Have you discovered Pernille Ripp?

“We hold the future of the world in our hands when we teach children and our teaching should reflect that weight. That is why I teach, so that every child will have the opportunity to live fully realized, to be safe, and to be valued. It starts with us, every day, and how we can give back power to the children in our care and co-create change to live up to the expectations kids have of us.”

The Author Village

Pernille Ripp is an educator now living in Denmark. Here is the link to her blog - it is well worth dipping into her wisdom about reading and access to books and time and all the things I 'bang on about' here. You can read her bio here. Her latest post is: It’s Not That They Can’t Read… – looking at imposter syndrome and reading identity.

If you know someone who is new to teaching make sure they read this post: 10 Myths for New Teachers.

This is a very recent podcast interview with Pernille Ripp and The Human Restoration Project podcast.

I highly recommend her post entitled: A Few Ideas for Building a Whole School Reading Culture.

Here are a few points that resonated with me:

Readers as Role Models and Community Builders

• Student reading ambassadors: Choose students who can share book recommendations, host quick booktalks, or lead reading events across grade levels. Their excitement will hopefully spread.
• Staff reading showcases: Create a “We’re Reading…” wall where teachers and staff post photos with their current reads, along with a short note about what they love about them. Let students see that reading isn’t just for kids – it’s for everyone. Or do it individually, I have shared my “Mrs. Ripp is currently reading and loving…” wall many times.
• Cross-grade reading buddies: Pair older students with younger ones. Let them read aloud, share favorites, and have conversations about books. It’s about connection and mentorship, not just fluency.

Reflection and Building Reading Identity

• “Why I Abandoned This Book”: Normalize that not all books work for everyone. Students can reflect on a book they didn’t finish and why and create a bulletin board. It’s a great way to build critical thinking and give permission to stop reading what doesn’t click.
• Reading Playlist Pairings: Invite students to create a short playlist that pairs with the vibe of a book they’re reading. Share the playlists with classmates – a creative, multimedia way to share bookish identity.
• “Who am I as a reader?” activities: Structured exercises where students think about their favorite genres, their reading goals, their best reading memories. This builds ownership and identity.
• Meaningful reading goals: Move beyond page or book counts. Encourage goals like, “I want to find a book that makes me think,” or, “I want to reread an old favorite and see if it still feels the same.”

And this one: Why Picture Books – 5 Reasons Why They Belong in Every Classroom

• Picture books give us a common language.
• Picture books can teach us complex matters in a simple way.
• Picture books can make us feel successful when we have lost our way.
• Picture books relieve stress.
• Picture books can make us believe that we can read well.

Pernille is also involved with the Global Read Aloud - check it out and here are the 2025 books:

Stories bring hope. Even as we turn another page filled with despair, our heroes emerge victorious, bruised and battered, but forged by fire. And so this year’s choices are once again books meant to spark hope. To create change. To push questions and inspiration. Perhaps even to spark anger as we search for a path forward. But I also hope they bring you joy, connection, and a renewed sense of togetherness because in a world where powerful people seem to be hellbent on tearing us all apart, books can create a bridge, if even for a moment. So if you like the choices for this year, join me as we kick off the Global Read Aloud on October 6th, 2025.

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

A young, unnamed slave works for a tyrannical man who purports to be a dragonkeeper. At the time of this story in ancient China the current emperor as no interest in dragons. Now there are only two left, and it is up to the young slave girl to keep them alive in their dungeon home. One morning she discovers one of the dragons has died. Now the adventures begin. 

The dragon named Danzi tells the girl her name is Ping. He explains they need to travel to the ocean, and she needs to carry his dragon stone and keep it safe at all times. Ping only has one friend in the whole world - a rat named Hua. Ping only agrees to go on this journey if Hua can come too. And what a journey it turns out to be. Ping has never been anywhere since she was taken as a slave. They walk through the most amazing countryside and encounter some kindness but also lots of danger because there is a dragon hunter who wants to capture and eventually kill Danzi and for reasons Ping cannot understand he and others also want the dragon stone.

