Thoughts from a Quiet Bench by Kes Gray illustrated by Nila Aye

Publisher blurb: The Quiet Bench in the playground is the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. It's a place to listen, think, and ask yourself questions such as . . .

What are thoughts made of?

Where does the air stop being invisible and turn into blue sky?

Can the wind blow in two different directions at once?

So next time you see someone sitting quietly, why not join them? Because there's always room for one more friend on the Quiet Bench.

This is a book you will want to add to your school library BUT I recommend shopping around because the price here in Australia seems to vary between AUS$22 up to over AUS$32. 

Kes Gray is an author of more than fifty books for children of all ages, including the acclaimed Daisy series illustrated by Nick Sharratt and Garry Parsons. As well as winning the Red House Children's Book Award for Eat Your Peas, Billy Bucket and Daisy and the Trouble With Zoos, Kes was noted by The Independent as one of the top ten children's authors in the UK only a year after publishing his first book. He is also the author of Zippo the Super Hippo illustrated by Nikki Dyson and the bestselling Oi Frog! illustrated by Jim Field. Kes lives in Essex with his wife, children and an assortment of animals.

I spied this book in a city bookshop. I picked it up. Read it. And sighed with happiness.  Aren't we lucky that children's authors and illustrators keep producing amazing books for our children. I don't usually give stars to picture books but as you can see I have given this five stars! Just look at this page - 

There are, of course, some poignant moments in this book when we see the child sitting on the bench and later a child playing alone but this is beautifully balanced with some laugh out loud moments and a beautiful story ending. One of the things I treasured in my former school library were the quiet loner (not necessarily lonely) younger children who came to my library at lunch time. I tried hard to put aside the endless lunch time task of book shelving and just sit with these kids to play a simple card or board game and then inviting other kids to join in. 

Kes Gray is the author a book I love to read aloud:

Billy's Bucket

Here are some other books by Kes Gray - surely you already have many of these in your school library!

Nila Aye was born in Rangoon, Myanmar, arriving in the UK at the age of three and spent most of her childhood dreaming and drawing pictures. Nila studied graphic design at Central St Martins in London, graduating in 1995. Nila is an award-winning illustrator, collaborating on many well-loved children's books including Nature Trail, People Need People, Story Soup and the Little Bugs Big Feelings series. Her love of visual storytelling and collaboration with authors continues to energise Nila in her mission to bring beautifully illustrated books to a new generation of young readers around the world.

Here is the Instagram page for Nila Aye - she has a few small videos about Thoughts from a quiet bench.

Companion book:

The Friendship Bench

If you listen by Charlotte Zolotow illustrated by Stefano Vitale

"If you listen hard you'll feel someone far away sending love to you."

"The little girl's father had been away a long time."

I love that we are left to think about why. Is dad away for work? Has dad sadly died? Has dad left the family because of a divorce? Whatever the reason mum suggests there is a way to keep dad close even though he is not here.

"If I can't see him, or hear him, or feel his hugs, how can I know he loves me when he isn't here?"

Her mum tells the little girl to stop and listen. They can hear the church bells even though they cannot see the actual church. Or you hear foghorn of a ship far out at sea or a dog barking over in the hills. 

"Or you're sitting alone in the living room not thinking about anything at all and one petal falls of a rose in the vase on the coffee table."

Bookseller description: This loving tale about loss from two-time Caldecott Honor winner Charlotte Zolotow is a gentle, reassuring approach to a subject that's always challenging for parents to discuss with children. In it, a mother comforts her daughter about the absence of the child's father by explaining that if she listens hard, she'll feel him far away sending love to her.

Charlotte Zolotow (1915-2013) wrote over 70 books. The 1980 edition of If you listen had a different illustrator: Marc Simont. My newer copy is from 2002. You can see inside this book here. 

I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale. Part of my mind, when I search through all the boxes of books at these fairs, is thinking about very special books I had in my former school library.  

