All the Blues in the Sky Renee Watson

"I didn't know

best friends could die"

"You will miss her every day of your life.

Sometimes, the memories will bring tears and sometimes a smile.

The memories won't always overwhelm you,

they will bring comfort too."

You HAVE to let this novel, which is partly told in free verse, unfold slowly. Yes, on the day of Sage's 13th birthday her best friend has died but the when and where and how why are found in the journey you take as a reader.

Sage is grappling with her grief and the adult don't seem to have any answers:

If I live long enough to be an adult

and if I have children when I am an adult

I will tell them.

And I will tell them that sometimes

you go to sleep crying

and wake up crying

and that life after losing someone you love

feels like one big ocean of sorrow

and you might feel like you are

drowning,

but always there is something 

to hold on to 

to keep you afloat.

Sage meets four other students in her school grief group. Ebony's dad died suddenly from a heart attack; Zay's grandmother died in her sleep after a long illness; Ana's twin sister died from leukemia; and DD's brother was murdered by the police. Sage feels that she can relate to Ebony and DD because in both cases the death came suddenly, and these deaths were totally unfair. Sage is sure the death of HER friend is all her fault but how can a car accident be her fault?

There are two rules in the grief group - everyone shares openly and everyone listens with compassion.

DD's brother was murdered:

Now she is a sister familiar with words she's never had to say

so often, know so well; police brutality, death, rage, injustice, press conference

obituary, funeral, casket, hearse, graveyard, protect, indictment, trial, jury, verdict, guilty, sentence,

involuntary manslaughter, memorial, closure?, closure?,

grief, grief.

Sage has her own set of words such as vehicular manslaughter, hit and run, and criminally negligent homicide.

Blue is the empty chair at the desk in the classroom where my best friend used to sit.

Blue is the ache in my heart when I pick up the phone to call her and remember she's gone.

Blue is Aunt Ini's warm hugs.

Blue is a hot mug of cocoa on a cold stormy day.

Blue is all the calm, all the heartbreak,

all the hope

all the tears, all the laughter. ...

For all the blues in the sky,

there are as many blues in the heart.

Just a warning you will be sobbing by the final pages of this book.

Bookseller blurb: Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life -- and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all. In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is an important story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

This is a verse novel from 2025 for sensitive mature readers aged 12+ but sadly here in Australia you will need to wait for the paperback edition - the hardcover will be well beyond the budget of most school libraries. 

A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit. Kirkus Star review

The counselling group in All the Blues in the Sky reminded me of this book:

Just Like Jackie

Other books by Renee Watson:

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars by Catherine Norton

Hester's mum has died giving birth to her twin siblings. Dad is a sailor and they have received a message that he is missing presumed dead. The five children are sent to live with a tyrannical uncle. Hester holds onto the word 'presumed'.  Surely her clever father is not actually dead but in order to find him she needs to sail across the world and to do this she needs navigation skills. In a timely coincidence she sees a sign for the placement test to attend a naval navigation school, but it is for boys. Hester is a maths genius. She disguises herself and takes and test and gains the top place and a scholarship, but the school authorities think she is a boy. Her sister works out a way for her to travel to the remote school which is part of a large estate but when she arrives, she is forced to become a maid - a servant with the lowest ranking. You will grimace as she is forced to empty very full chamber pots and carry heavy buckets of coal up many flights of stairs. She does make friends with one of the maids named Mildred and as they clean Mildred sings so beautifully this makes the tasks slightly less awful. 

One of her duties is to clean up the mess in the tutor's bedroom. It is soon clear this school master, Captain Slingsby, is a fraud. Hester is not keen on blackmail or dishonesty, but she now has some important knowledge she can use to her advantage. Her dream of attending the school can come true but then she discovers the lessons are all nonsense. 

Meanwhile the owner of the school and estate Lord Addington is building the biggest telescope. His wife is grieving the death of their only son, and she is clinging on to the hope of seeing him again because a swindler named Mr Ittish has arrived. He claims the impending meteor shower is actually the souls of the dead he is also sure the earth is flat. Lady Addington falls for all of this nonsense. 

There are 41 short chapter in this book, and you can read the first five chapters on the publisher webpage. I do appreciate the book design for Hester Hitchings and the Falling Star. Both of Catherine Norton's books are presented in sturdy hardcover editions with textured covers. 

