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. 

Landslide by Betty Cully

 

“Protestors have a right to be there, same as the dump, Nathan. Unless people stop making it, garbage has to go somewhere,” Dad says. “It’s always gonna be in someone’s backyard.”

You know that old saying don't judge a book by its cover? Well in the case of this book I totally misjudged the book by the title. YES there is a landslide but not of the kind involving huge mountains and perhaps catastrophic damage to a small town or village below the disaster. In this case the landslide is a huge or I should say enormous pile of rubbish or garbage that is piled up at the local dump on the edge of town. Perhaps no will notice the pile getting bigger or the pile actually beginning to move but one boy does notice because he lives right across the street!

How did that happen? Where I live the local dump is no not near any houses but Nathan does live there:

Our house on Route 4 in Crawley, Maine, is right across the road from the dump. There wasn’t always a dump there. It used to be the other half of my grandparents’ land, and in the summer we’d look out our front windows and see a big field full of tall grass and wildflowers. In the winter we’d watch deer and foxes. Mom doesn’t blame her sister for selling it. Aunt Del had no idea what would happen. But now it’s the place for everyone’s trash. 

And the complication is Nathan's dad works for the dump company called on Route 4 in Crawley, Maine, is right across the road from the dump. There wasn’t always a dump there. It used to be the other half of my grandparents’ land, and in the summer we’d look out our front windows and see a big field full of tall grass and wildflowers. In the winter we’d watch deer and foxes. Mom doesn’t blame her sister for selling it. Aunt Del had no idea what would happen. But now it’s the place for everyone’s trash. Last week protestors started gathering at the entrance, under the metal sign that says Homefront Municipal Waste Management.  

Nathan begins to read about the way these huge mountains of trash have begun to collapse in other places even leading to a death. Nathan needs a way to gather evidence and also he desperately needs to keep his dad safe. His dad's job is right on top of the pile - he works on huge equipment which tries to flatten the pile as more and more refuse is added each day. And this refuse is not just household waste.

Sometimes trucks from down south start lining up as early as six a.m. with special waste, solid waste, sludge, demolition debris, oily debris, asbestos, fly ash, dirty dirt. ... thing—dirty dirt means contaminated soil.

Luckily Nathan is a very observant boy (he calls this his I-sight) and he also has a terrific tool - a phone that he can use to take photos and timelapse videos. He also has a new friend - a boy names Wilder Bacon who needs a friend as much as Nathan needs someone to help him with this urgent issue. 

He told more glacier facts. Glaciers get so big the pressure of their own tremendous weight causes them to move. Glaciers are solids that flow like a liquid. That’s when I realized the garbage hill doesn’t move like a baseball or a hockey puck or a zip line. What it moves like the most is a glacier. Sometimes it moves fast and other times slow. Check. A glacier is constantly being topped off by fresh snowfall that keeps it flowing downhill, and the landfill always has more garbage being added. Check. If these things make the landfill like a glacier, then the other thing I learned might be true, too—that it is unstoppable.

I have good news and bad news about this book - yes it one I highly recommend and yes it is available here in Australia. It was published this year - 2026 BUT because it is from the US and because so far it is only available in hardcover it is way too expensive for a school library at AUS$35. If you can find this book in a library, I am certain readers aged 10+ will be hooked - Nathan is a kid who has real concerns, he loves his dad, he cares about his community and friendships and his activism as a kid is wonderful to witness. 

Adding to the power of this story the end notes explain the actual real-life situation that led to Betty Cully researching and writing this book. 