Here is another book by Charlotte Zolotow also illustrated by Stefano Vitale:

The Girl Who Noticed Everything by Jane Porter illustrated by Maisie Paradise Shearring

There are a couple of moments in this book which made me feel very sad. Stella does notice 'everything' and at times this is lucky for her dad for example when he misplaces his hat. She is a naturally curious girl but dad sometimes feels uncomfortable when she points out differences:

"They passed a man wearing a furry hat with big ear flaps. Stella turned to look. 'Is he wearing a cat on his head?' she asked loudly. 'Shhhh! He might be embarrassed if he hears you say that,' said Dad ... "

Stella can sense she has done the wrong thing so she becomes very quiet. She stops telling dad about all the amazing things she can see on their way to the park. When they arrive she sees a lady in wearing all the colours of the rainbow but dad says:

"Let's play at NOT noticing things for a while, shall we?"

Luckily Stella does still notice things, but she keeps her thoughts to herself. That lady in the rainbow had been calling sadly 'Frankie! Frankie!'. Stella finds a beautiful blue feather and then she sees a bright flash of feathers in a tall tree. Yes - it is Frankie. She takes her dad's hand, and they find the rainbow lady then Stella leads them both back to the tree and the rainbow lady is reunited with her special companion.

Luckily all of this means dad changes his mind and indeed he begins to notice the tiny and beautiful things on their walk home.

Here is a video of the author Jane Porter talking about her book with the illustrator Maisie Paradise Shearring. This book is available in paperback (published January 2023) - a perfect addition to your library. 

The combination of dad being loving yet slightly distracted is highly relatable and Stella feels totally real to me. The adult learning from the child is a nice touch which is subtly done ... Letterbox Library

The Girl Who Noticed Everything addresses relevant (and potentially quite challenging) issues by drawing its audience in and delighting rather than instructing them. Its focus on the visual and imaginative joys of connecting and observing are particularly welcome, and embedded within the story and images are prompts for learning and discussion. Jane Porter’s cheerful text has a natural, real-world feel, and Maisie Paradise Shearring’s characters also burst with life. Plenty of location-specific spreads anchor the action in familiar settings (a rumpled sitting room, an urban street, a sandpit…) but good use is made of white backgrounds to focus attention on Stella’s internal world. Books for Keeps

Publisher blurb: Stella is a great detective. She can’t help noticing everything around her – clouds shaped like horses, wheelie bins with faces, a lonely glove on a fence, people that look like their dogs and even a man with a furry hat that looks like a cat on his head. Stella tells Dad about everything she’s seen but Dad is worried that she’s going to hurt people’s feelings. But when Stella spots a sad lady in the park she knows that speaking up is just the right thing to do.

This is a companion book to The Boy who loved Everyone.

Here are some other books illustrated by Maisie Paradise Shearring:

Imagine a Time by Penny Harrison illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith

 

"Image a time when all the world stops ... "

This might sound familiar. Everyone is now at home. No one goes to work or school. The aeroplanes stay on the ground, ships stop in their docks and cars, buses and trains all stop. This slow-down and stopping means people slow down too. They are allowed outside in family groups and many discover nature. Meanwhile nature itself begins to creep back into the city. People have time to ...

"hunt for orchids and gaze at the moon and they listen with hope to the birds' morning tune."

Eventually the clocks do restart but perhaps some magic from those very different times still lingers.

I wonder how many university papers will be written based around books that are set during the Covid lockdowns. There are middle grade novels and picture books - and that is the setting for Imagine a Time. When adults in the future try to explain the impact of Covid and the way we all stayed home and were forced to slow down, Imagine a Time would be a good discussion starter. I especially like the way these strange times are presented in a very positive light. We did stay home but many people also discovered bush walks in their local area and indeed some wild animals did find their way into deserted city streets.

Here are some simple teachers notes. Here is a review from The Bottom Shelf. 

Here are some other books by Penny Harrison and by Jennifer Goldsmith.

Everywhere, Wonder by Matthew Swanson illustrated by Bobbi Behr

"I have a story to share. It is a little gift from me to you. You might not know it, but you have a story, too. You'll find it in the things you stop to notice."

