Then and Now by Datsun Tran

"This book is dedicated to those who have had to make the difficult decisions to leave their homes, to those who had to cross oceans for safety, to those learning to live life again in foreign and sometimes unfriendly lands, to those who found their new homes, and to those who didn't make it in their attempts. Your courage will not be forgotten."

The narrative in this book is shared from two perspectives as the title implies - then and now. Look at these lines:

"Knock, knock, knock. We hide under the table."

"Knock, knock, knock. We open the door to welcome our guests."

These two highly contrasting responses to a knock at the door could form the basis of your introduction and preliminary discussions with a class before you read the whole book.

Or you could use this line "The smell of food is a distant memory." Talk about why the boy might say this. Discuss the difference between hunger and words you might use such as I'm hungry. Where in the world past or present might a child experience desperate hunger and starvation as the illustration shows? Talk about food as an important part of culture.

For more ideas take a look at this page from the publisher and here are some simple art ideas.

The way the two colours are used in this book is so powerful. The blogger at Reading Opens Doors explains it this way: Sepia tones are used to illustrate the past and capture the history of where the children have come from. The emotions etched on the children’s faces convey a gamut of feelings – fear, courage, desperation, sadness, despair, hunger and pain. The use of space on the page serves to highlight the vulnerability of the children. Shades of blue with pops of colour represent “now”. In their new home the children celebrate their culture, honour their ancestors, take comfort in sharing a traditional meal with their neighbours and experience a sense of belonging, abundance, freedom and beauty in their new community.

It would be fantastic to experience some of the 'now' foods mentioned in this book: dim sum and char siu bao.

Here is an interview with Datsun Tran and here is an extract:

The way refugees are often depicted in news and media don’t usually show the humanity, other than the suffering. So I wanted to show refugees as people like you and I, people who have had to go through a really devastating event. The story is told through sensory triggers for trauma, and I wanted to show that these triggers can also change and fade away to more positive experiences.

And I found another interview with images of the illustrations.

You already know I have an opinion about endorsements on book covers but with your students it would be very worthwhile to research the three people who are quoted on the back cover of Then and Now - Behrouz Boochani, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and Zeno Sworder (My Strange Shrinking Parents).

An astounding work of light and shadow, this poetic and profound book is a rare treasure. Zeno Sworder

The publisher of this book is Slingshot Books. The founder says: I seek to broaden the range of print material accessible to children and their grown-ups. It’s my hope that the growing Slingshot library helps raise curious, brave, loving and critically engaged people who are committed to collective liberation.

When I saw this book on a display at the announcement of the 2025 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Notables I picked it up, read it and declared - this will surely be one of the winners!

The CBCA Picture Book judges in their Notables report said this - I have added bold to some of the text for emphasis:

Drawing on Vietnamese refugee experiences, this layered narrative explores the power of memory through sensory detail. The minimal yet masterfully crafted text creates emotional resonance through transformed meanings where the same sounds carry profoundly different weight across time and place. Ink paintings, inspired by classical Chinese brushwork, employ contrasting colour palettes of evocative browns for the past and deep blues for the present. Strategic touches of full colour highlight some pivotal moments. The illustrations, merging traditional and contemporary techniques, integrate seamlessly with the text. The cover's metaphorical composition, where past and present selves reach towards a bright red lantern, symbolises enduring cultural identity. The thoughtfully designed endpapers introduce contrasting colour schemes that flow throughout this immersive story of survival and renewal.

I said this in a previous post about another one of the splendid notables - A Leaf called Greaf: "One of the things that I think is important in Picture Book judging, when we think about an award such as the one from the Children's Book Council of Australia - relates to the universality of the book. Is this a book that could be shared with a child in another English-speaking country? Is this a book that should travel beyond our shores? Would you be excited to see this Australian book for sale in London or New York. Is this a book that transcends and age classification? (You could read this book to a child aged 6 or 7 and equally to an older child or gift it to an adult). I can answer YES to all of those questions ... Also a fabulous picture book like this should expect readers to 'join the dots' - to have to think about the story and its deeper meanings."

Check out my Pinterest and here are some companion books:

Grandma's Treasured Shoes

My Strange Shrinking Parents

What you need to be warm

Brick: Who found herself in Architecture by Joshua David Stein illustrated by Julia Rothman

This author of this book has been so creative and inventive. This is the story of young Brick who sets off on an adventure. In our daily lives we see bricks everywhere but in this book we hear from one special brick as she describes what she sees around her as she tries to find her place in the world. Along the way she explores architectural landmarks from around the world. 