The scene when Ping sees the ocean for the first time (only a few pages from the end of the book) reminded me of the words from the Margaret Mahy Picture book - The man whose Mother was a pirate:

He hadn’t dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn’t dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn’t thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them.”

You could compare these lines with the wonder of Ping:

"Something on the horizon reflected sunlight like a band of silver. As they drew closer the band became wider. ... The hill gave way to flat land. The silver strip became wider and wider and turned blue as they got closer to it. It wasn't solid, its dimpled surface was dipping and rising. ... Where the blue met the earth there were tiny rolls of white. Ping realised what she was looking at was water. It stretched as far as she could see to the north, to the south and east until it merged with the sky. Its size terrified. her."

I recently talked about reading stamina and long form reading. Dragonkeeper is 343 pages of fairly small print so a reader aged 10+ will need stamina and perseverance but the rewards are great. Luckily things are fairly well resolved at the end of this book but IF you want to re-enter the world of Ping there are several more installments. I took quite a few days to read Dragonkeeper and now I need to consider if I want to see the movie - I think it might disappoint me because there is no way the sweeping story and epic nature of this book could be effectively distilled into a 98-minute movie surely? If you are looking for a class read aloud this could be a good book to consider - but do read it for yourself first - read alouds only work if the teacher loves the book first! Do not kill the book but the teachers notes I have linked to below are excellent and have ideas you could pick and choose from. I won my copy of Dragonkeeper as part of a promotion of the movie - I am glad I set aside the time to read this sweeping adventure story. 

There are more plot details in this review.

Carol Wilkinson waves her pencil like a magic wand and creates a fantasy world set in 141 B.C. China that’s as real as your morning cup of coffee.  ... Ping and Danzi need all the goodness they can muster, because their journey and their lives are challenged by drunks, robbers, corrupt politicians and wizards of the underworld. Ping’s believability grows on you because she, like the nine- to twelve-year-old readers for whom the book is written, has flaws, limitations and self-doubts. In fact, Wilkinson gives us a character with which readers of all ages can identify. Historical Novel Society

I put three covers at the top of this post but you can see even more on Carole Wilkinson's web page. 

My favourite parts of this book were when Danzi the dragon offered words of wisdom to Ping. I am so happy to see the author of the teacher's notes took the trouble to collect these:

The teachers notes say: Danzi is constantly making intriguing statements that Ping doesn’t quite understand, for example: 

• “All answers lie beyond the gate of experience,” 
• “Composure is the master of haste,”
• “The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step,” 
• “The way of Heaven is to diminish excess.” 
• “It is because of its emptiness that the cup is useful.” 
• “Recognising one’s limitations is knowledge,” 
• “Sharp weapons are not the tools of the sage,” 
• “The skillful traveller leaves no trace,”
• “The straight path must sometimes be crooked,” 
• “Sometimes advancing seems like going backwards,” 
• “Nothing under Heaven is softer than water,” “Yet it can overcome the hard and the strong.”
• “The sapling is small, but none can defeat it,” 
• “Net of Heaven is cast wide. Though its mesh is not fine, nothing slips through.”
• “He who tries to take carpenter’s place, always cuts his hands,” 
• “The path is easy if you avoid turning off it.” 

Blurb from the author webpage: Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. This is the story of a young slave girl who believes she is not worthy of a name but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey — and do what must be done.

Here are some additional teacher's notes.

