books and other toy treasures. There is even a model of the mushroom house itself. 

A nearly square trim size and ink-and-watercolor compositions with an abundance of curves and rounded shapes create a setting filled with quiet joy and a sense of security. Stippling and other surface patterns provide texture and gradations of light. As the day winds down, the warm palette becomes even more intense, with glowing embers in the fireplace and deep orange-red walls and décor. Kirkus Star review

The font is large and so easy to read throughout that it works so well for bedtime. There are relatively few words on each page, with merely a phrase or two on the spread. The illustrations are quite detailed and lovely, really inviting the reader to explore this magical world visually on each page and leading into the slower pace that works so well for bedtime books. The amount of words and simplicity of the story along with the rhymes will work well for toddlers on up. YA Books Central

Publisher blurb: In gentle rhyme, this spare and whimsical picture book from the one-of-a-kind imagination of Kenneth Kraegel introduces little readers to all sorts of wonderful mushrooms: ones that grow up high and ones that never stay dry, ones that grow in a park and ones that glow in the dark, and even one made just for them! Who can resist climbing up the soft mushroom stair, curling up in a plush mushroom chair, and preparing to dream sweet mushroom dreams? The lulling narration and warm illustrations of this charmingly quirky book will have drowsy young ones settling into their own comfy beds, ready to drift off to sleep.

I first saw this book in an independent bookstore (sadly this store has now closed). I told the teacher-librarian of the library where I volunteer each week and she generously purchased this for her library. I did mention the author Kenneth Kraegel in a previous post. Here is his webpage.

Where will you stay?

 

I saw this fabulous idea on Instagram today from The Book Wrangler.  It would be easy to adapt this for children in your Australian library - perhaps before the next holiday period such as our end of term one break in April when families are focused on holiday destinations including holiday houses and hotels.

Books in Mike's image, which you can see here, include Anne of Green Gables; Madeline; Winnie the Pooh; The Twits; Greenglass House; The Vanderbeekers; Mercy Watson; and A series of Unfortunate events. I am in awe of the way Mike took the trouble to include an image of the house and not just a book cover. 

Image source: Instagram The Book Wrangler

If you work in a school library you will find a wealth of ideas for displays and library lessons created by Mike Rawls - The Book Wrangler.

Here are the Australian and other favourite books I would include for a display like this. I imagine you could easily copy one image from each book to make the display even better. I extended the idea to also include hotels. 

John Brown and Rose live in a such a delightful cozy cottage. 

You can type each of these titles into my search bar to read more. A few of these are very old but also very special such as View from the 32nd Floor; The naming of Tishkin Silk; and The Sea-breeze hotel. The Best Hiding Place and Farmhouse are quite new. 

Lost by Mariajo Ilustrajo

 

"I am not sure how I got here ... everything looks so different."

A huge polar bear finds himself in the city. Everything is so confusing. There are long queues, coffee shops - in fact our bear is given a soy latte! He does not like the taste at all. Then he heads to the help desk at the station and that is where he is given the tube map. On the train no one notices the huge while polar bear except for one young girl. She takes him home but this home is nothing like his real home. The clothes are strange, the food is strange, and the sea (bath) is very small. Luckily this girl has a terrific book collection and one of books is entitled North Pole. She quickly works out the problem and makes a plan. She organises to lift him in a huge blanket attached to a wire under the helicopter. Arriving home the other polar bears are so happy to see their friend.

"I felt lost at first. But then someone found me."

Now turn to the final end paper - the little girl has given her new friend a truly special gift. 

There are some interesting design features to notice with this book. The title in Fluro orange is embossed. The front-end paper has the polar bear on one side striding into the story and a map on the other side which appears to have been tossed down or dropped. Over the page the huge polar bear has now picked up his map. It looks a little like a London underground train map. On the imprint page I read that the font for this book is called Marajo so I am guessing it is an invention of the author/illustrator. This hardcover book is not too expensive here in Australia so it is one you could add to your school library wish list.