Culley grounds the story in solid environmental education, explaining rural landfills’ acceptance of out-of-state waste and the cumulative dangers of exposure to environmental waste and landfill gases. The plot builds steadily, and Nathan’s voice remains absorbing throughout, capturing a kid’s determination to protect his family while grappling with complex community politics. The environmental message is clear but never heavy-handed ... Kirkus

“This book has a lot of information about garbage, landfills, trash removal, and the impact of a landfill on the environment, but it’s also a story of friendship, family, and kindness. The characters are interesting and well developed and are portrayed as loving people who want to do the best for their families as well as the community. . . An excellent choice for libraries needing realistic middle grade fiction, particularly with environmental or social emotional themes.” —School Library Journal, starred review

I found Landslide on a shelf at my public library earlier this week. I’m so glad I did! It’s about a boy named Nathan that lives across the street from the landfill that his dad works at. As you can image, living right next to a landfill comes with some challenges. The characters in this one are easy to root for. Great book! Colby Sharp

Here is a longer review with comments about the writing of this book by the author. Here is the web page for Betty Cully - she lives in Maine.

Taking Flight by Kashmira Sheth illustrated by Nicolo Carozzi

Opening sentence: "You might have come from a highland home, where clouds dance with snowy peaks, and shed tears as you hugged your grandmother, gathering her warmth in your fists."

This is the child with the red scarf on the book cover. 

We follow three difference families - from Tibet, Syria and Ukraine - as they pack their bags and leave behind all that they have known in search of safety and a place to call home. 

"Maybe you left your beloved city with sparkling, domed-roof churches. And when you grabbed your doll and fled, it was to the loud BOOMs of war, and a flock of pigeons taking flight."

The three children don't immediately reach their new home. The arrive hungry, exhausted and worn-out and even though they are safe a tent in a Refugee Camp is not a home. But what of the new land? It is so hard there too. The language is strange, and the sights and sounds and smells are all so strange. And then the three kids head to their first day at a new school?

I would use the illustration on the final page of worn-out shoes as a to introduce this book to your group of library students in grades 4 to 6. I have a Pinterest collection entitled The Refugee Experience through Picture Books.

Thinking about shoes - try to find this book:

Grandma's Treasured Shoes

Here was my dilemma - in Canada we visited several fabulous book shops (there's list in this previous blog post) but I cannot carry a heavy bag so I could only buy one or two picture books and one or two novels.

I wanted to find fairly new book, perhaps by a Canadian author or illustrator, with (in the case of a picture book) fabulous illustrations and also a book that I couldn't very easily find in Australia.  My friend and I had around ten titles on our wish list but then I spied Taking Fight. It is not by a Canadian author or illustrator but it covers an important topic in a gentle and heartfelt way with especially beautiful illustrations. I didn't hesitate to buy this book.

Writing in second person, directly addressing the displaced children, Sheth compassionately acknowledges the heartbreak they’ve endured and underscores their resilience. Carozzi’s soft and detailed digitally enhanced graphite illustrations evoke the tenderness of Sheth’s text. Shifting perspectives through wide shots and close-ups reinforce an idea of shared and personal experiences. The final spread of a child swinging against a blue sky (with the help of another, as shown on the previous page) emphasizes the hope and community support that are so crucial as young refugees build new lives. Kirkus

As a story standing on its own, this is powerful and engaging, deeply moving and hopeful. As an example of universal experiences and needs, it is priceless.  Unpacking the Power of Picture Books

This book is written, as I said, in prose, but the precision of the emotion and pace makes it feel like a poem. This is the human side of the refugee experience. It aches and evokes. It's a Picture Book World

Here in Australia this book costs around AUS$45. My copy was CAN$25. Kashmira Sheth was born in India and came to the US when she was seventeen to attend Iowa State University, where she received a BS in microbiology. She is the author of several award-winning picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels.  Here are some other books by Kashmira Sheth:

You can see more art by Nicolo Carozzi here.

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas

"Your emotions don't work well when they're all jumbled up.

You should try to separate them and put each one in its own jar.

If you like I ca help you. 

Let's try to make sense of how you feel."

In a French language bookshop in Ottawa I spied an amazing pop up book (see below) by Anna Llenas. My travelling companion told me she had another book by Anna Llenas in her library - The color monster.