In this interview with Kids' Book Review Catherine Norton talks about her books. 

Curious readers will want to know more about how a lodestone works, and more about Janet Taylor who was a woman astronomer in 1835. Also, they are sure to want to discover more about steam powered cars and the Leonid meteor storm "which it is estimated that thousands of meteors fell every hour." For myself I need to discover more about these two things - an orrery and an azimuth.

This is an Ornery. An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System 

that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons

Girls in particular will relate to the story of Hester who must prove herself better or at least equal to boys at every turn. Her willingness to help other girls – particularly the songstress maid, Mildred – is also admirable. Science-inclined kids will also enjoy the story which includes astronomy and is linked to the development of the first telescope. Reading Time

As well as being a cracking story rich in incident and suspense, there is much fascinating detail that never overpowers the story but makes Hester’s journey all the more immediate and real. I so enjoyed reading about lodestones, star charts, an orrery, mourning clothes, shooting stars, cat-o-nine-tails and smuggling crinolines. ...  Themes of family grief, class, racism are present but the overarching theme that drives the story is the struggle for equal opportunities for girls, something that still resonates today. Story Links

Here is a detailed review from The Book Muse and also one from The Bottom Shelf. 

Blurb from the author webpage: Determined to find him, eleven-year-old Hester wins a place at Addington’s Nautical Navigation Academy, where she will learn to navigate by the stars. But the academy is just for boys, and what’s more, no one seems to be in charge. Bumbling schoolmaster Captain Slingsby doesn’t know anything about navigation. Lord Addington is obsessed with building the world’s biggest telescope and Lady Addington believes that falling stars are the souls of the dead. With the help of a lodestone, her new friends Pru and Nelson, and a dazzling meteor storm, can Hester set things right – and find her own place in the universe?

I saw an image of the cover of this book somewhere on the internet. I previously LOVED this book also by Catherine Norton but I wrongly listed it as a book the CBCA missed adding to the 2025 notables list. This first book by Catherine Norton - The Fortune Maker was published in 2023 this means it SHOULD have been a 2024 CBCA Notable!

The Fortune Maker

Zero Zebras by Bruce Goldstone illustrated by Julien Chung

Subtitle: A counting book about what's not there

Zero is such an abstract concept for all of us but especially for very young children. This book is such fun. On each page there are things to count in a sequence of one to twelve but you are also invited to notice there are zero zebras on every page. 

Think about the choices of things to count: One wallaby; two tuna; three thrushes; four frogs; five foxes and so on with spiders, seals, elephants, newts, tigers; llamas and turtles BUT of course there are zero zebras. Simple alliteration gives this book a lighthearted-feel and your youngest students are sure to keep hunting for those elusive zebras. 

The back of this book has a wonderful explanation by the author written for adult readers:

"Zero is a big nothing. Do you skip past zero when you start to count? Almost everybody does: 1, 2, 3, and more but zero is always there first. ... Think about an empty box. What isn't inside? There are no shoes and no shirts. No books and no pencils."

A counting book cleverly designed to raise awareness about nothing. Kirkus Star review

Montreal artist Julien Chung’s brightly coloured digital illustrations have a bold, eye-catching graphic design. Eagle-eyed counters will spot the numerals 1 through 12 blending into the background scenes. For example, the numeral 3 floats like a cloud in the sky; the numeral 7 is caught in a spider’s web; and the tricky-to-find numeral 8 appears in a spotlight’s glow. There are many subtle connections between the scenes. Animals featured on one page can be found making a cameo appearance in the following spread. There are no zebras to be found in the scenes, but there are lots of stripes, from the angular blades of grass, to the black and white design swim trunks on a jumping frog. Candian Review of Materials

Montreal artist Julien Chung’s brightly coloured digital illustrations have a bold, eye-catching graphic design. Eagle-eyed counters will spot the numerals 1 through 12 blending into the background scenes. For example, the numeral 3 floats like a cloud in the sky; the numeral 7 is caught in a spider’s web; and the tricky-to-find numeral 8 appears in a spotlight’s glow. There are many subtle connections between the scenes. Animals featured on one page can be found making a cameo appearance in the following spread. There are no zebras to be found in the scenes, but there are lots of stripes, from the angular blades of grass, to the black and white design swim trunks on a jumping frog.