See pages from Lost here. I am not entirely sure but the polar bear in Lost might be the same polar bear from Flooded?

Companion books:

Lost and Found

Little Bear

Blown Away

Mariajo Ilustrajo is a Spanish illustrator based in the UK. Her real name is Mariajose Gajate Molina. Flooded was her first book and it went on to win the Klaus Flugge Prize for Illustration 2023.

Her new books due in 2024 areHelp we Need a story and I love books:

The Color Collector by Nicholas Solis illustrated by Renia Metallinou

"We came here for a better life. I miss home, though. 

I miss the sounds and smells. And I miss the colors."

The world is black and white until one day a young boy notices Violet, a girl from his class. She is picking up bits and pieces from the footpath - brightly coloured things but things that are mostly rubbish. 

"What do you do with it all?" "All of what?" "The wrappers and trash and leaves."

Violet invites the boy to her home which is an apartment at the top of a New York brownstone. Violet opens the door to her room and the colour explode. She has made a most wonderful art work on every  wall of her room showing images of her home far away. This could be a sad book but it ends in hope as we can be sure that this young boy will be a wonderful friend to Violet and she will find a path to happiness in her new country.  

 

Now for the bad news. I want to say this book would be a great addition to your school library but here in Australia it costs more then AUS$35 so sadly very few library will feel able to include this gentle story into their collection. Some of my spelling friends may also have a little trouble with color and not colour but really I think that is unimportant. This book is not really about colour it is about friendship, acceptance of difference, sharing, immigration, home, and trust. 

Here is the author web page. And here is the website for Renia Metallinou from Greece. Please try to find this book to read before you read The Color Collector:

Anita and the dragons

A House by Kevin Henkes

 

Yes this is the cover of A House. The title and author name appear on the back cover.

What makes a house a house? A roof? A door? A window? A floor? What makes a house a home? A cat? A dog? Someone to love? You?

Book description: Where is the door to the house? Do you see any clouds? What does the house look like when it is sunny outside? When it is raining? And what will the house turn into when its family returns? A home. Caldecott Medal-winner Kevin Henkes employs interactive questions, declarative sentences, basic shapes, and a limited color palette in this brilliant and classic picture book. A House introduces young readers to shapes, numbers, the weather, and the parts of a house, with a rhythmic, repetitive text and remarkable illustrations. A story about home, family, community, and belonging, A House is an excellent choice for emergent readers, for social and emotional development, and for storytime sharing.

This is an incredibly simple book and yet it is utterly charming and I am certain your preschool reading companion will enjoy interacting with this book.  It is also sure to be one that you revisit many times.

Henkes has put together a charmingly and deceptively simple interactive book that helps young readers identify shapes, delve into the concept of counting, and recognize meteorological phenomena. The soft colors and gentle questions serve to invite participation rather than coerce it. Kirkus

I am a huge fan of Kevin Henkes. He is the author of over sixty books. Junonia has a very special place in my heart and I love little Chrysanthemum and little Billy Miller. Take a look at the Kevin Henkes web page. I was a little amazed to discover A house is a title on our NSW Premier's Reading Challenge list for K-2. The inclusion of this book seems very strange but I do think this is a book that should be included in all preschool collections. 

The board book of A House will arrive in Australia later this year. 

Martha Maps it Out by Leigh Hodgkinson

Beginning in the universe, Martha explains she is really tiny - you probably can't even find her. Let's zoom in a little. Now we can see the full solar system including planet earth but where is Martha? Let's get closer to our planet. The map shows all of the continents along with iconic animals and landmarks but we need to move even closer to see Martha. She lives in a city which has shops, a theatre, a library, parks and a huge train station but Martha does not live in the centre of the city so lets move across to her street. Martha lives in an apartment up on the top floor. Here is the map of her bedroom which is filled with all the things she loves. 

You can see inside this book here. And I found a video of Leigh Hodgkinson showing you how she draws maps. 

