You're Too Little by Katie Stewart

You have big eyes to see in the dark.

You have strong paws to hold on.

And you have a super special tail.

You have want it takes. Why not give it a go?

Bookseller blurb: Pygmy Possum wants to climb far, far up into the trees to taste the sweet blossom nectar. But everyone keeps telling her the same thing- 'It's very high. You're too little. You might fall.' Are they right, or will she find a way? This is a gentle tale of believing in yourself in the face of others' doubt and recognising your own strengths.

The main character in this story of bravery and confidence is a Western Pygmy Possum. Here is a photo:

Image source: Australian Geographic

Books with a repeated refrain are perfect for preschoolers either to read beside your own child or with a group. I like the way the Australian animals in this book really look like real animals and also the choices of animals are perfect because many of these will be less well known to young readers and so might spark some curiosity. 

Image Source: WA Museum

Katie Stewart reads her book in this video. Here are the teaching notes from the publisher. As background reading for teachers or if you set a research task for older students you might like to read more about each of the Australian animals in this story:

• Western Pygmy Possum
• Numbat
• Brushtail Possum
• Gecko
• Weebill

This is a Weebill - I had not heard of this bird

Image Source: Birdlife

This is a gentle tale of believing in yourself in the face of others’ doubt and recognising your own strengths, to have faith in yourself regardless of others’ opinions and develop resilience, perseverance and that inner strength that allows risk-taking as well as dealing with success and failure. The Bottom Shelf

Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this book which was published on 29th July 2025. This book reminded me a little of Puffling. If you are talking about growing up, confidence, perseverance, self belief and 'the right time' you could read these two books side by side.

The story is set at night because these animals are nocturnal but that gives rise to my only tiny criticism of this book - I found myself wanting a break from the strong saturated blue of the night sky which is used on every page. 

This book is part of a series:

Katie Stewart is an author and illustrator. Born in the north of England, she came to Australia at the age of nine. She started her working life as an archaeologist and ethnohistorian, went on to teaching and then to being a mother. She later worked in a school library, but her lifelong dream was to be what she is now. She is married to a farmer, has three children, and her great love of animals means she has a lot of pets and takes lots of nature photos. In her spare time, she tries to play the harp or wanders the countryside with a metal detector amusing the neighbours and occasionally finding an interesting piece of history. Her books have been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020 and 2021) and shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards (2022).

Two Turtles by Kiah Thomas illustrated by Jack A Minton

Terrence and Frank are serious rivals. Everything is a competition. If you have siblings you might relate to this. 

"Who has the shiniest shell ... Who can walk the slowest ... Who is the best at pretending to be a shark?"

Then Frank falls off the cliff or perhaps he rolls off - is this an accident? - he cannot bear to lose so he turns this mishap into a competition too and calls out to Terrence 'Bet I can beat you to the bottom'. 

Naturally Frank takes up the challenge and he also jumps off the cliff. Luckily (or perhaps it could be a disaster) this is a very very high cliff. This means there is time to think. About halfway they both realise this could end very badly. At this point you, the reader, are invited to offer some help.

Both turtles have lots of things inside their shells. There are things they have stowed that can could save them but ... you and your young audience need to shout:

HEY, TERRANCE AND FRANK! JUST WORK TOGETHER!

What did they have in their shells? Do they land safely? And most important of all did they learn a life lesson about cooperation (not competition)?

Two Turtles is listed on TWO CBCA 2025 Notables lists - Picture Book of the Year and the Early Childhood list so I thought it must be an amazing book - sorry but I was slightly disappointed. First off I disagree that this is a book for very young readers aged 0-6. 

I made similar comments about Jetty Jumping (here are the teachers notes) and the inclusion of risk-taking behaviours for an audience of very young children. Jetty Jumping is a beautifully illustrated book and it tells a special story but I worried about it being listed for very young children. 

Secondly, Two Turtles is overtly didactic with its lesson about the importance of cooperation, but the ending shows the two turtles are not going to change that that their propensity to see every aspect of their relationship as a competition and it seems their rivalry will continue.

