The One about the Blackbird by Melanie Florence illustrated by Matt James

Please begin here - listening (no visuals) to the famous Beatles Song - Blackbird.

This is a very special Canadian picture book exploring an intergenerational relationship between a grandfather and his grandson. This book is only 32 pages but over the pages we watch as a young boy moves through is teenage years and into adulthood. His grandfather plays Blackbird on his guitar and then he patiently teaches his grandson Jack how hold, then how to form chords, on a guitar.

Image Source: Matt James

"I can't do it. It's too hard,' he said, pushing the guitar back towards his grandfather. 'If it was easy, everyone would do it,' his grandfather said kindly. 'Keep trying'.

Jack does try. He learns more chords and keeps practicing until eventually he can play whole songs. 

"Jack went from playing the guitar in his living room to playing for crowds of people all over the world."

Even though he lives and works far away, Jack still comes back to visit his grandfather. At this point the story goes full circle. With advanced age and perhaps memory loss Jack's grandfather has trouble getting his fingers to work on his old guitar - the guitar that was once his but that has now travelled around the world.  When his grandfather struggles he reminds him:

"If it was easy, everyone would do it,' Jack told him. His grandfather nodded, like he had heard those words before."

The Teacher-Librarian in the school where I volunteer shared this book with her Grade Two students today. It was fun listening to the way these kids, born in 2019, had no idea about vinyl records - the Teacher-Librarian had an old record to show the kids - one child suggested it could be a frisbee and another, who had seen a record before, knew you should not run your fingers over the surface. I kept wishing the library had an old turntable so the children could gain an idea of how records work. It is odd to think these kids also possibly have no idea about CDs (or videos!).

Publisher blurb: A young boy learns to play guitar from his grandfather, and the one about the blackbird is their favorite song. Years later, the boy visits his grandfather, and while his grandfather doesn’t recognize him, now grown-up, he does still remember how to hold a guitar. A beautiful full circle moment ensues when the boy plays his grandfather their favorite song. The moving text and dynamic, gorgeous art celebrate the connection that music can create between two people and the joy that music, and the shared love of it, can bring at any age.

A hymn to intergenerational ties. Kirkus

Like the blackbird of that song, the boy, and later young man, learned to fly. He learned to take flight in song and in life, gathering knowledge at the feet of one who knew how. And when that knowledge wanes, as happens with time and age, that grandson helps his beloved grandfather hear the song again. Can Lit for Little Canadians

You can see more books illustrated by Matt James here. Matt James is a painter, author/illustrator, and musician whose books include Yellow Moon, Apple Moon by Pamela Porter (New Mexico Book Award); I Know Here by Laurel Croza (Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award); When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award); and I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely. Matt’s illustrations for Northwest Passage, a tribute to the Stan Rogers song, won the Governor General’s Literary Award. The books Matt has written include Tadpoles, Nice Try, Charlie!, and his author-illustrator debut, The Funeral, which was named a New York Times and New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book. As a child, Matt James liked to trace comics and pretend that tennis racquets were guitars—now he lives in Toronto and behaves more like a grown-up.

Here is the web page for Melanie Florence. Melanie Florence is a Canadian author of Cree and Scottish heritage. She lives in Toronto. 

This book was purchased in Canada while we were travelling there for the 2026 IBBY Congress. Sadly here in Australia this book will probably be too beyond your library budget but perhaps you can persude your local public library to purchase a copy. 

Greedy Frog by Gregg Dreise

From the back notes: "Although Tjidalih or Water Holding Frogs aren't found everywhere in Australia, several Aboriginal Indigenous Nations do share Dreaming with these beautiful creatures. Therefore, this story has been turned into a book several times. The frog is known as Tiddalik, yet we pronounce them Tjidalih. The "j" beside the "t" lets you know to put your tongue on the top of your mouth, rather than behind your teeth as is done with the letter "t". Try it."

Here is the opening sentence: "Way back before Once-upon-a-time time, there was the Dreamtime and the outback was in the middle of a drought. Yirray, the sun drank all the water."