Awards:

• Winner 2018 Silver Award (Children's Book), Illustrators Australia Awards
• Winner 2014 Graham Davey Citation, Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) 
• Winner 2013 Gold Award – Book Series, Illustrators Australia 
• Shortlisted 2006 COOL (Canberra’s Own Outstanding List) Award
• Winner 2006 Older Readers, Kids Own Australian Literary Awards (KOALA)
• Winner 2006 Kalbacher Klapperschlange Award (Germany)
• Special mention 2004 International Youth Library’s White Ravens List
• Shortlisted 2004 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
• Winner 2004 Best Children’s Book, Queensland Premier’s Literary Award
• Winner 2004 Book of the Year (Younger Readers), Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards
• Winner 2003 Best Young Adult Book, Aurealis Awards

Check out my two previous posts:

• Read the book then see the movie
• Dragonkeeper movie review

A Horse Called Now by Ruth Doyle illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey

The horse is named Now and she is very wise. When the farm animals rush up to her full of worries she gently questions their fears. The Rabbits are sure a Fox chasing them but Now suggests they stop and look around. Can they see the Fox? No. Perhaps they should just enjoy some dandelions. Hen is sure the Magpie is after her chicks. But Now suggests she should look up. Can Hen see a swooping bird. No. 

"At this moment all is well. Why don't you search for some juicy grubs?

The Sheep is also very afraid but Now reassures her she is quite safe. Then a thunderstorm arrives - nothing to worry about - Now leads them all safely into the barn. Oh no - there are animals in the barn - are they scary? No. It's an old Fox, Magpie and a small puppy. 

"Now told the others. 'There's nothing to fear. Fox is looking somewhere warm to rest, Magpie only wants to collect shiny things and the Farmer's new dog is just a puppy, scared of the storm."

Anxiety is often about the 'what if' scenario. The animals express this as 'might'.

"... it might be his scarlet coat .... it might be his huge tail that trails fire ... he might sneak up ..."

"Magpie might have a beak as sharp as a famer's knife ... she might have wings that wrap and trap us"

This book could be quite didactic, but it is not. You could use this book to talk to young children about fear, anxiety, perception of danger, and point of view. I recommend you add this book to your school library. Nosy Crow consistently produce terrific books. 

The illustrations are also beautiful. A Horse Called Now was published in 2024 and it is available in paperback for a very good price.

Most mindfulness primers are a list of directives; this tale has the slow-moving grace of a fable. Kirkus

Doyle’s prose is beautiful and descriptive, introducing young readers to a lovely and sophisticated use of language through onomatopoeia, similes, and a rich vocabulary. Finkeldey’s expansive illustrations lend a vintage charm ...  School Library Journal

A Horse Called Now beautifully encapsulates the journey of overcoming worries and embracing the present moment. ‘When I’m afraid, I breathe in and out and let the feelings come . . . and then go. Nothing lasts forever.’ In today’s world, mental health awareness is paramount, especially for young children. The story instils the notion that it’s perfectly alright not to feel okay at times, and that seeking help is a commendable action. Through its narrative, A Horse Called Now emphasises the significance of friendship and support networks. Just Imagine

Here are two other books by Ruth Doyle:

Dreams for our Daughters

Alexandra Finkeldey is a freelance artist based in Kingston, Canada. Her book titles include:  On a Mushroom Day by Chris Baker (Tundra Books, 2024), Saving the Spotted Owl by Nicola Jones (Kids Can Press, 2023), The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale by Heather Smith (Orca Books, 2023), When the Storks Came Home by Isabella Tree (Ivy Kids, 2022) True Stories of Animal Heroes: Talala by Vita Murrow (Frances Lincoln, 2021). 

Clever Katya retold by Mary Hoffman illustrated by Marie Cameron

This tale begins with two brothers. Dimitri is rich while Ivan is poor. Each has a horse. One is a stallion and one is a mare. They graze in the same field and of course in time a new foal is born. This birth is the essence of their dispute. Who owns the foal? The brothers decide to ask the Tsar. 

"The Tsar knew perfectly well that Dimitri had no claim on the foal but he decided to have a bit of fun at the brothers' expense while indulging his fondness for riddles at the same time."