I do like:

• the way this book 'breaks the fourth wall'
• the expressive faces on the two turtles (and the bird)
• the humour - packing a toaster
• the wise little bird watching these silly turtles - you could write a whole story from his/her perspective
• the wordless page
• and there is room here to read other books such as The Hare and the Tortoise (text reference: who can walk the slowest); and The Great White Man-eating Shark by Margaret Mahy (text reference: who is best at pretending to be a shark). 
• The story structure is interesting moving from the present back to the past and then ending where the story started.

I'm not such a fan of:

• Repeated digital illustrations (you can see inside this book here)
• The sudden arrival of extra birds on the second last page - where did they come from?
• Two pages of black showing the side of the tall cliff
• The patterned end papers - do they relate to the story or are they decorative?
• I'm not sure how the four pigs fit into the narrative and also there is a puzzling wire frame around the tree stump where the bird is trying to catch a worm
• There are tiny butterfly decorations on some pages - are these necessary?

The Kids' Book Reviewer totally disagrees with me. 

The illustrations are stunners, with a gorgeous green and brown palette throughout and the funkiest of animal pals. A birdy spectator features on the pages, expressing its own views about the juvenile turtles with the most entertaining facial expressions. ... Two Turtles is a story for everyone. It’s a story about all of us. I highly recommend you grab a copy. It’s an award winner for sure!

What Book Next.com say: But instead of this becoming a tale of a terrible tragedy, readers will laugh out loud at the antics of two rival turtles. ... Entertaining to the last possible moment!  

Other reviewers liken Two Turtles to books by Jon Klassen such as This is not my Hat. Some other (better) books about rivalry for readers aged 6+ are:

The Real Winner

Best Test

I previously read and enjoyed a middle grade novel by Kiah Thomas - The Callers.

The Callers (five stars from me)

Jake A Minton entered this book in the CBCA New Illustrator award 2023. It didn't win but I was one of the judges and we all agreed this book had very special illustrations. 

There's no such book

What do you do with a Chance? by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom

"I thought about it a lot. I wished I had taken my chance. 

I realized I had wanted it,

but I still didn't know if I had the courage."

"I promised myself that if I ever got another chance,

I wasn't going to hold back. If I got another chance,

I was going to be ready."

I've seen these books on lists and in library displays but it has taken me until now to pick up a book by Kobi Yamada to read. I am blown away!

When I was younger, I took more chances but with age, I have become way more cautious and at times even fearful. I wonder does experience make you braver or the opposite - filling your head with ideas of what might go wrong. These are deep questions and demonstrate that the What do you do with a chance? is one for all ages - young children up to adults. You might like to preview this book from this gentle video reading. 

"So what do you do with a chance? You take it ... 
because it just might be the start of something incredible."

After I read the book aloud, I don’t need to go through a long justification of why picture books work well in middle and high schools. What I like about this series is that each book is different from the other two. They overlap in their conceptualization and they all are remarkable choices for the instruction of symbolism and creating writing–but they all teach very different, big ideas. Unleashing Readers

Through the use of color, the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations vividly accentuate the contrast between the drabness of a risk-free life and the brilliant intensity of one fully lived.  Kirkus

Here is an interview with Kobi Yamada. 

What do you do with a Chance? is the third book in the series. What you do Matters is the three book set:

All our Australian school libraries - Primary and High school - should add these books to their collections.

Our Australian illustrator Elise Hurst is now illustrating books written by Kobi Yamada - how wonderful. 

Frank's Red Hat by Sean E Avery

Frank is a creative soul. He discovers the joy of knitting and he makes a splendid hat but the other conservative penguins are not sure this is a good idea. They like their safe predicable black and white world and then when their friend Neville is eaten by a killer whale they are convinced nothing good will come from wearing Frank's hats.

But Frank is not a penguin who accepts defeat.  He continues to make his hats embracing so many exotic colours. 

He tries to share his best hat with his old penguin friends but the run away terrified. Luckily for Frank someone else has been watching all of this. The seals love his hats and so Frank regains his confidence and his creativity. Frank has been given a very distinct and very appealing personality.