The child in this book, is reading a book. We see the page open on an illustration of the pyramids. Turn the page and voila you are there. Then on you go to Arizona, Brazil, mountains in Japan, Kenya, see salmon swimming in Alaska and you could even see that solitary footprint on the surface of the moon. 

All of these things (and many more) are now part of your story.

The polar bear "walked off this page and into your head. Now he is part of your story."

So, there are wonders in books from places around the world that you can only imagine or see in a book but also there are wonders to see all around you - close to home. Even in a bowl of soup. 

The strongest illustrations are those that play with negative space, as when a polar bear wanders off the ice and into the child’s white-walled room, the one blending seamlessly with the other. A journey of the imagination, the book could be of use as a teaching tool to encourage budding writers and creators to notice and imagine stories based on both what they know and what they dream of. Kirkus

You could perhaps use the first part of this book to explore the 2024 CBCA slogan - Reading is Magic. This book was published in 2017 and it is still available but sadly I think it may be way too expensive for a school library here in Australia. You can see inside this book here. Here is the web page for husband and wife team - Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. They have made 84 books together - 70 self published. You can see them here talking in a video (19 minutes) and reading Everywhere, wonder with tiny animated moments.

Poetry with Pictures

No One but You; Happy; A feather on a wing; Now we're Together

I read a comment/question on a Facebook group towards the end of last year and it has lingered with me ever since.

"Sharing my thoughts and wondering. Out of the 12 picture books I read from the library this week only 3 had what I consider a narrative arc, with a problem/resolution - the rest were more poetry with pictures. Beautiful and lovely to read but not a story. Has anyone else noticed this trend towards picture books without a story." 

A Life Song; Don't Forget; When you're Older; Big and Small and In-Between

I love the words "poetry with pictures" and I immediately thought of so many examples. I often rate these books very highly because their language is lyrical and often the illustrations are so beautiful. They are also often very philosophical.

Now for some thoughts

• Is this a new phenomena? (no, see below)
• Do children respond to, and enjoy these books?
• Are these books a response to the 'mindfulness' movement?
• Are these books intended to 'teach' a lesson e.g. care of the environment, mental health, growing up etc.
• Can they be too didactic? (yes, they can be of course)
• Children enjoy books with a narrative but is there a place for these more lyrical books to be part of the reading experiences of a child?
• Is this 'movement' driven by publishers who want to appeal to the people who purchase books for children - adults, grandparents, etc.
• Is a strength of these books the way they expose children of all ages to beautiful and varied art styles?
• In our busy world is their a place for quiet, contemplative and thoughtful books like these?
• I am still pondering the name for this style of book - one friend suggested 'Plotless' but we both agree that has harsh overtones. I suggested a homily story. I read this definition: a piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave. That is nearly right but not quite. These books are not always about behaviour - often they feel more like philosophical ramblings. 

Here are a few book blurbs of books which fall into the category of 'Poetry with Pictures'

Footprint by Phil Cummings: Embark on a lyrical, meditative journey through nature's tapestry, where every step you take leaves a legacy of wonder and protection for the environment.

A feather on a wing by Maria Speyer: When a little girl feels lonely in the dark, her big sister takes her on a dreamy journey to imagine different ways they can be part of something bigger – as waves in the water, as raindrops in a shower or as feathers on a wing.

A life Song by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker: A musical journey from the time a child's life song first begins, through all its modulations, adding new verses and extra voices through the years, until it becomes their own unique composition - and one that is ultimately a part of the beautiful, grand and glistening score of the world.

Now we're together by Nicola Edwards: This life-affirming picture books takes readers on an adventure away from the glare of phone screens. Admire the wonderful world around us and take a moment to appreciate spending time with loved ones.