The multimedia illustrations are downright splendid. Using wax colors, watercolor pencils, acrylics, pencil, and collage, Llenas lays out entrancing textures and hues in enthralling compositions with plenty of white space. Lines are scribble-style, checkered, and swirled; background paper is graphed, perforated, and newsprinted. Cardboard or cardstock cutouts, punctured and layered, look as though they could be felt by readers’ fingertips. Shapes are irregular and organic like home-cut crafts. Tugged across a blank white spread by the eager child, the multicolored monster trails collaged ribbons of color. Kirkus

Blurb: One day, Color Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, sad, and scared all at once! To help him, a little girl shows him what each feeling means through color. As this adorable monster learns to sort and define his mixed-up emotions, he gains self-awareness and peace as a result. Everyone will enjoy sharing this concept book that taps into both socio-emotional growth and color concepts in a simple, friendly way.

Yellow = happiness; Blue = sadness; Red = anger; Grey = fear; Green = calm; but what about pink?

Anna Llenas lives in Barcelona - I wonder if she might be included in the next IBBY Congress 2028 which will be held in that city? Here are pages from the popup book:

I do like the idea of linking colours with emotions. My favourite book (from my childhood) is this one -Hailstones and Halibut bones Adventures in colour by Mary O'Neill. This is one of the newer covers:

Haven: A small cat's adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd

We never really know about the very early life of this little kitten named Haven but somehow she finds herself in the forest and luckily her exploring leads her to the door of Ma Millie. Haven and Ma Millie have a happy and contented life on the edge of the forest with a warm house and plenty of delicious smells not to mention the food treats Ma Millie shares with her new companion. Ma Millie does live alone but she has a kind neighbour Jacob Levan who regularly visits them.

Over time Ma Millie grows older and she becomes unwell. Eventually Haven, who has always been an inside cat, knows she has to seek help, and this means re-entering the hostile forest. Yes, the forest is dangerous, but help is available. Haven meets a fox. The fox agrees to help Haven find her way to the town in the hope she can find Jacob Levan and then get him to come and help Ma Millie. The journey to the city is long, dangerous and over very rough country. Fox is able to show Haven the way, but their trip means they have to cross over a huge river and climb through a deep ravine. Fox knows they are being followed by a Bobcat and this Bobcat has a plan to catch and eat the pair.

There is a huge time and plot jump in this book between chapters 33 and 34 (this is a very short book with 129 pages so the chapters are short). Readers need to be patient and wait for Megan Wagner Lloyd to explain how Haven has been saved (I won't say too much more).

I saw this book at The Constant Reader last week - Why did I buy it? Why is these one of the three books I selected out of the hundreds on offer? First of all, the publisher is Candlewick, and they consistently produce excellent books; secondly the blurb appeal to me; and thirdly I did read the three review quotes on the back cover from Kirkus, Booklist and Shelf Awareness. I was not familiar with the author so the cover information "author of the national bestseller Allergic" didn't mean anything to me although I now discover it is a graphic novel one of several by Megan Wagner Lloyd. I also like the cover although I am not usually drawn to books about cats.

I would be happy to recommend this book to readers aged 9+ but with the warning that it is very sad and there is one violent scene when our small cat hero Haven is confronted by that huge Bobcat.

Publisher blurb: A warm, cozy lap. The toasty smell of baking bread. Tasty food served in a bright-blue bowl. These make Haven’s life as an indoor pet heaven. All thanks to her beloved human and rescuer, Ma Millie. But when Ma Millie becomes too sick to care for her, the cat’s cozy life is turned upside down, and Haven decides she must seek out another human for help. Anything for Ma Millie! Her vow pulls her out of her safe nest into the shadowy forest and down unfamiliar and dangerous roads. When her first plan fails, Haven meets a wilderness-savvy fox who volunteers as an ally, and their perilous journey together brings some victories. But Haven finds herself pitted against creatures far wilder than she ever could be, testing her strength and spirit to their limits. Will her loyalty to Ma Millie—and her newfound confidence in herself—be enough to help Haven see the quest through to its conclusion? Can she stand up against the fierce predator that is tracking her every move?