This book gave me a huge smile. I adore the illustrations which remind of the award-winning illustrator Jon Klassen who also uses similar textured effects.The use of analogue and digital illustrative techniques lends this book an air of sophistication. 

There are some deeper meanings here but I just love the lightness of touch given to the story, the perseverance of Frank, his creativity, and the hilarious twist at the end. This book will open up conversations about risk taking, difference and courage along with a terrific discussion about the names we give to colours. It also opens up opportunities to think about other perspectives such as the penguins and their resistance to change. 

The end papers are perfect. I love the way the illustrations delightfully extend the text such as when Frank uses the broken walrus tusk as fish spike. Those eyes on the walrus say so much. Then things go full circle when we see the walrus has his tusk tied on with pink wool and, like the seals, he too is wearing a special hat but wait a minute - look at the nose on the snowman - oh no!

The story pace is perfect too. Sean Avery shows us how to read a line like “it’s for keeping our head warm – in style” by the simple placement of that dash. In terms of the plot line, I enjoyed the moment of drama when Neville is eaten by a killer whale – the text makes this feel less tragic and more about the cycle of life and death on the ice.   

Frank’s Red Hat is one of those picture books that certainly can be shared with younger children but which will also generate deeper discussions and enjoyment for older students too. This story addresses so many themes: the other, fear, conformity, 'group think', diversity. 

Frank's Red Hat was short listed for our Children's Book Council Book of the Year awards - Picture Book. I was a judge this year and so some of my comments are based on the critique I wrote which you can see here. 

Here are some junior teaching ideas from the publisher Walker books. Here is the website for Sean E Avery - he lives in Western Australia. Here is a video where Sean shows his art process. 

Flocked by Chren Byng illustrated by Andrew Joyner

No one ever leaves the flock

"Welcome to the flock. In the flock, everything is good. In the flock, everything is warm. In the flock, everything is safe. .. Do not question the flock. The flock is all you need. The flock is all you know. You are the flock and the flock is you. You are happy in the flock."

There’s sure to be a correct literary term for this plot but I call it a “grass is greener story” and I have read lots of them. Daisy by Brian Wildsmith; Wendy by Gus Gordon; Once upon a Small Rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay; and the famous Iranian allegory The Little Black Fish by Samad Behrangi. 

The point of difference here is the tone of indoctrination which is a theme you could explore with older students. The flock do not question their lot in life and everyone is expected to conform. The page where all the sheep are smiling is especially chilling. Is the head sheep a dictator? 

The pages set under the sea and in the busy city street offer a stark contrast to the ‘sameness’ of the flock in the field.

The final pages ask the reader to ‘fill in the gaps’. We see that the young sheep has survived and indeed thrived in the outside world so perhaps after reading the post card, others in the flock might take a step out into the wider world? The expression “pulling the wool over our eyes” comes to mind when I look at the woolly end papers. I think this is more than a story about bravery and stepping out of your comfort zone and it is interesting that the youngest community member is the one who is curious about the world and it is the youngest sheep who is willing to take a risk and defy convention.

You could also view this as an allegory about group think. It plays on the notion that people are like sheep - who follow one another around without thinking. If you look at the labels I have added to this post I think you can see there are terrific possibilities for using this book with a group of older students to explore "bigger" themes such as propaganda; conformity; independence; misuse of power; risk taking; and adventures. This is a book that repays rereading and older children will love being able to predict where the story is going and even what happens next.

The character of the little sheep himself is especially appealing. We see his personality and interests start to develop – with the sideways glances away from the flock and towards the little red flower. You can see more books illustrated by Andrew Joyner here. 

Companion books:

Brian the Brave

Louis I King of the Sheep

Daisy 

Once upon a small Rhinoceros

Louise the Adventures of a chicken

The Little Black Fish

The Seed of Doubt by Irena Brignull illustrated by Richard Jones

A young boy lives with his father on the farm. He dreams of the wider world. "A world where he could do anything and be anyone." The boy plants a seed and it grows into a huge tree. But as the tree grows so do the boy's fears and doubts. His beautiful optimism about the future dwindles into pessimism and a deep reluctance to take any risks. Luckily his father is kind and wise. 