"When Brick was just a baby, tall buildings amazed her. She wondered how anything could grow so big."

At the back of the book there are notes about all the places she visits: Malbork Castle, Poland; Malwya Minaret, Iraq; The Great Wall of China; and many others.

If you are reading this post and it is May or June in 2023 you might be able to purchase this hardcover book for a really good price - it has been greatly reduced by this online seller. Brick is a very different book but it is one you could use with younger children talking about finding your place in the world, with children who are interested in architecture or children who are about to travel overseas, or with older children who might be researching less well known buildings and temples such as The Ark in Uzbekistan and the Mahabodhi Temple in India. In an art lesson your students could photograph or paint or draw all the different types of, and uses of, bricks in their environment. Our hero Brick ends up as a paving stone. At my previous school we had a walk way of pavers like this to celebrate a school anniversary - exploring something like this could also be an interesting writing stimulus. There is also the social justice issue of brick kilns and child labour.  Read more about this important issue here which links with any study of the Rights of the Child.  And finally of course there are STEM links you could explore using this book.

Read more about this book in a blog post from Celebrate Picture Books: Brick, Who Found Herself in Architecture is an original and lyrical look at individuality, growing up, and finding one’s place in the world.

"When she could go no further, she sat down and thought some more. 'Great things begin with small bricks,' she repeated. Then she let go of the words and just felt the feeling. ... And then suddenly, it dawned on her. Maybe Brick could just stay right where she was. After all, her journey had led her exactly here. Perhaps here was the perfect place to be."

Julia Rothman is the illustrator of this new (and very crazy/appealing) book:

Winston and the Indoor Cat by Leila Rudge

 

Winston is happy with his outdoor life. He has no idea that other cats have an entirely different life indoors. Surely the Indoor Cat needs to be set free. Winston finds a way to open the door and the Indoor Cat does spend some time outside but he decides the indoors are better. He invites Winston inside but the indoors do not really suit him unless perhaps (spoiler alert) it is a rainy day.

This version of Town Mouse and Country Mouse is perfect for a very young child. It is good to see the use of a more complex but still accessible vocabulary with words such as pristine; exhilarated; and leisure. The small twist at the end is again, sure to appeal to a very young child. The end papers could be used as a discussion point about the food given to the indoor cat contrasted with the food found by the outdoor cat. 

Rudge’s trademark soft and whimsical artwork accompanies the story with a gentle sense of humour. Through distinct indoor and outdoor settings that complement each cat respectively, we see the duo learn more about each other – and themselves – discovering their distinct personalities and where their comfort zones lie. Better Reading

I wonder why the outdoor cat has a name – Winston - but the indoor cat has no name?  The change of colours from orange tones for outdoors and grey and blue tones for indoors works well to define their living spaces. 

Winston and the Indoor cat has been short listed for the CBCA Book of the Year award early Childhood. Here are the comments from the judges: 

Friendship and individuality are explored in this gently told story of two very different cats. Winston, the outdoor cat, tries to entice the indoor cat outside, while the indoor cat, who is comfortable with its leisurely life, tempts Winston into its world inside the house. Characterisation is developed through subtle expressions of the cats when they find themselves outside their respective normal environments. With short sentences and concise phrases, young children will delight in listening to the words while being captivated by the illustrations. Beautiful, soft watercolour and pencil illustrations vary from full-page spreads to small vignettes and the final sequence where the cats agree to disagree and find common ground is a satisfying and humorous resolution.

I was chatting with my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything about sharing this book with her youngest students.  She was surprised to discover only one or two children in each group actually owned a pet cat. The concept of keeping a cat inside and that the cat would be content to stay inside and not feel trapped was a very difficult one for many of these five year-olds.

As a companion book my friend read this one:

You will also want to share a few versions of Town Mouse and Country Mouse alongside Winston and the Indoor cat.

If you are sharing Winston and the Indoor cat with a group of younger children try to find this little beginning chapter book:

Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole

I would also look for this one:

Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse

With a group of older students you might share this book which compares the domestic Dog with his cousin the Wolf.

Wolf and Dog

Leila Rudge is the author/illustrator of several books which I have loved sharing with students in my school library - Gary; Once upon a Small Rhinoceros; and Duck for a Day. 