Publisher blurb: Discover the importance of counting what’s there and what’s not there in this brilliant picture book that combines math, imagination, and creativity! Zero Zebras asks a bold question: can you count what isn’t there? Can you count — to zero? Bruce Goldstone takes us on a wild animal safari counting one wallaby, two tuna, three thrushes, four frogs — but absolutely ZERO zebras. Readers will realize the infinite possibilities of counting what is and isn’t on the page. Goldstone’s imaginative and creative text is brought to life by Chung’s vibrant illustrations which include hidden numbers beautifully integrated into each stunning scene for fun some hide-and-seek. This is the perfect introduction to the concept of zero and infinity, showcasing the profound wonder of numbers in a playful, dazzling picture book that will wow readers of every age!

The library where I volunteer and borrow books carefully record the price of each book they purchase on one side of the imprint page. They record date of purchase, supplier and cost. I always like to look at this to see how long a book has been in their collection and also to see what they paid. The Teacher-Librarian must have really wanted this book because she paid an eye-watering AUS$50. I have found this book with some Australian online booksellers for less than AUS$35.

Zero Zebras won the Mathical Book Award in 2023.  If you are looking to add some exemplary picture books and other books that explore maths concepts these lists should be your first source.

Mathical selects, promotes, and distributes math-inspiring fiction and nonfiction for children ages 2-18. Proposed titles are submitted annually by publishers and the public. Many hands help select the books, including language arts and math teachers, librarians, early childhood experts, and more.

If you share this book with a group of older students they could use the format as a writing model and write their own picture book to share with children in Kindergarten or at a local preschool. 

You can see other books by Bruce Goldstone here. I previously talked about this book illustrated by Canadian illustrator Julien Chung. He lives in Montreal:

365 How to Count a Year

Count the Stars by Raewyn Caisley illustrated by Gabriel Evans

"At school, Maddie like science but mathematics was easily her favourite subject. Miss Tandy put a star on her work every day, sometime two. They looked like kisses."

This book beautifully demonstrated that maths is everywhere. In music, the brick paves dad is laying for the path, counting the canteen lunch money, cooking with mum, and of course in the stars. But one day Maddie realises something is missing in her life - a friend. 

I'm a huge fan of Gabriel Evans art. I have a Pinterest of picture books that explore maths concepts. There is a perfect amount of show don't tell in this book. When Maddie says there are lots of way to tell the time, if you look carefully, you will spy a sundial, a calendar, dad's watch and even an astrolobe.

After you read this book to your class it could be a good plan to focus on one double spread each week or fortnight. Children in my school library were always fascinated by my watch and my ideas about clocks. I like clocks without numbers - not digital clocks - clocks are usually a circle - yes you can work out the time by just looking at the hands. As a child we had a clock in my kitchen made by my dad - it had no numbers just a nail marker for 12, 6, 9 and 3. I even have a Pinterest of watches and clocks!

This could be a fairly dry book filled with maths concepts, but it is not - the addition of warm family scenes, interesting school lessons especially the one where they make paper snowflakes and most of all the making of a friend who also loves maths and the stars and who offers the promise of a happier future for young Maddie.

The end papers could be used as a poster in your classroom - there are twenty-four definitions of maths concepts to explore. 

Companion reads:

Stars and Poppy Seeds

Count on me

How to count to One

A Million Dots by Sven Völker

Yes, this book does contain a million dots - actually the final page has 1,048,576 dots. 

If you have a shelf of maths concept books in your library this is one more title you will want to add. This book could be a great way to share the idea of doubling numbers and ways to represent huge numbers too. It is easy to see the German illustrator Sven Völker is a graphic designer. 

Take a look here to see some terrific ideas for using this book with all ages of children. You can see inside this book here. Here is a video of Sven talking about his book winning the New York Times New York Public Library ten best Illustrated Books. 

I have a Pinterest of Maths concepts through Picture Books. 

You could also look for:

And just for fun you could compare A Million Dots with this book:

How to Count to One

How to Count to One by Caspar Salmon illustrated by Matt Hunt

It's a bit anarchic and a bit absurd - Caspar Salmon

Blurb: A hilariously bossy picture book about counting that children will love to outsmart!  You know how to count, right? GREAT! There are LOADS of fun things to count in this book. Whales, baboons, rainbows, pyramids . . . There’s just rule. You must ONLY ever count to ONE. So don’t even about THINK bigger numbers. OK?!  Get ready to show off your skills in this fun new counting book! But all is not as it seems . . . is this book really only about counting to ‘ONE’? Because there are SO MANY fun things that you could count. But – wait – maybe there’s a way to outsmart the book . . . and count all the way up to 100!