He sets four riddles:

What is the fastest thing in the world; what is the fattest; what is the softest; and what is the most precious. He tells the brothers they have one week to present their answer. 

Dimitri asks his neighbour and her answers are fastest - her husband's horse, fattest is their pig, softest is the quilt she has just made and the most precious is her baby grandson.

Ivan asks his seven-year-old daughter Katya - fastest is the wind, fattest is the earth that gives us food, softest is a child's caress, and the most precious thing is honesty.

The Tsar appreciates the wise answers from Katya but he also knows he has not been especially honest himself. He sets another challenge. He wants to meet this young girl but she cannot come on horseback or on foot, she must not be dressed or naked and she cannot bring a present but she must not be empty handed. Katya solves in this in a very ingenious way using a hare, a fishing net and a partridge. And yes there is that all important 'and they all lived happily ever after' ending. 

The subtitle of this book is "A Fairy Tale of Old Russia". The original title was The Wise Little Girl. This is one of those delicious stories which you might have encountered before where a powerful ruler sets a series of riddles and a very clever young child is able to solve each one and save a life. These stories are always so satisfying. You might find a couple of old junior novels in your local or school library called Smart Girls and Smart Girls forever by Robert Leeson. 

The first thing you will notice when you open up this book is the way every page is framed with a rich pattern rather like a magic carpet. You might also notice each page begins with an illuminated letter which echoes the framing. Sadly, this beautiful book is now very old (1998) and so it is out of print. I picked it up in a library partly because I saw the author name and partly because the cover looked very inviting. 

You do need to know I am a huge fan of Mary Hoffman. I read her book The Colour of Home to groups of Grade Six students in my school library for decades and every time I was moved to tears and the students were silent as the story unfolded.

The Colour of Home

The Missing Piece by Jordan Stephens illustrated by Beth Suzanna

Sunny loves to work on and complete jigsaw puzzles. 

"Every piece was connected and every piece was important."
"Whenever Sunny finished a puzzle she would feel a warm, honey-tickle of happiness in her chest."

One day Sunny asked her grandmother what happens when she runs out of puzzles. Grandma is so wise. She gives Sunny a 1000-piece puzzle but what Sunny does not know just yet is that one piece is missing. This puzzle has been shared with many of their neighbors so Sunny has to go door knocking to ask if anyone has the all-important puzzle piece. Each house she visits is different:

"The Jack family's house smelled of warm bread and looked like milky tea."

"The Patel house smelled of spices and looked like a waving candle."

"The Stephens house smelled like an ocean breeze and looked like a coral reef."

So, Sunny meets Violet, Ravi and Gabriel and along the way she finds three new friends and discovers just how wise her grandmother truly is. 

Image source: Bloomsbury

Have you guessed about the missing puzzle piece - yes Grandma had it all along in her pocket.

There are two covers at the top of this post because the paperback edition has changed the colour of the cover to yellow - I wonder why? 

Luckily, I did not know this is one of those 'celebrity books' and that Jordan Stephens is a writer and performer best known for being one half of pop duo Rizzle Kick. I have deep reservations about 'celebrities' who write children's books. Read what my blogger/review hero Betsy Bird has to say about this phenomenon. 

The Missing Piece has much to tell us about friends, family, and learning new truths about ourselves. The concept behind the book works well on both a realistic and a metaphorical level and could be read aloud in class or form part of a class library for children to browse through independently. Just Imagine

The author’s late grandmothers were his inspiration for this beautiful debut picture book story that contains a powerful message about empathy, opening our hearts and minds to what life’s journey has to offer, and the importance of family and friends. I love his descriptions of the various homes Sunny calls at and positive responses she receives from the young residents. Equally uplifting and heart-warming are debut illustrator, Beth Suzanna’s bold, bright scenes of Sunny’s learning journey as she searches for wholeness. Books for Keeps

Awards:

• Shorlisted for the Inclusive Books for Children award 2024
• Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2023

Of course you will want to read this book too:

Jigsaw: a puzzle in the post

Here is a companion book which also demonstrates the wisdom of a grandmother who can see that her grandchild needs to find a friend. This is a very old book and long out of print but it might be in a library.