We Found a Cat by Heidi McKinnon

Something arrives in a box. Look closely. The box says "this way up" and "beware".  The older sister is delighted. She is sure this is a cat but her little sister is not convinced. In fact little sister really can see the truth but her big sister has decided this is a cat and that is all she can see. Readers are sure to agree with and sympathise with the little sister and it does look like we are heading for a disaster.  

Using two voices is a delightful way to tell this warm, funny, and playful story. This is a great example of a picture book where the illustrations add a different dimension - you really have to 'read' them to get the whole joke. This book provides a perfect way to explore visual storytelling with young readers.  The page where the tiger “smothers” mum and dad is hilarious. The cross reference to the Cat in the Hat with the goldfish and the huge cat is one many adult readers will recognise. Of course, the ending, while it might not especially original, it matches perfectly with the fun of the previous pages.  And this book is sure to make you want to revisit an old classic - The Tiger who Came to Tea. 

The end papers, which bracket the book’s timeline, will give astute readers enough of a hint about the shared joke which is the basis of this book. I adore the ball of wool on the half title page and the way the same wool tangles over the title page. 

The matt, beige paper used in this book provides a perfect background to the art on each page and the restrained, almost retro palette, is very appealing. Using the younger child character as the ‘voice of reason’ is very affirming for all younger siblings. In this book so few words can say SO much.  

One of my favourite things to consider is the sharing of our Australian books across the world. We speak English and so our books can be shared in USA, Canada, New Zealand, UK and South Africa. We Found a Cat is such a splendid picture book and I think it is one that should be shared with children beyond our shores. Not because it contains an especially deep message but just because it is funny and because it is a perfect book to share with a preschool child who will enjoy being "in on the joke". 

If you love Elephant and Piggy and books with dialogue and confusion you will really enjoy We Found a Cat. And the art in this book is sure to remind you of illustrations by Jon Klassen. 

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Here is the web site for Heidi McKinnon.  You could pair this book with these:

Would you like a Banana?

This is a dog

Blue Badger

You're finally here!

Read more about Pat Hutchins

It Fell from the Sky by The Fan Brothers

"The Inchworm insisted it only bounced twice."

"Everyone agreed it was the most amazing thing they had ever seen."

"A Frog assumed it was a gobstopper."

"The Stink Bug doubted that it fell from the sky at all."

"The Luna Moth knew it was not a comet or a star or a planet."

"The Spider assumed they must have left to spread the word ... "

Blurb: It fell from the sky on a Thursday. None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it's an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider's house, so he's convinced it belongs to him. Spider builds a wondrous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore? But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

The Fans’ marvellous illustrations sparkle with nuance, from lofting dandelion seeds to the Spider’s dew-dropped web. Kirkus

This contemporary fable begins on its title page with a cat’s-eye marble falling to earth from the sky.  Horn Book

Here is an interview with Eric and Terry by Elizabeth Bird at the School Library Journal. And here is another interview with We Need Diverse Books. 

This is my new most favourite picture book. I would so love to own a copy but the hardcover price here in Australia is SO high. I will just need to keep my eyes open for a sale copy - hopefully.

Companion reads:

More

Babak the Beetle

Here is an article that compares this book with It Fell from the sky

The Midnight Fair

Have you met the Fan Brothers? Pardon the pun but I am a huge fan!

Ocean Meets Sky

Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse by Lindsay Barett George

"Inside my house there is a mouse,

Outside my house there is a mouse,

who sleeps in a clock.

who sleeps in a stump."

Every now and then I find a book that makes me gasp with delight. In this case it is the huge colourful visual design in this book that is just wonderful. I am very keen to see other books illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George. Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse (2006 ISBN 9780060004682) is sadly difficult to source but you might be lucky and find a copy on a library. In this book the pages alternate between the inside view or perspective and the outside. My favourite page shows the inside mouse exploring a pencil tin with a intriguing image on the can and the outside mouse looking into a huge watering can surrounded by colourful flowers. 

Of course the two mice do meet at the end but perhaps not in the way you might have anticipated. You can see the whole book here. Here is another video which shows the pages as double spreads.

With its large format, clear illustrations, and the most appealing mice readers have ever seen, this will be popular for both group and individual sharing. Kirkus

I would use one of the many versions of Town Mouse and Country Mouse as companion reads.