This small novel deals with issues such as friendship, trust and self-confidence. ReadPlus

A sweet, sincere tale of self-discovery. Kirkus

Haven is a heartwarming, adventurous tale of a timid creature finding courage and confidence in the world. There’s plenty to discuss in this book with younger readers, from friendship to bravery and persistence. This story strikes the perfect balance of gentle and suspenseful for readers who love animals and adventure and its short length makes it approachable for younger readers ... Reading Middle Grade

Awards for Haven:

• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
• Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2022
• 2023-2024 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
• 2023 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Title
• 2024 Magnolia Book Award
• 2025 Charlie May Simon Book Award
• 2024-25 South Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee

In some ways the journey of this story reminded me of this old classic that I read as a child. I have put m cover and a more contemporary one:

You may be familiar with these graphic novels by Megan Wagner Lloyd:

Megan Wagner Lloyd is also the author of this picture book illustrated by Phoebe Wahl which I have on my 'to read/to discover' list:

The Grey Beret's guide to Surviving the Odds by Anna Battese illustrated by Erin Reeves

Three bad things have already happened to Odie - the worst is the third:

"When Odie turned eight, her mother - a beloved and renowned biologist - disappeared in a stampede of pink-fairy armadillos during an expedition in central Argentina."

Odie has retreated into her room and her father, in his grief, has also withdrawn. Odie is now homeschooled but wait - just in case I have made you very sad we also discover Odie has messenger pigeons. Her pigeons named Pudding and Plonk, deliver her homework to the Homely Homeschooling Assessment Centre. Odie also has her cat named Knuckles - he had been her mother's rescue tomcat. When I said Odie had withdrawn - she now lives in her room. Her father does make delicious food which is delivered via a small elevator.

"Her father was very good at making sure she had everything she could ever need. And yet, since Odie's mother had gone, he seemed as baffled by the world as Odie was afraid of it, and he preferred to spend his time alone, in the silence."

The stage is set for change - CHANGE. First of all, a strange book arrives addressed to Cadet Odie Gusberry-Smith with the intriguing title 

"The Grey Beret's guide to Surviving the Odds. Volume one."

Yes, this book does sound strange, but it is a perfect fit for Odie because she is a girl of facts not fairy tales. She happily reads chapter after chapter about poisonous plants, dangerous reptiles, and the antidotes for eighty-seven kinds of toxins. But can the information in this book and her newly made coat with thirty-eight pockets help with her next big life event? Her father announces they are going on a cruise. And Odie, and you as the reader, are sure to think of shipwrecks, islands, survival and perhaps the importance of making new friends with kids her age along with a baby dressed up as a chicken. Dressed up?  Yes the sinking of the ship happens on the night of the Halloween dress-up party so all kids - Baby (a chicken), Gus (dressed as the ship's captain), Sunny (a donkey pinata), and Chuck (real name Charlotte dressed in a black tulle ball gown) are in costumes except for Odie who luckily has her survival pockets.

Publisher blurb: Odie Gusberry-Smith doesn't like surprises. But when a mysterious package arrives in the mail, she finds The Grey Beret's Guide to Surviving the Odds – a book that feels like it was written just for her. Odie is going to need it, because her dad has had the ridiculous idea that they should go on a cruise. When calamity strikes (as she could have told you it would), Odie will need to use every trick in the Guide to keep herself and her alarmingly danger-prone group safe. Along the way, she might just realise that the Guide is not the only thing she can rely on…

When I read this Instagram post from Gleebooks Kids I knew this was a book I needed to read. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"She'd worked so hard on preparing for exactly this kind of calamity, but now that it was here, in actual real life, she wasn't quite sure what to do."