A fun and interactive read-aloud experience - Nosy Crow

This is a book you MUST add to your school and preschool library and it would also make a terrific gift for a child aged 3+.  I am sure everyone will delight in this funny book and it will certainly fit into the category of "read it again ...".

Here is the full title: How to Count to ONE (And don't even THINK about bigger numbers!)

I also found a video of the author talking (to adults) about his book. 

I wrote the book for my children, who are whipsmart and like nothing more than to outfox me; I also wrote it for parents who get bored senseless reading ... picturebooks with cutesy stories and dreary "learning outcomes". It's meant to be a bit of a tonic! Casper Salmon

I would pair this book with lots of other counting books but especially this one:

Here are a couple of other books illustrated by Matt Hunt:

Danny Chung does not do Maths by Maisie Chan illustrated by Ahn Cao

Danny is an only child. His Chinese parents run a successful takeaway food business. The family live above their business. Danny is under some pressure from his Ma and Ba to succeed at school and to progress to university and a 'good job' but Danny is not keen on school. His main passion is drawing.

His mother and father are friends with Mr and Mrs Yee. Danny calls them Auntie and Uncle but they are not related to the Chung family. Early in the morning, as this book begins, Uncle Yee arrives with a bunk bed for Danny's room. Danny is told to expect a surprise. What he does not expect is that the surprise will be his tiny grandmother or Nai Nai. And the surprises continue. Nai Nai claims the top bunk. The Easter holidays have just begun and Ma and Ba expect Danny to entertain Nai Nai. She cannot speak a word of English and Danny cannot speak or understand her regional Chinese dialect. 

Then Nai Nai discovers bingo. Danny discovers Nai Nai has a talent for numbers. He is supposed to be working on a maths project. It seems impossible but somehow there is a way for Nai Nai to help and along the way Danny learns a lot about being a friend, about being a grandson and about his own family heritage. 

I read this book in almost one sitting - yes it is that good. Danny is a likeable kid albeit a kid with flaws. His grandmother Nai Nai does not speak English, in fact she barely speaks at all in this book but I just loved her. She is feisty, she is wise, she is child-like, she is funny, she loves her grandson Danny and she is here to stay!

Maisie Chan’s debut novel is a warm-hearted and utterly convincing slice of family life and, what’s more, stars the kind of family too rarely seen in UK children’s literature. Books for Keeps

There's a lot of humour through the book, and some wonderful illustrations. The chapters aren't too long, and the language is accessible, so all of these things help make the book engaging and easy to read. The Boook Bag

Read an interview with Maisie Chan. Listen to an audio sample from Chapter One. Here is the US cover which I really like. It also has a different illustrator Natelle Quek.

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy of this terrific UK book which was published in June 2021. I am keen to see the finished book with illustrations by Ahn Cao.

Companion reads:

Pie in the Sky

Front Desk

The Year of the Dog

A Glasshouse of Stars

Thai-riffic!

Con-Nerd

Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows by Denis Knight and Cristy Burne

 

Publisher blurb: In a world of magic, can science save the day?  Wednesday Weeks never wanted to be a sorcerer's apprentice. She'd rather study science than magic. But when her cloak-wearing, staff-wielding grandpa is captured by a power-hungry goblin king, Wednesday must find a way to embrace her magical heritage and rescue him from the dreaded Tower of Shadows.

Luckily, she's not alone. Her best friend Alfie is a prime-number fan and robotics expert who's all-in on Wednesday's epic plan involving parallel universes, swords of power, and a wise-cracking talking skull. But it's going to take more than science, magic, and the world's cutest robot to take down this bad guy. Because the goblin king is playing for the ultimate prize - and Wednesday and Alfie just walked into his trap...

Is there a genre name for the combination of fantasy, quest, slap stick action and humour? The Phantom Tollbooth springs to mind as the best example. The publicity for this new book also mentions Artemis Fowl and Nevermoor. I also thought of The Spiderwick Chronicles; The Strange Worlds Travel Agency; The Dark Blue 100 Ride Bus Ticket; The Train to Impossible places; The Creakers; and Furthermore. 

