Island Storm by Brian Floca illustrated by Sydney Smith

"Now take my hand and we'll go see the sea before the storm."
"You pull on me, I pull on you, and we decide to go on."

The text in this book is a lyrical poem. Two children head outside but they know a storm is approaching. There is an urgency to their journey. When the storm arrives they race home to the comfort of towels, dry clothes, dinner, a warm bed and blankets. But like all storms this one will eventually be spent, and the morning gives everyone the promise of a new day.

"A powerful thunderstorm is brewing on the island. Leaves whisper and branches shake. Waves crash and the sky grows close and dark. Two brave siblings bear witness, pulling each other through the woods and along the shore. They'll shelter soon, but not yet. First they need to feel it all."

This book is an equal partnership of exquisite writing and exquisite illustrations.

Here are some examples from the text:

"We stand on stones that lie like great bones, weathered and worn by water and time - by storms like the one that's headed our way."

"We pass the lighthouse, standing guard- a tower with a blinking eye, a tower with a lonesome cry, a welcome and a warning."

"Our town is eerie and empty, a stage without its show."

Walker Books blurb: A gorgeously illustrated jacketed hardback picture book for children which explores the extraordinary strength and changeability of the natural world and shines a light on those thrilling new experiences shared with siblings. Join in the journey as two siblings go hand-in-hand to experience the true power of a thunderstorm in their seaside town. They want to witness it all - the rise, the thrill of it all, and then the slow return to calm once the storm has passed and a new day begins.

Smith’s impressionistic watercolor and gouache illustrations convey not simply the horrifying strength of the storm, but also the way the light of day changes and shifts throughout the kids’ walk. The images plunge readers into heart-stopping moments, rendered real thanks to Floca’s incredibly evocative wordplay, capable of eliciting both fear and comfort. Readers will experience this tempest alongside the characters, every step of the way. Kirkus Star review

I would never use the phrase tranquil conclusion, but it is an interesting concept and does fit the ending. I was thinking, “I love a good storm as much as the next person, but I do not think I would venture as far away from home as these two kids did.”  However, I liked how Smith’s colors change as things start to “heat up” and the storm comes closer, becomes more intense, then as it leaves and brightens the day. Things are dark, but always have a form of light to them that allows a little hope. Cannonball Read

Sydney Smith (winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award) is a master of water scenes in his illustrations. See more pages inside this book here.

Hopefully you have seen many of his previous books:

Check out this blog post

You can see more books by Brian Floca here.

Santa's First Christmas by Mac Barnett illustrated by Sydney Smith

Santa has been delivering presents to children all over the world for years, but he has never had his own Christmas celebration. After prompting by a bear who lives near the North Pole, his elves are determined to fix this and to give Santa the best Christmas ever with presents, a feast, a huge Christmas tree, lights and of course a celebration with the best company of all. 

There are some sweet touches in this story - such as when the elves deliver breakfast in bed to Santa on Christmas morning - fresh doughnuts; when Santa and the elves decorate the tree with gingerbread pigs; and when they make biscuits to leave out with a glass of milk for 'you know who'.  Santa settles back to read a famous story 'he had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly'. 

But who is going to arrive with the presents? And what will Santa receive?

You will love their Christmas feast:

"For the table was set with mince pies and pudding and rolls and roasts, Brussels sprouts, gravies, horseradish sauce, sparkling crystal glasses filled with milled wine, a yule log, poached pears, candy canes, several pies, and a ginger stout cake, powdered with sugar and six layers high."

Santa's First Christmas was published in 2024 and this week my friend gifted me a copy for Christmas 2025. 

There are so many Christmas books and of course so many that I love but this one is TRULY special partly because, amazingly, it is an utterly fresh story and partly or perhaps mainly because Hans Christian Andersen Award winning illustrator Sydney Smtih has created utterly delightful illustrations. Even the cover has a special feature called spot varnish. There is one double spread in this book (with no words) that made me gasp!

Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its “Christmas classic” stripes with flying colors. Kirkus Star review

I am sure you have seen lots of other splendid books by Mac Barnett. I love Extra Yarn, 20 questions, Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem, and Just Because. Read more here. I have talked about Sydney Smith extensively on this blog (click on the label at the bottom of this post).