"Doubt is like a seed. It starts off tiny but it sure grows fast." BUT you need to "remember what I've always told you? You can do anything, anything you want."

Image Source: Painted Mouse

There is a fine line in picture books between having something an adult (author) would like to share with children or something an author thinks might assist them - some words of wisdom and other authors who write books that are laden-down, burdened with didactic messages. Books that are so heavy with good intentions that any joy that should come from reading, any beauty that can come from an exquisitely told tale - is lost. 

Didactic: intended to teach people a moral lesson; something that is didactic is intended to teach people something, especially a moral lesson.

Luckily The Seed of Doubt is not a heavily didactic story. It is a gentle fable of hope, love and the importance of a positive attitude. 

This is not a book about climbing trees even though that might be your impression from the cover. Instead this is a book about:

• Following your dreams
• Giving yourself permission to take risks
• Belief in your own abilities
• Courage
• Parental love and guidance
• Patience
• Goal setting

When you read through this list and then read this book I hope you will agree this is a book to share with a group of older Primary students - they are sure to be inspired. It could even be a book to read at the start of a new school year.

Publisher blurb: A little boy dreams of a world beyond the farm where he lives – a world full of mountain ranges, oceans and cities, where he could do anything. But one day he plants a seed from which doubts start to grow. Instead of thinking of all that he could do, he thinks more of what he could not. Can he overcome his fears and chase his dreams?

Read an interview with the author.

Movingly told is this beautiful story of a boy’s journey back to self-belief, equally movingly illustrated by Richard Jones. ...  It’s all too easy to let those small seeds of self-doubt take root and this book is a lovely starting point for talking about faith in oneself, determination and positiveness either at home or in the classroom. Red Reading Hub

Here are two other books illustrated by Richard Jones:

The Proper Way to meet a Hedgehog

Whale in a Fishbowl

The illustrations in The Seed of Doubt are very special. Thinking about the importance of illustrations in a picture book here are a few quotes from Evaluating Illustrations in Reviews of International Picture Books  Cheri Anderson, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona:

Illustrations create a depth of meaning within picture books that are essential to the reading experience for that book.

Through skilful use of visual elements, such as colour, line, space, and perspective, the illustrator engages the emotions of the reader and directs the reader’s attention. 

... we believe picture books involve an exquisite weave of both words and images

Picture book themes - letting go, accepting change

 

I recently read these two books about letting go; about courage; about change; and about risk taking both of which are told through as a parable or fable. At first glance you might think these are books about trees, leaves, seeds and autumn but really they have much deeper themes and they have such contrasting illustration styles.

Little Tree lives in the forest with the other trees. When Autumn begins all of his companions shed their leaves but "he just hugged his leaves tight." Seasons come and go but Little Tree just won't let those leaves go. The forest trees around him grow taller and taller until "one summer, Little Tree could no longer feel the sunlight." Finally he does let go and something miraculous happens. Read more about Little Tree in these review comments:

A strong picture book with an important message that is cleverly told, this book encourages young readers to embrace change and the uncertainties of life. Waking Brain Cells

In Little Tree, Loren so perfectly captures what it means to move on with courage and bravery. ... I believe that everyone, children and adults alike, will bring their own experiences to this book and come away with renewed hope and encouragement that it’s OK to move on and let go. Reading with Mr Teut

In this video Loren Long talks about his book and the deeper themes he wanted to share. 

My second book, Stay Little Seed, was originally published in Italy with the title Chissadove. When the wind blows all the seeds fly away - north, south and "even who knows where." But one tiny seed stayed. The tree and the seed form a relationship with the tree protecting the little seed until one morning a magpie plucks the seed off the tree. Luckily the magpie drops the seed. The tiny seed is not "who knows where" it is very close and over time it grows into a new sapling. Read more about Stay, Little Seed in these review comments:

Stay, Little Seed celebrates the rhythms of the natural world and shares a gentle message for all of us, no matter our age: Sometimes, by letting go and being brave, we begin life’s greatest adventures. A Book and a Hug

Careful nurturing begets the launch into the unknown: Valentini celebrates both as natural and fitting. Kirkus

Cristiana Valentini comes from Italy and Philip Giordano lives in Japan. You can see the whole book here.

Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds The Tunnel by Anthony Browne

"At the other end she found herself in a quiet wood. There was no sign of her brother. But the wood soon turned into a dark forest. She thought about wolves and giants and witches."

Rose and Jack are very different. Jack plays sport with this friends while Rose is a book reader. Jack sees the world in "black and white". Rose uses her imagination. This is lucky because when Jack enters a long tunnel and doesn't come back Rose goes into the tunnel and she discovers a strange world. When Rose sees her brother has been turned to stone her knowledge of fairy tales that tells her what to do.

I love all the small details in this book. The end papers show a brick wall (the rigid unimaginative thinking of Jack) and a fanciful patter (the creative and imaginative thinking of Rose). Looking closely at Rose's bedroom you will see a gingerbread house light, a print of Red Riding Hood in the style of Arthur Rackham, pretty wall paper (referencing another Anthony Browne book - Knock Knock who's there) and her coat which looks just like the one worn by Red Riding Hood. And Jack is wearing a wolf mask.

Thinking about the CBCA 2021 slogan Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds I have talked previously about the idea of portals to another world. Yesterday I talked about The Mirrorstone which is a old book now out of print but luckily even though The Tunnel is also an older book (1989) it is still available. The Mirrorstone is for an older group of students in Grades 3-6 but my focus book today, The Tunnel, can be read across a wide range of ages. Here are a set of teaching ideas. 

The girl’s fear of losing her brother overwhelms her fear of entering a tunnel, which she correctly deduces may take them to a parallel world where physics works in unexpected ways. Anthony Browne makes sure to show the reader an open page of her book. This story therefore has the double function of promoting literature — if you read, you’ll be well-equipped to handle whatever life throws at you. Slap Harry Larry

When I thought about linking The Tunnel with the 2021 CBCA slogan I also thought of another Anthony Browne book where the character goes into another world. If you can find Through the Mirror it would also be a good one to share as a part of your Book Week discussions.

The Misadventures of Frederick by Ben Manley illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

Frederick seems be a 'walking disaster'.  Look closely at the front cover. I've given you a large image here to help you. His toy train is derailed, the truck has lost a wheel, he has spilled the ink bottle on his desk and poor old Teddy is flat on his back.

Meanwhile Emily is having terrific fun outside.  Here is the back cover of this book:

Before the story begins we see Frederick. He is sitting in his dark room with his crumpled bicycle. A paper aeroplane flies in through the open window.

Hello
I can see you from the forest.
You look bored.
Would you like to go for an ice cream?
My favourite flavour is chocolate.
Love
Emily  

Frederick asks his mother if he can venture outside but she reminds him of past misadventures. Frederick writes back to Emily:

My Dearest Emily,
The woodlark's melody floats across the shimmering sky.
It is with bitter regret that I inform you I may not come out to eat ice creams today, on account that I might be sick into my music box.
Sorrowfully yours,
Frederick

I love this letter and the subsequent ones. The style of writing by the two children are so different.  On the first page, the one with the broken bike, Frederick is surrounded by books. I like to think that all his reading has given him this rich vocabulary and cultured turn of phrase.  Words like "bitter regret" must have come from a book surely.

Emily is not deterred. She writes again, sending another paper aeroplane, suggesting Frederick might like to climb a tree or two. Frederick Leopold Nadelbaum declines this offer again with bitter regret. "I might break both my collar bones."

And so the letters go back and forth. Emily suggests a bike ride but Frederick thinks he might graze all the skin off his bottom. Emily suggests swimming but Frederick is concerned about pneumonia. After several more letters, which are met with refusal, Emily yells through the window -

Come anyway 

Emily and Frederick have a terrific time running through the leaf filled forest. Then we turn the page and see one more letter. This final letter is from Frederick and it is sent from hospital. What has happened? Will Frederick ever be brave enough to venue out again?

Take a look at the first lines from each letter:

The woodlark's melody floats across the shimmering sky.
The finches flutter in the sycamores, startling the drowsy dormouse.
The wild rose rambles by the shady trail.
The lonely salmon makes his ragged run upstream.
The melancholy wind sighs through the golden ash.
The snow thaws on the bright mountain bringing forth the bluebell.

When Louise Pfanner showed me this book in her store Gleebooks a couple of weeks ago I knew I would love it. I have long been a huge fan of everything illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark.

A warm-hearted picture book about a special friendship in which free spirited Emily tempts anxious and pampered Frederick to brave the outdoors and enjoy some wonderful and unexpected adventures. Love Reading4Kids Julia Eccleshare

Ben's brilliantly atmospheric story works beautifully with Emma's gorgeously rich and detailed visuals to bring the story perfectly to life.  ReaditDaddy

Almost Anything by Sophy Henn

I take huge delight in reading picture books like Almost Anything. The premise seems almost obvious. Has any other picture book author thought of this idea? Belief in special magic, shared by a wise elder, can give you the courage to try new things.

Little George the rabbit has huge doubts. He thinks he is a failure or he has fear of failure so he declines every invitation by his forest friends. No he won't try kite flying. He won't dance or roller skate. He is certain he cannot paint or even play a game of skittles. While everyone is busy with "this and that" George did nothing.

A wise old bear observes the scene. The bear takes a piece of paper and folds it:

"For you,' said Bear as she handed him a small paper hat. 'It's magic.' 
'Really?' asked George.
'Really,' said Bear. 'If you wear this hat, I'm quite sure you will be able to do almost anything, even roller skating."

George puts the hat on and tries roller skating but he is just too wobbly. Bear reassures George that he can ride those skates he just needs to give the magic a little more time to work. This is all the encouragement he needs. George preservers and after a little more practice he finds he can roller skate. This gives him the courage to try other things like dancing, painting, reading, knitting and even a game of chess. Keen eyes will notice something though. The hat is gone!  What will George do now? Can Bear step in and offer more gentle wisdom - of course she can.

This is the first time I have encountered Sophy Henn but I now discover she has an impressive body of work including board books and other titles for preschool children.  Take a look at this review where you can see inside this book.  Almost Anything has been short listed (see image below for all the shot listed titles) for Oscar's Book Prize (2019) which is a UK prize awarded to the best preschool book of the year. The winner for 2019 was How to be a Lion by Ed Vere. Click the title to see a video of the book and watch out for the word meandering - how wonderful to see this use of vocabulary in a book designed for the youngest readers. I am keen to check out more of these short listed titles.

Little Mouse and the Red Wall by Britta Teckentrup

"There will be many walls in your life, Little Mouse. 

Some will be made by others but most will be made by you.  

But if you open your mind and your heart, those walls will

disappear one by one, and you'll discover how beautiful 

the world truly is."

Little Mouse and the Red Wall is one of those wonderful books that seems to take a very simple premise but presents it in a way that will encourage so much discussion and deep thought. I love picture books like this that work on so many levels - from the youngest children right up to our senior primary students.

Little Mouse is curious. It is true that the wall has always been there but he wants to know what lies beyond. Following a familiar format just like the one used in Are you my Mother by PD Eastman, the mouse asks each animal in turn,

Scaredy Cat
"The wall is there so nobody can come in ... it protects us ... it's dangerous on the other side."
Old Bear
"I don't remember ... the wall has been here for so long that it has become a part of me, a part of life."
Laughing Fox
"I don't care what's behind the wall ... you ask too many questions. Accept things the way they are and you'll be happy like me."
Lion Who had Lost his Roar
"There is nothing behind the wall, just a big black nothing."

Take a closer look at these responses. Cat is scared so his answer reflects his fears. Bear is old and has lost his memory. Fox lives for the here and now with happiness as his only life goal. Lion is defeated. His roar is gone. He is depressed. He can see no hope.

Luckily a Bluebird flies over the wall and mouse is small enough to climb onto his back and finally see the other side for himself. Readers will gasp on turning the page. The new scene is wonderful. Mouse now wants to share this with his friends but Bluebird cautions him "they may not be ready."

You could use this book with a younger child to discuss the answers by each animal. With older children you could discuss how these link to each character perhaps even talk about archetypes. You could also talk about the existence and non existence of the wall and what this means, the power of our thoughts/perceptions, facing our fears and even some themes of philosophy. Take another look at the text I quoted above.