Just one Little Light

A song full of Sky

In answer to my own question are these books a new phenomena - no - this famous book was first published in 1977:

Read about these here - published in 2012

Let's go back and look at one of the newest books from this post - Footprint by Phil Cummings. I am a huge fan of his work. I think this might be the first book from his repertoire that I would put into this category of Poetry with Pictures. The publisher has (I would think) very cleverly combined the CBCA New Illustrator winner Sally Soweol Han (Tiny Wonders) with a lyrical text by Phil Cummings. 

Here is part of the text:

"Walk into morning, the open air. Wake to the wonder you find there. Trudge along the winding track. A precious load upon your back. Inherit the wonder of the forests tall. Cloaked in the mist from a waterfall. Listen to the whisper of the river flow. Wildlife watching as you go."

So, we see solitary children taking a bushwalk, then a different child on a canoe ride, then another strolling through a meadow of flowers, and yet another climbing up a rocky path. In my mind I could make connections between these landscapes, but the next page turn is a bit of a jolt as suddenly another child, who is now with a friend, is in the icy waters of the arctic and then on the next page a different child is in a mist filled forest. All of these scenes are beautifully captured but, as I quoted from the comment above, the text has no narrative arc. There are five individual children who we follow through each landscape and we do see them all doing good deeds for the environment but apart from that I couldn't really find a narrative (via the illustrations) that told their story. 

Having said all of that I would happily add this book to my school library. The language is lyrical, the illustrations are very appealing and the 'message' about caring for our world is delivered in a quiet and understated way. 

Kids' Book review said: It’s a bit like an instruction manual, providing inspiration for places to go but also reminding you to stop, take it slow and breathe as you go so you get to experience the moments. ... this is a tale for lovers of language and adventurous kids. With its gorgeous lyrical flow, it’s a lullaby in story-form that is engaging, inspiring and impactful.

Here are some other books that fit this category of Poetry with Pictures:

Wonder Walkers

Outside In

Picture books can be a cumulative story, a story told in dialogue, a story with contrasting views, a stream-of-consciousness story, a series of poems that tell a story, or a classic story featuring a main character with a problem to solve. But, if you sit me down with a stack of picture books and ask me to choose my absolute favorites, it’s likely a lot of them would be lyrical picture books. Those are also the sort of books I find myself writing lately. ... A truly lyrical picture book is one where the words are arranged to such perfection that you could read the text out loud, without even thinking about what the words mean, and still be struck by the beauty of the sound. Lyrical language has a poetic feel and rhythm – whether it rhymes or not. ... Lyrical books can have a traditional plot, but sometimes, they’re more about an emotion – encouraging the reader to think about or feel something. And the emotion that’s generated – whether it’s hope, laughter, nostalgia, or love – is what makes readers come back to the book again and again. Pat Zietlow Miller

Taking time by Jo Loring-Fisher

Do you take your time to look, listen, feel, smell, touch our world?

Taking time to listen to a bird's song on the breeze.

Taking time to gather up the blossom dancing free.

Taking time to snuggle in my dog's soft velvet fur.

Taking time to feel the beat of my cat's rhythmic purr.

This text is one your students could easily use as writing inspiration and also for a discussion about mindfulness, time, and precious life experiences. At a really simple level you could also use this book as part of a mapping topic with a young class. 

Sadly, here in Australia, this book Taking Time is very expensive, but you might be lucky and find a copy in a library. 

Here is an interview with the author and you can see some drafts of her illustrations. And here is her own webpage. You can see Jo with her book here. 

A must-have for anyone sharing books with young children—simply exquisite. Kirkus Star review

This is simply exquisite. In eleven different parts of the world, children savour the moment: on each double spread there is a gorgeous, mixed media scene showing a young boy or girl in an everyday setting relishing the beauty of the surroundings. Red Reading Hub

I mentioned this book in a previous post when I was talking about Timeless by Kelly Canby.  Taking time would be an excellent book to use as a comparison text especially with a group of older students.

Take a look at my previous post about another book by Jo Loring-Fisher - Wolf Girl. 

Tisha and the Blossom by Wendy Meddour illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

"I think my favourite days are full of blossom and a bit of slowing down."