I previously talked about What you need to be warm by Neil Gaiman. I was delighted to discover one of the contributing illustrators is Beth Suzanna.  

Over and Over by MH Clark illustrated by Beya Rebai

"And all the while, we'll watch the clouds change, making rabbits and fish in the sky. 
They will never quite look this way again, and neither will you or I."

This is a beautifully illustrated book that falls into a category I previous discussed - Poetry with Pictures. There is no real plot just a series of slightly philosophical statements or homilies. The words are also a series of wisdoms shared by an adult to their child. I put one of my favourite lines under the cover above.

"Over and over, the sun will rise and touch the sky above. And over and over you'll open your eyes, good morning to you, my love."

"Over and over we'll put on our shoes and our coats and our warm wool hats. And I'll open the door to the world with you. And we'll greet the day like that."

From the publisher: In a world marked by uncertainty, this reassuring tale celebrates the gentle rituals that ground a child’s day. Over and Over follows a young girl and her father as they enjoy life’s simple everyday pleasures—from sitting down for breakfast to gazing at the clouds to counting the stars before lying down to sleep. With poetic storytelling and captivating imagery, each page honors the calming magic of togetherness and the comforts in routine. 

And we will leave angels and footprints and tracks in the field, all gone sparkling and white.

Near the end of the book the pages fold out to reveal all four seasons. 

Here is a very detailed interview with the author MH Clark and the illustrator Beya Rebai. Read more about MH Clark and see inside other books here. See more art by French illustrator Beta Rebai here. 

There are other books in this series by MH Clark:

And I found these too - I am keen to see more of her work:

One Round Moon and a Star for me by Ingrid Mennen illustrated by Niki Daly

Do you look like your dad? Do you look like your mum? In a family photo is it easy to see you really belong? 

A new baby arrives in the family. 

Papa "kneels down to look at the baby's tiny hands.
'They look like my hands,' he says.

He looks at the baby's tiny round ears.

'Mama's ears.'

He unwraps the blanket, and there are two small feet with ten tiny toes.

'They will walk well.' Papa nods.

'I'm the baby's father,' says Papa with a smile."

The little boy is confused and perhaps a little bit jealous. He asks the all-important question:

"Papa, are you really my papa too?"

His father gently takes hold of the boy's hands and shows him how they match, how his eyes are also like Mama's eyes. 

"You are your papa's child and you are your mama's child."

Enriched by an African setting, the familiar theme of reassuring a child about his secure place in the family after a new baby is born. ... Daly's freely rendered art reflects the family's joy and affection while nicely evoking the rural setting. Warmhearted and appealing ...  Kirkus

Take a look at my previous post from earlier this year about the illustrator Niki Daly. One Round Moon and a Star for me was published in 2004 and so it is now out of print. I picked up my copy at a recent charity book sale.

Blurb from the illustrator: A young African boy watches a shooting star falling for his Mama's new baby. The whole village comes together to provide gifts for mother and child. But when he sees his papa smiling at the baby's tiny hands which are just like Papa's own hands, his heart grows dark, like a night with no moon. At last he asks, "Papa, are you really my Papa too?" Set against the backdrop of a rural South African village, Mennen's lyrical text coupled with Daly's evocative illustrations are filled with light and darkness; friendship and community spirit; love and hope, telling the universal story of a young boy's journey to discover his own place in the world.

When the baby comes her brother places two stalks of yellow grass in the roof above the door. No men are allowed in their hut for many days after the birth. Village women bring water for the baby. Others bring a cake of soap for Mama, a small lamp so the baby has light and fresh cow-dung for their floor. Papa leaves a silver bucket filled with milk at the door of the hut. If you want to share different customs for welcoming a new baby you could compare this text with Baby Business.  