The joint authors themselves say "we hope Wednesday makes you laugh. We hope she makes you wonder. And most of all, we hope she makes you brave. Because we all have the power to surprise."

I am not a fan of this style of story but somehow I was hooked. There are some truly inventive ideas in the crazy other worlds visited by Wednesday and Alfie as they race (they only have twelve hours) to rescue Wednesday's grandfather. His full name is Abraham Mordecai Weeks, Protector of the realms, Master of the Seven transformations, Arch-Excellency Order Enchanter, Wonder warlock, and Black Belt Magician to the Queen's Royal Order. The other strength of this book comes from the way the authors have given each of the three main characters - Wednesday, Alfie and Bruce (he is the skull) very distinct personalities. 

If you enjoy identifying the tropes of fantasy here they are:

The Chosen One - Wednesday of course but there is a hint that Alfie has some special magical ability too. 

The Evil Overload - King Gorgomoth, king of the goblin realm - he has plans to enslave the universe and he has the Unquenchable Fire.

The Lucky Novice - Alfie - he is a mathematician and a scientist and these are skills that will save their lives on several occasions. 

The Mentor - Bruce - he has been around for a long time fighting 

The Powerful Artefact -  there are three magical objects - a ring, a sword and an invisibility cloak. 

I like the idea of the Faerie Laundry and especially the scene where Wednesday and Alfie end up inside a washing machine (while it is running). The description of the lost property office filled with odd socks is one that will linger with me. I should also mention there is a talking skull called Bruce, a feisty tooth fairy called Falcon, evil maniac monster called Gorgomoth and a wonderful friend called Adaline. I wonder does the cover appeal to you?  Personally I think it really lets the book down but as I have said previously I am not the intended audience. I recommend this book for readers aged 10+.

Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows will be published on 28th April. Thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. At the end of Book One the stage is set for the sequel - Wednesday Weeks and the Crown of Destiny.

Count on Me by Miguel Tanco

Have you ever thought of using books in pairs? When I read Count on me I immediately thought of this book - Stars and Poppy Seeds:

Both of these books focus on following your passion which in this case is mathematics. The little girl in Count on Me sees other people have their talents and hobbies. Dad is an artist, mum is a scientist focusing on insects, her brother is keen to be a musician. She tries out other subjects but the little girl sees maths references in every part of her world. Maths is her passion. The playground equipment has geometric patterns. The city buildings are made from 3D shapes. Sharing a meal is the perfect place to think about fractions. Miguel Tanco gives his reader information about maths concepts on the final pages. You can read about fractals, polygons, curves, trajectories and sets.

You can see many of the pages from Count on me on the Seven Impossible things before Breakfast blog. Take a look because in this post Jules shows the real world examples used by Miguel. 

Whether math is a passion or not for the children with whom you share this book, readers everywhere will be able to relate to that search for the subject that fires them up. And you can count on this one for just such a story. Kirkus

There are so many wonderful things about Count on Me, written and illustrated by Miguel Tanco: the images, storyline, message…everything! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a picture book that seems to have it all. Teaching Literacy

Miguel Tanco lives in Spain and he is the author of over forty books. You can see some of them here. I have a Pinterest of picture books that explore Maths concepts. Here is a set of teaching ideas for Count on Me by Canadian publisher Tundra Books. Count on Me was originally written in English and then translated into Spanish with the title Conta comigo. 

From a book design point of view this book is quite scrumptious. It is a larger format hard cover book with a limited pallet of cream, red, brown and black. Luckily this book is fairly inexpensive here in Australia.

I have added these books by Miguel Tanco to my "to read" list:

Now What? A Math Tale by Robie H Harris illustrated by Chris Catterton

Puppy loves to build and he loves to snooze.  He decides to build a bed for a snooze. How can he assemble the blocks to make a comfortable bed that is just right? He has eleven blocks but they are all different - rectangles, triangles and squares.