Publisher blurb: A clever frog, Tjidalih, promised to take care of all the water. But he kept it in his pouch. The animals had to work out a way to trick Tjidalih, to make him laugh to spill the water. This is the famous story of Tjidalih the Frog retold by Greg Dreise according to the traditions of the Goomelroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. It s a bold imaginative tale underpinned by a wry humour to reinforce the importance of sharing and supporting each other in hard times.

I enjoyed the way Gregg Dreise gives young readers several hints that Tjidalih is 'up to no good':

"Tjidalih had a big, not-so-honest grin on his face."
"Tjidalih had a huge, far-from-honourable smirk on his face."

It would be especially good to talk to your library group about the power of a word like 'smirk' and also when the animals finally get Tjidalih to laugh there is a touch of mockery about this which could be another good discussion point. Tjidalih is laughing at poor Burrung is caught in her own tangle. You could also research the way the final words in this book link with traditional practices of using water-holding frogs (they are real) as a way to obtain water.

It would be so interesting to share Greedy Frog alongside other books that feature this greedy water guzzling frog. With older students you could talk about traditional indigenous stories and the common themes found in stories told in different parts of Australia, by different indigenous storytellers and in different indigenous languages. 

There is also the issue of WHO should re-tell the story and the changes to our thinking about this over time. If you have a High School group you might look for one or two of the very old versions of this tale which did not have indigenous authors - Tiddalick the Frog by Susan Miho Nunes illustrated by Ju-Hong Chen (1989); What made Tiddalik Laugh by Joanna Troughton (from the UK 1986); and I found a Joy Cowley Story Box reading scheme version. (Trove list 67 book references that include the word Tiddalik and 33 with the word Tiddalick)

This version is from 1980

Wikipedia explains the story: In the creation myth, Tiddalik awoke one morning with an insatiable thirst and started to drink until he had gulped down all the available fresh water. Creatures and plant life everywhere began to die due to lack of moisture. Other animals conspired against Tiddalik and devised a plan for him to release all of the water he had consumed. This was successfully coordinated by a wise old owl, when Nabunum the eel made Tiddalik laugh when he tied himself in comical shapes. As Tiddalik laughed, the water rushed out of him to replenish the lakes, swamps and rivers.

Here are some versions that might be in your school library:

Read more here. And also I have a post about Susan L Roth. 

Further reading:

The Aussie Handbook

Museums Victoria

Aboriginal Creation Stories

You could also use Greedy Frog as a way to talk about other trickster tales. 

Gregg Dreise is a gifted artist, storyteller and musician, and he features the didgeridoo and guitar in his performances at schools, libraries and festivals. He is a descendant of the Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. He is the author and illustrator of Cunning Crow; Silly Birds; Kookoo Kookaburra; Mad Magpie and My Culture and Me.

I previously talked about Turbo Turtle from this series - every school library needs this full series. 

Read more here on the Magabala web page.

Gregg Dreise also illustrated this version:

A Taste of Home by Maryam Hassan illustrated by Anna Wilson

Tariqu's teacher announces the class will hold a special picnic and everyone is invited to bring one special dish to celebrate family and culture. The kids are excited and mention so many different foods such as yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles) and perogies (Polish dumplings).  Tariq talks to various family members and each make a good suggestion - saag paneer (vegetarian Indian curry), crispy paratha (unleavened layered flatbreads), or falooda (frozen dessert with vermicelli, jelly, rose syrup, sabja seeds, milk and ice cream). Each food leads to a description of an adventure or special experience. Finally Tariq decides. 

"He chopped onions, garlic and ginger with his dad. He picked the freshest herbs from the garden with his sister, and he mixed it all to form perfectly round patties to fry with his mum."

He has made bun kebabs. 

A Taste of Home is on the 2026 Inclusive Books for Children list. 

Make a note of this book - it is one to share for Harmony Week which this year was 16-22nd March. Check out my Pinterest for more book ideas. 

I especially loved the illustrations in A Taste of Home and then I discovered Anna Wilson is Australian but she now lives in Scotland. You can see some of her books at the end of this post.

There are a couple of things that I wish were different about this book.

1. I would have loved to find a list of all the foods and some recipes and also some cultural details about the different treats and tastes.

2. I do wish the final page had not ended with a pirate scene. I have previously talked about the link between pirates and people smugglers and the dreadful experiences of refugees. Many school libraries no longer promote pirate stories for this reason.

Companion books:

Stay for Dinner

Books illustrated by Anna Wilson:

The Librarian's Stories

Love Birds

Bear by Natalia Shaloshvili

"Bear thinks. I love being a bear. I love my cookie. I love my book. I love my balloon. I love siting on my bench, all by myself."

But what will Bear do when other animals arrive wanting to share his bench seat, wanting to have a bite of his cookie, take a look at his book and even ask for his balloon? Finally, it all gets too much, and Bear lets out a loud roar. The animals all flee but then Natalia Shaloshvili gives her readers one more scene where perhaps there is a way for Bear to feel better but now poor Duck has to give away his cookie! You and your young reading companion will now want to talk about what might happen next. 

Holding in your feelings can have unintended consequences. Kirkus

There is a fine line between a book that is written to 'teach a child a lesson' - heavy handed versions of this can be labelled didactic - and books that explore an aspect of life that might be familiar to a young child which shows familiar feelings and reactions.

Bear is a book that is filled with big, big feelings and it all feels so real watching the way Bear reacts to others. We are privy to the narrative in his head as he navigates situations with his friends. AND his facial reactions are perfect.

While Bear's words say one thing, his expression and the clever use of font say another, giving the reader the opportunity to consider his body language and speculate on what he is really thinking, offering yet more lessons in how to "read the room", particularly if the adult sharing the book begins a conversation about these sorts of non-verbal cues and clues. Read Plus

Let’s talk about those illustrations—because wow. They’re gorgeous. Natalia Shaloshvili brings Bear’s world to life with a whimsical, textured art style that feels both magical and totally unique. Each page is a little work of art, with rich colours and soft details that invite young readers (and their grown-ups!) to pause and explore. Mummy is reading Books

I highly recommend you look for Bear and add it to your Primary School or preschool library collection. 

Bookseller blurb: A hilarious and heartwarming picture book about sharing, big feelings, and learning how to speak up! Packed with vibrant illustrations and laugh-out-loud moments, Bear is a delightful story that little readers will want to revisit again and again. Perfect for bedtime, story time, or any time! Bear is ready for the perfect day - blue skies, a cosy bench, his favourite book, a delicious cookie, and a bright balloon. Bliss! But just as he settles in, Fox wants a spot on the bench. Then Wolf asks for a bite of cookie. Rabbit wants a turn with the book. And Elephant? Well, he has his eyes on that balloon...Before Bear knows it, his peaceful day has turned into a chaotic whirlwind of sharing, and he's about to explode! AAAAAARGH! From the brilliant mind of author-illustrator Natalia Shaloshvili, Bear is a laugh-out-loud, beautifully illustrated story about learning to say what you really mean before your emotions take over.

Natalia Shaloshvili began her creative career as a fashion and editorial illustrator, working with a number of international magazines and creative agencies, including Grazia, Women's Health, and Gala. Later, she found her true passion in children's books and paintings. Her original work can be found in private galleries and homes around the world. She lives in London, England, with her family. Find her on Instagram as @nataly_owl. See inside Bear here.

Here are other books by Natalia Shaloshvili. I will be heading off to my library to hunt for these:

Companion books:

Five Bears You could also look at Otto The Top Dog

Something's wrong

Norton and the borrowing bear

Two for me, one for you

Good for you, good for me

Muttonfish Magic by Aunty Ruth Simms, Lucy Robertson and Jasmine Seymour

"These are true stories from my lived memory in my mother's language, as well as the memories of my sisters and brothers ... They are stories from a different time, and from a place significant to all Australians." Aunty Ruth Simms

Publisher blurb: Aunty Ruth remembers going with her mother and brothers on a day out to the cove near their home, to learn traditional fishing and abalone hunting and cooking methods. After a day on the rocks watching mum work her magic, they return home with a feed for their family.

There are two text lines in this book that really resonated with me:

"We filled our pram with just enough muttonfish for a family meal ... "

This is the essence of sustainability surely. They only took what the family needed.

"No plaque marks our fishing spot or spills our secrets. We remember."

These simple words are a powerful way to talk to the children in your family and library about the importance of shared stories, shared culture, wisdom of the elders, and community memories. 

This book should be an essential addition to your school library.

Dharug woman and Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner Jasmine Seymour accentuates the family’s bond through illustrations that radiate warmth and connection. Her expressive depictions of family interactions, combined with luminous land and waterscapes and meticulous renderings of local flora, deepen the book’s sense of place and belonging. Primary school-aged readers familiar with Seymour’s Open Your Heart to Country and Lisa Kennedy’s books will appreciate Muttonfish Magic. It is an impressive picture book that should receive critical acclaim and wide educational use. Joy Lawn Books and Publishing

Thanks to Magabala Books for my advance copy of Muttonfish Magic which will be published this week.

When you share this book in your library, please talk about Aunty Ruth Simms and explain that this story comes from her lived experience. You could find a map of the La Perouse area and talk about the way the kids and their mother walked across a golf course. You will also need to look at pictures of muttonfish (abalone) and muckendy (rock cod). Other names for abalone are: Sea Ears, Ear Shells, Muttons Shells, Muttonfish, Pāua, and Ormer. Here is a video from the ABC you could share with your older students. 

Muttonfish (abalone)

Read more about Red Rock Cod here

You might compare this photo with the wonderful illustration by Jasmine Seymour

Better Read Kids are hosting an event for this book on 21st February 2026.

It would be good to also read Going Fishing with Nana. I would also share Going for Pippies and Three Dresses. 

Aunty Ruth Simms was born on The Reserve in La Perouse in 1941 as one of nine children. She grew up with a strong connection to both Larpa and Jerrinja cultures. From a young age she learnt about traditional bush foods, language and medicines and went to sleep on ‘goonjarn’ stories (ancient spirit stories). Today, Ruth lives in Nowra with her daughter Trudy and works as an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) in local primary schools. She has a Diploma of Education and is passionate about embedding Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. She is currently the longest serving AEO at the NSW Department of Education and remains a strong advocate for her people. In 2012, Aunty Ruth was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her contributions to education.

Lucy Robertson is a primary school Teacher Librarian and has always been passionate about good stories. She grew up on a vineyard and winery in Mudgee before studying journalism and creative writing, later completing an education degree after a move to the South Coast surfing village of Culburra Beach. When Lucy first started working with Aunty Ruth, she was struck by her beautiful stories of fishing, crabbing and shell work with her family in La Perouse and ‘The Dock’ in Orient Point, eventually convincing her to start writing them down for future generations.

Jasmine Seymour is a Dharug woman and descendant of Maria Lock, who was the daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal elder who had met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1791. Maria was the first Aboriginal woman to be educated by the Blacktown Native Institute. She was married to carpenter and convict, Robert Lock and their union resulted in thousands of descendants who can all trace their Dharug heritage back past Yarramundi. Jasmine is a member of the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation.

Baby Business

Here is an interview with Jasmine Seymour about this book

The Midnight Chew by Sally Morgan illustrated by Karen Blair

This book is light weight fun for very young readers who enjoy rhyming stories and who are already fans of Hairy Maclary - a series you should discover if you haven't already while your child or young reading companion is very young. There are tons of books in the popular series by Lynley Dodd.

The dogs in this book - The Midnight Chew - do have very appeal names - Skippy Gillespie and Boofa Boy Jones. Skippy is a tiny dog with a secretly stashed bone. Boofa is a big dog who wants that bone. Is there a way they can both have this prize?

There are teaching notes for The Midnight Chew on the publisher page - Fremantle Press (Thanks for my review copy).

Sally Morgan was born in Perth, in 1951. She has published books for both adults and children, including her acclaimed autobiography, My Place. She has also established a national reputation as an artist and has works in many private and public collections. I loved her verse novel Sister Heart (for readers aged 10+) and her series illustrated by Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr. 

Karen Blair is an award-winning Western Australian author and illustrator of nearly 20 children’s books. Her books have been published in eight countries, and she has illustrated for some of Australia’s most acclaimed authors. She has worked as a primary art teacher and creates books from her home studio in Fremantle. Karen Blair talks about her book here. 