The Parrot and the Merchant by Marjan Vafaian translated by Azita Rassi

Mah Jahan was a merchant. She collected beautiful things to sell but she also collected birds.

"She kept them in cages or in chains so they couldn't fly away and leave her."

Her favourite bird was a colourful talking parrot from India. Setting off to trade in India, Mah Jahan asked her parrot:

"Tell me what I can bring you to make you happy."

Do you know what will make this parrot happy? 

Here are all her goods loaded onto her camels:

Just as she was about to head back home, Mah Jahan remembered to ask the wild parrots for advice - what will make her parrot at home happy? These parrots cannot talk of course and sadly one dies after hearing the question. On her return, Mah Jahan tells her parrot she has no answer to the question of happiness and that one of the wild parrots had dropped dead. 

"Mah Jahan's parrot said nothing, but after a moment it too suddenly went still, and it dropped to the floor of the cage."

Can you guess what happens when Mah Jahan opens the cage and gently lifts out her precious parrot. YES, it is a trick, and the parrot flies off to freedom (and back to India).

This book has the most wonderful art and a very satisfying story. Be quick - this book in hardcover is available now for a really good price. Since it was published in 2017, I am sure it will soon be out of print. I highly recommend adding this one to your library collection - the art is scrumptious. Or look for the paperback edition [9781910328255]. 

Publisher (Tiny Owl) blurb: This exquisitely illustrated story is an enchanting fable exploring how hard it is to give something you love freedom. The merchant Mah Jahan loves to keep colourful birds in cages, especially a parrot who can talk to her. But when the parrot asks her to bring something back from her trading trip to India, Mah Jahan learns a valuable lesson about how to treat the things and people you love.

This old Rumi tale is adapted by making the merchant a woman but is not otherwise significantly modernized. Iranian illustrator Vafaeian’s ornamented, often surreal illustrations depict Mah Jahan in enormous, colorful skirts and frequently surrounded by comparatively tiny servants. The parrot’s cage is likewise stylized, an ornamented circle that contains the unhappy captive. ...  This 900-year-old story has not lost its classic feel. Kirkus

Read about Marjan Vafaian here.

Try to find some other books about the thirteenth century poet and philosopher Rumi.

Read more about this book here.

Read more about this book here.

This story might remind you of The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen.

What you need to be warm by Neil Gaiman

If you only consider buying one book mentioned on this blog this year please make it this one!

Neil Gaiman asked the question on the cover of this book out on social media. He received tens of thousands of replies and he made them into the poem found in this book. The poem was then made into a film. Then he gave the poem to the UNHCR and they gave sections of the poem twelve illustrators and the designers at Bloomsbury pulled all this together into a truly special book.

The book features illustrations from Chris Riddell, Benji Davies, Yuliya Gwilym, Nadine Kaadan, Daniel Egnéus, Pam Smy, Petr Horácek, Beth Suzanna, Bagram Ibatoulline, Marie-Alice Harel, Majid Adin and Richard Jones, with a thought-provoking cover from Oliver Jeffers.

I would share this book with students in the school library in Grades 5-7 - first read the poem and talk about how it came about, then show the video by Neil Gaiman, followed by the book and then go further and explore the important work of the UNCHR. Students could also design their own illustrations/responses to different sets of lines from this poem or write their own answer to the title question. You might have some books in your school library with illustrations by some of the contributors to this book such as Oliver Jeffers, Benji Davies, Chris Riddell or Richard Jones. 

What you need to be warm

A baked potato of a winter’s night to wrap your hands around or burn your mouth.
A blanket knitted by your mother’s cunning fingers. Or your grandmother’s.
A smile, a touch, trust, as you walk in from the snow
or return to it, the tips of your ears pricked pink and frozen.