Look for this book in your local or school library - it is also by Mac Barnett:

IBBY 39th Congress 2024, Trieste Italy

I was so lucky to attend the 39th IBBY Congress in late August. There were 650 delegates from around the world and with keynotes, over 100 Oral sessions, round tables, award presentations, and also over 100 posters to peruse. This reel will give you a flavour of the congress and if you watch it carefully you might spy me and my friend Dr Robin Morrow!

Keynotes: 

• Michael Rosen 'Literature as a Driver of Change' - check out my previous post.
• Roberto Piumini 'The Words to Say'
• Telmo Pievani 'Disseminating Science in Children's Books'
• Stanislas Dehaene 'Reading in the Brain' and Kate Nation 'Reading for the Brain'

Round Table (there were several but this is the one I attended):

• Picturing Picture Books: a conversation about history, critic, censorship and poetic perspectives on the topic - Leonard Marcus

Awards presentations:

• IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award ATD Fourth World’s Street Libraries, nominated by IBBY France. Read more here. 

Over 60 ATD Street Libraries can be found throughout France, the majority being located in “priority neighbourhoods” as defined by the French Government. ATD stands for All Together in Dignity. The programme has grown out of ATD Fourth World's conviction that the most effective way to support children to break out of the cycle of poverty is to nurture their desire to learn, and to assist in the development of their creativity.

• IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award. Read more here.

The Award aims to encourage further investment by individuals, organizations and governments in the promotion of children’s reading and will stimulate educational innovation, give much greater access to children’s books and an enhanced profile for children’s reading promotion – key tools in global, social, economic and cultural development – all in the context of Article 17(C) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The winners of the 2024 IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award are: Ms Basarat Kazim from Pakistan, nominated by IBBY Pakistan, and Ms Irene Vasco from Colombia, nominated by IBBY Canada. 

• Hans Christian Andersen Award - Sydney Smith and Heniz Janisch Read more here.

Here is my previous post about the 2024 short listed authors and illustrators. You can read Sydney Smith's acceptance speech here which he presented at the Hans Christian Andersen award dinner in Trieste.

• 2024 IBBY Honour List - this was a terrific part of the congress and I was cheering loudly for our Australian titles but also for the fabulous books from Canada! Read more here. And watch the video.

The 2024 Honour List includes 184 nominations in 52 different languages from 59 countries. Selected for the 2024 list are 68 entries in the category of Writing; 55 in the category Illustration; and 61 in the category Translation. 

Tiger Daughter

My Strange Shrinking Parents

Some personal Oral Session highlights:

• Let Fiction be part of every school subject - Sweden
• The right to remain silent: wordless picture books as drivers of social and linguistic change in an Early childhood setting - Norway
• Respecting children's names and cultural roots - USA
• Museums as actors of change in promoting children's books - Italy
• Parents book-reading to preterm born infants in Neonatal Intensive Care - Italy
• Healing power of literature: encouraging teenage boys in Juvenile Detention in reading and writing - Turkey
• Reading with newcomer children: an IBBY Canada 'Reading Club' for immigrant and refugee children aged 5-12 - Canada

Sadly, there was no bookshop at the congress but there were displays of the Honour books, the silent books, art from Roberto Innocenti (HCAA 2008), books by Gianni Rodari (HCAA 1970). There was also a very moving display entitled "Sailing across oceans of stories".

While the conference was running at the Convention Center there was also a brilliant exhibition to honour Jella Lepman.

Translation from Italian:

The exhibition is a tribute in images to the intuition of Jella Lepman, who after the horrors of World War II was able to see in books a bridge of relationship to set the imagination in motion again and bring together different geographies; was curated by Silvana Sola, Paola Vassalli and David Tolin, who involved twenty illustrators, ten Italians and ten from the rest of the world, who — as Paola Vassalli recalled — "have created works full of life and movement, confirming that all art is a practice of depth and movement even when it speaks to us from the pages of a book, even and especially when he speaks to the youngest." The artists gave substance to all the most important aspects of the life of the founder of IBBY, a true revolutionary: "revolutionary," said Silvana Sola, "was to think that books were bridges, that they were the necessary response to the difficulties of German children who had come out of a devastating war in body and spirit. It was revolutionary to move on an international level, seeking alliances between the powerful of the earth and fellow travelers. It was revolutionary to create, together with others, an association that provided good practices to spread good books and reading. An association that operates in many parts of the world and that today meets in the 39th Congress that opens."

The walls of the exhibition were filled with quotes from Jella Lepman and illustrations described above.

"It became increasingly clear to me that I should not look backwards, but forwards, and that I should start with the children ... what about children's books. Oh there were practically no children's books left at the end; those are needed more than anything else."

Here are a few more:

The other half of this exhibition consisted of book plates with work by contemporary illustrators and their interpretation of classic children's books such as Pinocchio; Pippi Longstocking; Winnie -the-Pooh; Emil and the detectives; Heidi and Little Lord Fauntleroy. You can see a few in this Facebook reel. The books featured in the book plates were the books Jella Lepman displayed in her famous 1946 exhibition.

We are looking for ways to introduce children in Germany to the children's books of other nations. German children have almost no books left after the children's and youth literature of the Hitler era was eliminated. Educators and publishers also need books from the free world for their orientation. Children are not to blame for this war, so let your books be the first messengers of peace! They are to be compiled into an exhibition that will first travel to Germany, and later perhaps to other countries. To overcome foreign language difficulties, we ask above all for picture books and illustrated books. But good narrative literature should also be made accessible to the children in group work. We hope that German publishers will be able to acquire the translation rights to many of these books. We also ask your country for children's drawings and children's paintings. These pictures speak an international language and will delight the children. (Lepman 1964, 51 f.)

Take a look at our IBBY Australia web page. We love to welcome new members.

The 40th Congress will be held in Canada. I love their poster with an image by The Fan Brothers.

The theme of the 40th IBBY World Congress is “Listening to Each Other’s Voices,” expressed as “Écouter la voix de l’autre” in French and “Pizindàdidà Ekidong” in Algonquin. In a world that is often divisive, this theme speaks to IBBY’s core values of plurality and inclusion and will anchor the Congress programming. Diverse voices will engage with six intersectional topics: disability; gender, sex, and sexuality; migrants, immigrants, and refugees; Black, Indigenous and People of Colour; mental health; and sustainability in children’s literature and reading promotions. ... The public will be invited to participate in free events for children’s literature fans of all ages, including an exhibition titled “From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books,” which will highlight 175 beautiful, thought-provoking Indigenous picture books published in Canada over the past 40 years, and a boisterous book parade followed by a picnic and read-alouds of great books from across the Americas!

“Holding the 40th IBBY World Congress in Canada is fantastic for Canadian creators and publishers,” says Stephanie Wells, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. “Canada is well-situated to act as host to passionate advocates for children’s books from around the globe, as we boast a strong children’s book community that creates world-class books. The Congress will also shine a spotlight on Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers and amplify the diverse voices that are represented in Canadian books.”

My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott illustrated by Sydney Smith

A quiet, tender, and profoundly moving celebration 

of intergenerational love. Kirkus Star review

"My Baba, my grandmother, was born in Poland, where she and her family suffered greatly during World War II. After the war she emigrated to Canada ... with my Dziadek (grandfather) (but) .... by the time I arrived in the world, my Dziadek had passed away. ... She didn't speak English very well, so much of the time we communicated through gesture, touch and laughter."

Baba is a terrific cook, and she has filled her kitchen and small 'chicken coop' home with food stored in jars and hanging from an assortment of places. Baba also knows worms are essential for the soil. They dig and increase water and air that get into the soil and also provide nutrients. She adds the worms to her the soil around her tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and the apple tree.

"I am a grown man now and (I) still pick up worms. My children do too. My Baba would be proud." 

This book is written from the heart - Baba is Jordan Scott's grandmother. He did indeed spend many happy hours with her when he was a small child. His observations and memories add a gentle layer of honesty to this story - read this quote:

"and there she is, hidden in the steam of boiling potatoes, dancing between the sink, fridge and stove. A hand holding a beetroot, a leg opening a cupboard, an elbow closing the fridge door."

Jordan and his grandmother care for her small garden but then Baba moves in with Jordan's family. She is growing old and frail and now it is his turn to bring her breakfast. When Jordan plants some cherry tomato seeds into a pot on her windowsill she reminds him to collect those all-important worms. And luckily is raining - so it is the perfect time. 