Every now and then I read a book that I just want to gift to everyone. Tisha and the Blossom is one of those books. 

Tisha's day is full of rushing. Rushing to get off to school. Rushing to catch the bus. Rushing from one school class or task to the next. Finally at the end of the day Tisha has had enough. She asks her mum if they could just walk home - slowly. And they do. On the way they see things - really see things - like the birds and colours and funny things like hats and sausage dogs. Once they arrive home mum suggests they have a picnic for dinner and while they are sitting outside Tisha finally has time to catch the blossoms she saw falling from the tree earlier that morning.

There are two poignant moments in this book - one when we see Tisha trying to count the spots on a ladybird in the school playground - but before she can get past three she is interrupted because it is time to eat. And near the end of the story we see Tisha with her mum and dad dancing under the blossom tree - no words - just a page of joy!

This book was published in 2021 and it is still available in paperback for a very good price. In the US this book has a slightly different title - Tisha and the Blossoms! If you need a wonderful gift for a teacher or for a family with young children, I think this one is perfect - yes it has a 'message' but it is an important message told with a light touch and wonderful illustrations. 

You can see inside this book here. 

A sweet reminder to pause and ponder life’s everyday wonders. Kirkus

Meddour uses gentle dialogue and winsome description to dial the story, and its early frantic pages, back down into a soothing tone and cadence where this tranquil family interaction can bloom. Egnéus’s illustrations are lush, and include a variety of perspectives and points of view, including a delicious scene of Tisha nose-to-nose with a ladybug. Combine that with eye-popping spreads festooned with blossoming trees that evoke all the meandering wonder and play this little protagonist desires, and his work here is downright honor worthy.  School Library Journal

Here is the website for Wendy Meddour. And here are some books illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. Born in 1972 in Sweden, Daniel Egnéus has spent 20 years in Prague, London, Berlin, Bologna, Rome, Milano and has now made Athens his base. 

In this interview Daniel Egnéus talks about his book Lubna and Pebble

Raven Child and the Snow Witch

The Thing

Fox A Circle of life Story

Nightsong by Sally Soweol Han

The world is never quiet. Adults are talking, clocks are ticking, even the 'fridge is not silent. Lewis is surrounded by sounds indoors while he waits for his mum there are more sounds outdoors as they walk along a busy city street to catch the bus. They climb aboard and the hum of the bus engine nearly lulls Lewis to sleep until ...

A flat tyre! POP!

Lewis has his device which usually distracts him but out in the countryside it stops working (thank goodness) and so Lewis sets off to explore.

"The more he listens the more he hears. And the more he wants to see."

He hears the birds and insects. He hears an owl and a possum. He hears the splash of the fish in the creek and the ribbit ribbit of some frogs. It sure is noisy out here in nature.

"The night sounds become a song."

Finally, a new bus arrives, and everyone climbs on board, but Lewis is no longer tired. His mind replays all the wonderful sounds of nature all the way home.

You could easily share this book as part of a mini theme on listening, nighttime and the sounds of nature. Check out this post or type any of these titles at the bottom of this post into my side bar. If you read this book with your own children it would be fabulous to go outside and listen to all the night noises. You could also do this in the daytime to compare. In our city we have a display of hanging bird cages with electronic bird sounds - they change over the day to match when you would actually hear these birds in a forest. Strangely even though it is just a series of recordings it is a magical place right in the centre of the city.

Can I just also say NOTHING beats actually doing something relating to the book you are enjoying either with your young reading companion or even your class. I was talking with a friend today. Our NSW schools are killing books in their classrooms with over analysis. In the book read by this group - Storm Boy by Colin Thiele - the word tussock is used. Surely instead of spending an hour analyzing this word it would be way better to just head outside and look at some clumps of grass. Also, I am sure the wonderful illustrator Robert Ingpen shows readers exactly what this looks like around the sand dunes which are the setting of this famous Australian book.

Here are some other books to read alongside Nightsong.

Night Lunch

Sally Soweol Han won the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award for her book Tiny Wonders.