"Part of being a Grey Beret is preparing for the worst. So, when you all fell asleep, I did a risk mitigation plan. Our greatest risk was catching hypothermia from the waves and rain. Luckily I had a tarp in my eleventh pocket. Once I put it up, the risk of us catching hypothermia dropped by thirty-five percent. And then I found the space blankets in pocket thirteen, and that brought the risk down to twenty per cent."

If you are sharing this book in your library you could read Chapters 16 and 17 which is the scene where the kids are almost 'eaten' by huge plant-frogs.

This book is sure to be included on the CBCA 2027 Notables Books list. I especially appreciate the way it is designed and that it is presented in hardcover with spot varnish on the cover. I read this book from beginning to end in one sitting. Note my label melodrama - that seems like the perfect descriptor. I thoroughly enjoyed the tone of this book with Odie constantly quoting statistics and catastrophising every scenario.  And yes, we do eventually reach a happy ending, BUT I have to warn you this is part one of a planned trilogy and turning the last page you will be so keen to reach for the next book - but I cannot discover the date it will be released - sorry. 

Odie is a sweet protagonist, coping with grief, loneliness and trying to find ways to manage her ever-present fear. The world Anna Battese has created is wild and whimsical ... Readings Melbourne

I previously talked about this book by Anna Battese:

The Recorder Racket

Companion books:

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters

The Lost Island

Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast

Giraffe Island

The Detective's Guide to Ocean Travel

Betsy and Bon: Three Sweet Stories by Simon Howe

 There are, as the subtitle tells you, three stories in this little volume. Each begins with a similar opening sentence:

The Hive

"Down at the bottom of the garden where flowers grow tall and roots grow deep, Betsy and Bon built a hive."

This story is about making and including all friends who have delightful names: Frogly (frog), Harrington Mouse (mouse), Penny Spots (ladybug), Butter Benjamin (butterfly) and Spencer Snail. All are welcome.

The Good Idea

"Down at the bottom of the garden, where the sun is warm and the breeze is cool, Betsy and Bon were relaxing in the shade."

This story is about resolving differences, and I love the way they play hide and seek (check other books about this game).

The Sunny Spot

"Down at the bottom of the garden, where the buds are small and the blooms are big, Betsy and Bon were searching for the perfect spot to have afternoon tea."

If you share this book in your family with your small reading companion it would be fun to make some scones, grab some jam and a picnic rug and head outside to read the final story.

Blurb: Down at the bottom of the garden, where flowers grow tall and roots grow deep, Betsy and Bon play in a world full of whimsy and imagination. They try to find friendly bees to live in their wonderful hive, decide on a game they will both enjoy, and have a picnic in the perfect sunny spot.

Everything about the production of this book is appealing - it is a small hardcover volume, the full colour illustrations, the chapters or short stories which are short and could easily be read as a family read aloud - one each night for three nights, and this book even has one of those bookmark ribbons.

Full of nostalgia and charm, this deluxe hardcover collection of low-conflict short stories is the perfect gift for young readers. The Little Bookroom Melbourne

It is a little book (and I mean that in every sense because it is the right size for small hands) that harks back to gentler times and vintage favourites such as Cicely Mary Barker’s flower fairies, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Jan Wade and May Gibbs with their darling little inhabitants, and their common themes of nature and its beauty, companionship, gentle pleasures and kindness. Just so Stories

Huge thanks to UQP for sending a review copy. There is a link to Teacher's Notes on the publisher page but really I would just read this book either in your family or to your Preschool or Kindergarten group with no need for deep analysis. You will find this book in your local independent book shop next week (1st September).  I previously talked about his book from Simon Howe:

The House that walked away

One series I thought of to read after Betsy and Bon is the Squeak Street books by Emily Rodda.

Other companion books:

Houndsley and Catina

Honey and Bear

Vicky and June

Bear and Bird

Mouse and Spoon

Cornbread and Poppy