I think this book especially touched me because I also spent time with my precious grandmother and I hold all those memories of our time together in her tiny old flat very close to my heart. 

When you read this book don't rush past the title page (you can see the boy climbing into his dad's car just before dawn). And then on the imprint page we see them driving through the traffic again just before dawn. See inside Baba's Garden here. And Let's talk Picture Books have filmed the jacket reveal - WOW that's so special. Or you could try this link. 

I read a US review and they used the word oatmeal but the Canadian and Australian editions of this book use the word porridge. I shake my head in wonder that the US editor needed to make this change.

Sydney Smith is the 2024 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. I really hope he will be at the IBBY Congress in 2024 which will be held in Ottawa. I plan to be there (from Australia).

Awards for Baba's Garden:

• A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
• A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
• A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year
• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• A Horn Book Fanfare Book
• A Booklist Editors’ Choice
• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
• An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids

Sydney Smith’s evocative images, dwelling on the domestic riches and warmth of Baba’s chicken coop home, and the luxuriant garden that she – and the worms – have created, perfectly complement the simply told story of the boy’s memories of his time with his grandmother. In sketchy prose, Jordan Scott conjures a lively active woman, singing to herself in her own language, absorbed in cooking and preserving the food she has grown, and preparing it for the young boy that she cares for. This beautiful book – beautiful in its illustrations, its language and its tribute to a resilient woman ... Just Imagine

Looking at the illustrations in My Baba’s Garden, I feel I’ve entered her home and should whisper as I read this book. Sydney’s loose watercolor helps us see these memories through sometimes teary eyes or when the sun comes through a window and causes you to squint a bit. His expert use of lighting is dramatic and impactful, and so beautiful. In every scene, the light is like a friend, welcoming. Only Picture Books.

Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith have another picture book written together:

Read my previous post about Sydney Smith. And here is his webpage. Here you can see a photo of Baba and a very young Jordan. 

Footpath Flowers

Of course Baba's Graden is about intergenerational relationships, grandmothers, wisdom, growing old, love and care of family but if you are curious about worms and gardens try to find this book - it takes a fun look at worms for a preschool audience.

Here is the Storylinks review

This is a new book published in 2024 and it would be a good addition to a preschool. 

It has very vibrant illustrations and a fact page about worms at the back.

IBBY Hans Christian Andersen 2024 Awards

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are presented to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.

The Author's Award has been given since 1956 and the Illustrator's Award since 1966. The Award consists of a gold medal and a diploma, presented at a festive ceremony during the biennial IBBY Congress.

The selection criteria include the aesthetic and literary qualities of writing and illustrating as well as the ability to see things from the child's point of view and the ability to stretch the child's curiosity and imagination. The complete works of the author and of the illustrator will be taken into consideration.

The King and the Sea

2024 Author Winner Heinz Janisch

Heinz Janisch maintains that “nothing is too small for literature”. He was born in 1960 in Burgenland not far from the Hungarian border and now lives in Vienna. According to the Jury, Janisch is a master of the short-form story that leaves room for the readers’ imagination. Although many of his works are humorous, even sometimes absurd, he has a philosophical element to his writing that often makes his books profound. His simple texts are meaningful, and the saying “less is more” can be applied to the 2024 author winner. His writing is universal, and it appeals to children and young people everywhere. Additionally, his contribution to literature is enormous, not only through his writing, but also by his many readings, workshops on literary and creative writing for children and adults, including creative  workshops for disabled young artists. Janisch’s writing is nuanced with many layers, which makes it universal, as well as uplifting.  IBBY.org

2024 Illustrator Winner Sydney Smith

In an interview with Prof. Deirdre Baker in April 2022, Sydney Smith said “listening … is more in line with how I approach stories” when he is illustrating the texts of others and as well as illustrating his own stories. Smith was born in 1980 in rural Nova Scotia and has now returned to the province with his family after living for several years in Toronto. The jury noted that Smith’s work is like a visual narrative or a short musical memory, which echoes his statement that listening is how he approaches stories. He uses seemingly simple techniques to tell the story—really a result of intense practice. His modest but authentic characters are sympathetic as well as gentle. He uses colour to introduce nature, smells and  drama to each book. The saying “less is more” can also be applied to every one of his works as he strips away the superfluous to express emotions. Smith is a truly universal artist. IBBY.org

Check out my previous post about Sydney Smith when he was nominated in 2021 (scroll down through the post). Read this interview from 2019 with The Art of the Picture Book. 