Here are two previous books I have talked about with illustrations by Karen Blair.

Hello from Nowhere

With Nan

If you want to explore other books about garbage dumps, try to find this one - it is a fabulous one to read aloud.

Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear

You might also try to find this book:

Wishbone

Clara and the man with books in his window by Maria Teresa Andruetto illustrated by Martina Trach translated by Elisa Amado

"What does courage mean?' 'Courage is being brave enough 

to live the way you want to, the way you believe."

Before you read this book stretch out the cover and think about the girl, her basket, the distance she is walking and why the colour is yellow - to my eye this denotes a nostalgic memory.

On the title page you will see some very curious objects - with a group of students you could use these to either predict the plot of this book or better yet you could use the objects as student writing inspiration. There is a faded flower in a vase, a book, a clock, two wooden birds, a tiny picture of a house and one item I cannot identify.

The setting for this true story is 1920s Argentina. Clara's mother is a laundress. Clara has the task of delivering laundry to Juan - a man who never leaves his house. Juan is a wealthy man with a huge book collection but he also has deep shame about an event from the past. 

"What is your name?"

"Clara. 

Why are you shut in?"

This is a gentle story or as Mark Macleod once discussed - a quiet book. The illustrations are stunning and so powerful showing a story well beyond the minimal text.

I picked up this book at Gleebooks a few weeks ago because:

• I liked the book shape and landscape format
• There is a medal on the cover (Hans Christian Andersen award)
• The title is intriguing
• The copy I purchased has a dust jacket
• Many pages have no text
• The designer has used two fonts - one for the words in Clara's head and one for conversations with Juan
• This is a translated books (I always look for these) This book was originally written in Spanish in 2018 and the publisher Greystone Books has produced an English edition in 2025. The Spanish title is Clara y el hombre en la ventana.
• Greystone books are a Canadian publishing company - Canadians make fantastic books
• Finally a staff member recommended this book because I asked to see some picture books for older readers and high school students. 

This is the page with the text I quoted at the beginning of this post.

Trach’s illustrative style is so different from what I am used to, I want to own the book just for that.  Andruetto’s story is more one that an adult will enjoy more than a child, so it would have to be read to children.  Kiss The Book Jr

The spare text leaves ample room for illustrations to co-narrrate the story, from the a spread of the girl making letters with a stick to her shadow-like outline as she watches the birds and later reads the books she’s borrowed while making her laundry delivery rounds. They show as well the passage of time as she matures both as a reader and as a friend to the man. Readers imagine the relationship between the dreamy protagonist and her practical, hardscrabble mother, as well as with the absent grandmother who taught her to read and in this way fed her dreams. The entire story has the feel of a fairy tale, one that parallels the fairy tale that the man has gifted her and she has taken to heart. Global Literature in Libraries

The publisher list this book for readers aged 5-8 but I disagree. I would share this book with mature students aged 11+ because it is important to talk about what has happened to this man and why he is afraid to go outside. He didn't follow his friend? Was he afraid of persecution or imprisonment? Older students may understand the role of the Catholic Church during this time. I searched the Canadian library archives for a list of subject headings that have been applied to this book:  Library of Congress Subject Headings Friendship—Juvenile fiction; Identity (Psychology)—Juvenile fiction; Recluses—Juvenile fiction; Gay men—Juvenile fiction; Courage—Juvenile fiction; Books and reading—Juvenile fiction; Argentina—Social life and customs—20th century—Juvenile fiction

And there is a whole art lesson you could use with this book about the symbolism of colour and the use of colour as a way to convey relationships and memories. I guess with younger students this might not be an issue - reviewers like the School Library Journal list this book for K-2.

See more art by Martina Trach here. Just take a look at this brilliant illustration:

Jacket flap information is important! This is how I discovered the author of this book who comes from Argentina, Maria Teressa Andruetto, won the Hans Christian Andersen award in 2012 for Writing. Nearly all of her books are in Spanish. 

Companion books for younger readers and also senior primary students:

The Bridges

The Book of Gold

Nour's Secret Library