Image source Booktopia

I marvel at the inventiveness of book creators. I've been reading children's books for over 40 years and so you might think nothing will surprise me - wrong! This book is so surprising, and amazing, and just fun! This is surely the perfect way to introduce and reinforce simple geometry concepts. This book is begging for interaction. If you plan to read this book with a young child I suggest you gather up the same blocks and work alongside our pup as he experiments and makes so many discoveries about how shapes work. Puppy does not give up on his plan even when things don't quite work. I especially love the way he uses the last two blocks to make the perfect bed.

If you work with preschool children this book should be an essential purchase and I am happy to report that the hardcover edition is available for a low price. Robie Harris has an excellent web site where you can see all of her picture books and read review comments. Take a look at Chris Chatterton's web site too.

Now What? A Math Tale is the second book in a series by Robie H Harris which begins with  Crash Boom.

A Good Night for Shooting Zombies by Jaco Jacobs

Do you judge a book by its title?  I did for this one. Zombies did not sound like a book I wanted to read. I saw this book listed inside the back cover of A Good Day for Climbing Trees.

Then I made three discoveries. First of all I loved A Good Day for Climbing Trees by Jaco Jacobs and so I book talked it during a book week event at a small rural school. While I was talking about A Good Day for Climbing Trees one of the Year 6 students exclaimed with great excitement that she had read another book by Jaco Jacobs - A Good Night for Shooting Zombies. I was curious how this book had reached this reader in Australia (it is from South Africa) and also how a book with such an odd title could elicit such joy.

Secondly Jaco Jacobs has been nominated by IBBY in South Africa for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen medal. As a member of IBBY Australia I am very interested in this award.  Finally I was browsing a discount book store in the city last week and I spied A Good Night for Shooting Zombies at a bargain price so I picked it up.

Last night I started to read this book and by morning it was finished.  Yes it is THAT good.

I love that the title has two meanings. The group of kids, especially Vusi, are making or shooting a movie about zombies. The final scenes in the movie involve shooting the zombies - don't worry they use toy guns and this scene is actually a wonderful celebration of community.

Martin (nickname Clucky) has lots of chickens. His dad showed him how to care for them but sadly his dad has died in a tragic accident. Martin is saving the money he gets from selling the eggs. He has an important reason for doing this. 

Vusi lives next door to Martin. Vusi does not go to school because he has Hodgkin's disease. Vusi loves watching zombie movies and so he has decided to make one of his own.

Clucky meets Vusi when Vusi's dog attacks the chickens and Kathleen (a leghorn chicken) is killed. This meeting is the beginning of an important friendship. Clucky is lonely at school because he is a clever boy who does not fit in. He does not understand why this movie is important to Vusi but he is happy to be involved. Later Chris (Christine) joins them and the action really heats up. Vusi wants to find a shed where they can film some scenes from the movie. Chris has a shed but it does contain a lot of things that belong to her brother who is in jail. When local criminals discover our team of movie makers things become very dangerous.

Spoiler alert - this is a book that ends in tragedy and yet at no time does it feel sad. Using the time they had available these young friends have made special memories for themselves and for the people they love.

One aspect of this book I really enjoyed was Clucky's obsession with numbers. He calculates precisely when things happen, how long they take and he is always calculating the numbers he encounters to check if they are happy numbers. (see page 23).

"While racing home I thought of Aunt Hantie. She said that her husband died ten years ago. That amounts to 3,652 days, if you add two days for leap years. And that amounts to 86,648 hours. How do you survive that many hours when you're as lonely as she is?"

This book has been made into a movie.  You can read about it here and see the trailer. The movie is called Nul is Nie Niks Nie. 

This book was written in 2013 and translated in 2018. Here is the Afrikaans cover:

Never too sentimental or depressing, A Good Night for Shooting Zombies strikes a perfect balance of humor and heartbreak and helps to define what friendship really means. Foreword Reviews

Death is present in both reference to Clucky’s father’s accident and Vusi’s illness, but Jacobs delicately weaves it throughout the tale in a way that both celebrates life and places importance on human connection as it affects the lives of those who remain.  An emotive and enjoyable read. Kirkus

Just like the children in The Little Wave - Martin, Vusi and Chris have complex life experiences and families. I highly recommend A Good Night for Shooting Zombies. I also recommend you look for Kaline Klatteraster's tree house by Haven Kimmel; Swashbuckler by James Moloney; The Goldfish boy by Lisa Thompson and View from the 32nd Floor by Emma Cameron which is long out of print but well worth finding even though the cover is perhaps not very appealing.