Read more here

Pacing is important to the flow of the story and engaging the reader but it also involves knowing when the story needs the sustained ring of the words. Illustrations can control how the story is read and can add weight to words or flip them upside down. There’s a lot of power there. The Art of the Picture Book

If you have time (one hour) here is the IBBY.org video of the HCAA 2024 announcement made at the Bologna Book Fair. 

Sydney Smith nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen by IBBY Canada

Sixty-two candidates from 33 countries have been nominated for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Here are all the name. You might recognise some:

Argentina: Author María Cristina Ramos; Illustrator Gusti

Australia: Author Margaret Wild; Illustrator Tohby Riddle

Austria: Author Heinz Janisch; Illustrator Linda Wolfsgruber

Belgium: Author Thomas Lavachery; Illustrator Carll Cneut

Brazil: Author Marina Colasanti; Illustrator Nelson Cruz

Canada: Author Angèle Delaunois; Illustrator Sydney Smith

China: Author Jin Bo; Illustrator Xiong Liang

Colombia and Venezuela: Illustrator Ivar Da Coll

Croatia: Illustrator Dubravka Kolanović

Cyprus: Author Anna Kouppanou; Illustrator Dora Oronti

Estonia: Author Andrus Kivirähk; Illustrator Piret Raud

France: Author Marie-Aude Murail; Illustrator Gilles Bachelet

Germany: Author Andreas Steinhöfel; Illustrator Nikolaus Heidelbach

Greece: Author Maria Papayanni; Illustrator Iris Samartzi

Hungary: Author András Dániel; Illustrator László Herbszt

Iran: Author Jamshid Khanian; Illustrator Pejman Rahimizadeh

Italy: Author Roberto Piumini; Illustrator Beatrice Alemagna

Japan: Author Joko Iwase; Illustrator Ryoji Arai

Republic of Korea: Author Yi Hyeon; Illustrator Suzy Lee

Latvia: Illustrator Aleksejs Naumovs

Lebanon: Author Fatima Sharafeddine; Illustrator Sinan Hallak

Lithuania: Illustrator Kestutis Kasparavičius

Netherlands: Author Tonke Dragt; Illustrator Sylvia Weve

Poland: Author Marcin Szczygielski; Illustrator Iwona Chmielewska

Russia: Author Sergey Makhotin; Illustrator Julja Gukova

Slovenia: Author Peter Svetina; Illustrator Damijan Stepančič

Spain: Author Jordi Sierra i Fabra; Illustrator Elena Odriozola

Sweden: Author Annika Thor; Illustrator Anna Bengtsson

Switzerland: Author Franz Hohler; Illustrator Catherine Louis

Turkey: Author Behiç Ak; Illustrator Mustafa Delioğlu

Ukraine: Author Halyna Malyk; Illustrator Kost' Lavro

United Kingdom: Author Marcus Sedgwick; Illustrator David McKee

USA: Author Linda Sue Park; Illustrator Kadir Nelson

In this post I plan to focus on Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith. In a previous post I talked about Footpath or Sidewalk Flowers.

Town is the Sea by Joanne Schwartz illustrated by Sydney Smith (2017) winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018.

Opening lines: From my house, I can see the sea. It goes like this - house, road, grassy cliff, sea. And town spreads out, this way and that. My father is a miner and he works under the sea, deep down in the coal mines.