Here is a set of teachers notes. Take a look at my comments about two other titles by Britta Teckentrup.  Britta has an impressive body of work which you can see here.

I would pair Little Mouse and the Red Wall with Suri's Wall.

Take a look at my reviews of some other wonderful picture books which would be perfect to use with senior students.

• The Thing
• Smoke
• The Big Question
• Mayfly Day

Despite the simplicity of her telling, Britta Teckentrup’s beautifully illustrated story is profound and would be an ideal starting point for a community of enquiry style philosophical discussion ... its timely themes of discovering freedom and embracing change, both personal and in the world, will resonate with both children and adults. Red Reading Hub

Diva and Flea by Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi

The message—about the value of trying new experiences 

and learning to trust—lies lightly on this lively tale. 

The cover of this book says
Diva and Flea a Parisian Tale
As told and shown by Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi

On the last page it says (this made me laugh)
"Some names and places in this story have been altered to protect the privacy of the animals involved."

These two tiny details really set the tone for this a terrific book :

• You will not predict the plot
• You will not predict the relationship between Diva (dog) and Flea (cat)
• You will enjoy the setting right beside the Eiffel Tower
• You will learn new words such as 'flaneur'
• You might marvel that Mo truly did meet little Diva in Paris

Diva lives in a Paris apartment.  "Diva took her job very seriously...   And if anything ever happened, no matter how big or small, Diva would yelp and run away. Diva was very good at her job."

Flea is a large cat.  "Flea did not have a fixes occupation ... he was a flaneur. A flaneur is someone (or somecat) who wanders the streets and bridges and alleys of the city just to see what there is to see. A great flaneur has seen everything but still looks for more, because there is always more to discover."

Flea and Diva will of course meet in this story but how their relationship unfolds will astonish you. When Flea first sees Diva she yelps and runs away.  This amuses and intrigues Flea and so for several days he plays the game.  He walks past the courtyard of 11 avenue Le Play and Diva yelps and runs away. Then one day Diva stops and asks "are you trying to hurt my feelings?" The next day Flea leaves Diva a dead mouse as a peace offering. Diva would prefer a ribbon and so the two share their first laugh.

I love their developing relationship.  Diva has things to learn from Flea about being brave and stepping outside and also about the wonders of the city of Paris.  Flea has things to learn from Diva about patience and friendship and life in a human home.

Look closely and you will see a picture of Mo Willems himself by Tony DiTerrlizzi near the end of the story and make sure you read the final pages about their inspiration for this warm story.

Here is the cover in French.  Read this review for more details.  Now take nine minutes out of your busy day and watch this video where Tony and Mo discuss their collaboration.

Brave like me - Hippo and Rabbit in three more tales by Jeff Mack

When young children start school they are always keen to begin reading chapter books. We encourage our Kindergarten children to experience as many picture books as possible during their first two terms of school but when they are ready we have a large collection of beginning chapter books which actually contain terrific stories.

Brave like me is one of the simplest little chapter books I have ever read yet it manages to provide a very entertaining and satisfying story told with two voices - Rabbit (the optimist and voice of wisdom) and Hippo (the worrier and scaredy-cat).

This little volume has three chapters presented in just 32 pages using speech bubbles.  In the first story Hippo is afraid of a spider but rabbit carefully removes the little creature and all is well until a bee lands on Rabbit's nose.  Now it is the turn of Hippo to be brave.

In the second story Rabbit has a balloon but Hippo is so afraid it will pop as it grows bigger and bigger.  It does not pop and Hippo walks away with a smile and a gigantic balloon.  Now Rabbit can blow up another balloon and enjoy the pop!

I think the third story is my favourite.  Hippo does not want to take a bath. Rabbit has to use all his powers of persuasion to convince Hippo that taking a bath can be fun!  The final illustration is perfect.

I have discovered our book about Hippo and Rabbit is the second installment so I will need to add the first book to my shopping list.  You can see the inside of this book here.  I know Brave like me will be a popular little book when I share it with our youngest students.