Every page is a treat with so much for young readers to explore and it’s delightfully positive, celebrating all the opportunities Martha has for adventure and discovery. Books for Keeps

Leigh Hodgkinson is brilliant at presenting quirky details in her visuals and this book of Martha’s maps is absolutely alive with them. To these are added a wealth of labels that children will love to explore as they, one hopes, like Martha will share that sense of optimism and excitement about what the future might hold. Red Reading Hub

I know lots of schools collect books about maps and mapping to link with the Geography syllabus. This is a book you can use with the youngest children in Kindergarten, Grade One and Grade Two. This book would also be a terrific gift and in paperback it is a very good price - why not pick up a few copies and use them for Birthday gifts?

The perfect companion book to read alongside Martha Maps it Out would be this one My Place in Space by Roland Harvey (sadly now out of print but sure to be in many school libraries).

I have previously talked about these:

My Heart is a Compass

Henry's Map

Camilla Cartographer

You can see other books by UK author Leigh Hodgkinson here. 

Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire illustrated by David Litchfield

Cress, along with her mother and baby brother Kip, need to leave their home and seek a new place to live. Her father has disappeared and may never return. Mama has negotiated with Mr Owl, who is the landlord of a run-down apartment tree called Broken Arms. Cress, Mama and Kip can move into the lowest level as long as they can find the rent of ten dead moths each day. The building houses a myriad of characters. The Super is a nosy mouse. On another level there is a family of squirrels who have four wild children and near the top live a pair of songbirds who like to share all the gossip. 

Danger is always close. There is a huge honey bear called Tunk and the threat of a snake, who we never see but constantly feel is close, called the Final Drainpipe.  Adding to the mayhem as Cress, Mama and Kip make their journey to Broken Arms they meet a skunk named Lady Agatha Cabbage and her pet/captive chinchilla. Lady Cabbage is not exactly sinister but she is slightly dangerous. I also need to mention Kip's comfort toy - Rotty which is a soft toy carrot!

As the story unfolds we see Cress adjusting to her new life and testing the limits of her mother's patience. Each day brings new adventures, some quite exciting. Over the year Cress discovers so much about herself, about growing up and she gains an awareness of the way others react to events. She also explores her new environment and finds a way to share her true talent which is kindness. 

The production values of this book are simply wonderful. My hardback copy has a dust jacket and under the dust jacket the cover is different - a tiny gold silhouette of Cress herself. The end papers are also, as you would expect, perfect. They show the weaving done by Cress's mother. This book has 35 very short chapters and rich digital full page illustrations. 

David Litchfield explains his process: I like to experiment with textures a lot, so a big part of the process was taken up with making a mess with watercolour paints and just creating a lot of interesting and colourful washes to use as backgrounds and overlays. I also took a lot of close-up photographs of things like tree bark and sunsets. Once I had collected these many textures, I scanned them all into my computer and spent a fair bit of time experimenting with overlaying them with each other and just playing around with them. 

See more art from this book here

Here is an audio interview with the author. If you listen the presenter begins by reading the blurb. Here is a School Library Journal chat with Gregory Maguire and David Litchfield. 

Maguire’s narrative offers wry puns, rich vocabulary, and entertaining dialogue, and Litchfield’s glowing, slightly stylized, full-color illustrations present an enchanting, magical peek into this woodland world. ... Warmhearted and utterly charming. Kirkus Star review

With its brisk plot, witty details, and thought-provoking concepts, this gloriously illustrated chapter book makes an ideal read-alone or family read-aloud. Horn Book

This story has a Wind in the Willows flavour, characters that reminded me of the guys in Skunk and Badger and perhaps a slight feel of The Mouse and his Child. Commentators mention EB White and while I cannot link this book with Stuart Little I can link it to The Trumpet of the Swan.  Companion reads:

This is the first book in a series

This is the first book in a series of four

Heartwood Hotel book One