Publisher Blurb: Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

Reviews:

A quiet book that will stay with readers long after they have closed it. Kirkus Star review 

This is, in short, a magnificent book. The kind that every reader will interpret in a different way. Only the best books can do that. Only the best books are capable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

The combination of small, private moments and sweeping landscapes complete with shimmering water show off the simple grandeur of the natural environment and the boy’s experiences. Quill and Quire

My thoughts: The art in this book is all about light and dark. I love the way the sunlight shimers on the surface of the sea and the contrast Sydney Smith creates when he shows  us, in four double spreads, the dark beneath the sea where the miners are working. I held my breath through this book. One of my early school libraries was in a coal mining town. It was utterly terrible when a coal mining accident in that town took a father away from two precious children and their beautiful mum. Above ground the light forms shadows, below ground light comes from miner lamps. Above ground the young boy is free to run and play and swing and walk to the shops. Below is danger. When the father arrives home it is a moment of great relief but there is also the thought of tomorrow when his father will work again and the thought of the future when the boy himself will have to enter those deep dark tunnels.

Here are a set of teaching notes from Amnesty International.  Here is an interview where Sydney and Joanne talk about their book.

I Talk like a River by Jordan Scott illustrated by Sydney Smith (2020)

Opening lines: I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me.

Publisher blurb: After a day of being unable to speak when asked, and of being stared at, a boy and his father go to the river for some quiet time. "It's just a bad speech day," says Dad. But the boy can't stop thinking about all the eyes watching his lips twisting and twirling. When his father points to the river bubbling, churning, whirling and crashing, the boy finds a way to think about how he speaks. Even the river stutters. Like him. "I talk like a river," he says. An incredibly moving picture book that offers understanding rather than a solution, and which will resonate with all readers, young and old.

Reviews:

Again, Sydney Smith's illustrations do the impossible: They show how the narrator feels about his stutter. NPR

An important and unforgettable offering presented with natural beauty and grace. Horn Book

An astounding articulation of both what it feels like to be different and how to make peace with it. Kirkus Star review

Deft poetic language pairs with the resonant watercolors of Sydney Smith to create a book that is more than a memoir and more than conveying a message. This is pain, turned into art, and written for young children. Incomparable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

My thoughts: When Elizabeth Bird said teachers and Teacher-Librarians should just read this book to a class with no agenda, no pointing out the message, and especially not mentioning this book is for a particular child - I cheered.  I have such a powerful memory of the day I read The Mouse with the too long Tail to a class. A young boy in the class had been born without fingers on one hand. I didn't connect this book with "Ben" I just read it aloud. At the end, he was sitting right in front of me, this young boy sighed. He had seen so much in this story - a celebration of difference. I hope this book is shared in families and in classes and that the sharing is done slowly. I am certain this book will touch the hearts of many children and adults. 

Listen to this podcast where Sydney and Jordan discuss their book. You can see the art here. Here are a set of teaching notes from the US Publisher.

Sydney Smith is a Canadian children's book illustrator. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can follow Sydney on Instagram @sydneydraws.  Here is an interview with Sydney. In the interview Sydney mentions Felix Hoffman. You can see some illustrations by Felix Hoffman here. Take a look at some art here. 

I suppose I take the text seriously these days. I allow myself to get carried away and invest all my time. I understand more about the dynamics between the images and text, visual literacy, pacing, and the role illustrations have in telling a story. I have learned that there are ways of storytelling that I gravitate toward, and that only comes with the experience of taking on different stories and approaching them all differently.

Footpath flowers by Jon Arno Lawson and Sydney Smith

“Basically, I was walking with my daughter down an ugly street, Bathurst Street, in Toronto, not paying very close attention, when I noticed she was collecting little flowers along the way . . . What struck me was how unconscious the whole thing was. She wasn’t doing it for praise, she was just doing it.” Jon Arno Lawson  Horn Book 

This is a very important book and you may be surprised to discover it contains no words.  It does, however, contain a very powerful story which the School Library Journal reviewer Elizabeth Bird describes as a poem.

I am presenting two covers for this book because strangely in Australia and UK this book was changed to Footpath Flowers from the original Canadian title Sidewalk Flowers.

I recommend you set aside some quiet time to just sit and slowly turn the pages of this book.
One truly special thing you need to know comes from IBBY Canada who give this book to Syrian refugee children when they arrive in their new country - a perfect gift.

Here is a set of teaching notes.  We have a large collection of silent or wordless or textless books in our school library.  Take a look at this Pinterest collection.  Read this review where you can see many of the illustrations.  This trailer comes from the publisher Walker Books.

Bracketed by beautiful endpapers, this ode to 

everyday beauty sings sweetly. Kirkus