The tink tink tink of iron radiators waking in an old house.
To surface from dreams in a bed, burrowed beneath blankets and comforters,
the change of state from cold to warm is all that matters, and you think
just one more minute snuggled here before you face the chill. Just one.

Places we slept as children: they warm us in the memory.
We travel to an inside from the outside. To the orange flames of the fireplace
or the wood burning in the stove. Breath-ice on the inside of windows,
to be scratched off with a fingernail, melted with a whole hand.

Frost on the ground that stays in the shadows, waiting for us.
Wear a scarf. Wear a coat. Wear a sweater. Wear socks. Wear thick gloves.
An infant as she sleeps between us. A tumble of dogs,
a kindle of cats and kittens. Come inside. You’re safe now.

A kettle boiling at the stove. Your family or friends are there. They smile.
Cocoa or chocolate, tea or coffee, soup or toddy, what you know you need.
A heat exchange, they give it to you, you take the mug
and start to thaw. While outside, for some of us, the journey began

as we walked away from our grandparents’ houses
away from the places we knew as children: changes of state and state and state,
to stumble across a stony desert, or to brave the deep waters,
while food and friends, home, a bed, even a blanket become just memories.

Sometimes it only takes a stranger, in a dark place,
to hold out a badly-knitted scarf, to offer a kind word, to say
we have the right to be here, to make us warm in the coldest season.

You have the right to be here.

Companion books:

Sea Prayer (there are two different cover designs for this book)

Vanishing Colors

Wishes

Refugees (this is also based on a poem suitable for older readers 12+)

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. 

Circles in the sky by Karl James Mountford

"And there in the clearing it was, something small, something still ... perhaps forgotten?"

It is a small, black bird. Fox moves in close. The bird does not move. He makes a loud noise. The bird does not move. He takes a worm over for the bird to eat. The bird does not move.

"Nothing seemed to be working. Nothing seemed to be helping. Fox couldn't understand why. What could be do for the broken bird."

A moth has been watching the old Fox. She tries to gently explain what has happened using an analogy of the sun and the moon but all this does is annoy and frustrate Fox. He is so confused. Where is bird? Moth now has to explain: Bird is dead.

"It's okay to be sad ... The two creatures sat down in grief for some time."

The cover of this book is truly special. It is tactile, geometric and has a bright shine. 

The story beautifully honours the cycle of life, as a lone moth helps a lone fox understand the death of a bird. Mountford has shown that great children’s books always write up to their readers and never down. ... Rather than shying away from or obliquely addressing them, The Circles in the Sky embraces these themes with a visually stunning book that offers a touching and truthful exploration of life and death in the natural world. It opens the door for readers of all ages to ask similarly profound questions. Books for Keeps

Speaking to heart and eye in equal measures, a beautiful treatise on remembering life and helping those left behind. Kirkus Star review

Death and grief are hard things to understand for people of all ages, and Mountford’s exploration of the subject is spot on. Mountford’s lyrical text is thoughtful and inquisitive. Children will immediately relate to Fox’s concern and frustration. And while he can’t quite put a name on it, Moth gently guides him through to understanding. Mountford’s accompanying illustrations are, quite frankly, exquisite. His multilayered artwork is stylized and elegant. It truly brings his story to life. The Circles in the Sky is a book everyone should own. It’s one of my favorite books of 2022. Cracking the Cover

Circles in the Sky would be a very worthwhile addition to your school library. The request for books explaining death or comforting a child, after the death of a family member, often arise on social media such as on the Facebook group Your Kids Next Read. BUT it is far better to read books on this topic - books that deal with this sensitive issue in a gentle way - LONG before any real experience of loss. All of these companion books are brilliant too:

The Last Goodbye

Fox: A Circle of Life story

The Bear and the Wildcat

Waiting for Wolf

The Rabbit's Magician

Circle in the sky is the first book written and illustrated by Karl James Mountford. Here are other books he has illustrated: