Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor

"Then she used a red marker to put a big X through May 22 on the wall calendar. She had made it through another day."

Can you feel the deep sadness here? Aggie and Harold have owned the Sleepy Time Motel for decades but now Harold has died and the motel is in need of serious repairs and there are no guests and the pile of unpaid bills is growing and growing.

"Nobody had come for a long, long time. Nobody had come since when? Auggie wondered. She flipped open the motel guest book and looked at the last entry. Nearly three months ago Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Perry from Ocala Florida."

It is time for Aggie to sell her home - the motel. 

Meanwhile we meet Willow. It is Willow and her dad now because her mum just left one day. Willow has so many unanswered questions about her mum Dorothy. Her dad just won't talk about her. This is another family filled with sadness.

"His misery grew and grew until it filled up the whole house and seeped out of the doors and windows into the year. It floated over the patch of weeds that used to be flowers that Dorothy grew. It circled the swing set where willow used to play while Dorothy pinned wet sheets on the clothesline. And it snaked around the mailbox where willow waited every morning at ten o'clock."

Willow is so desperate to receive a letter from her mum she even writes them and posts them to herself. Then one morning things completely change. Her father reads an advertisement about a motel that is for sale - yes it is the Sleepy Time Motel in North Carolina. 

The third person we meet in this story is Loretta. She is also looking for some thing so she can make sense of her life. Loretta is an adopted child. She has a beautiful loving family but she really knows nothing about her birth mother.  On the day of this story though, a parcel arrives. Her mother has died and the box contains "all her earthly possessions". A tattered pincushion; a Japanese fan; a silver pocket watch; a picture of a hummingbird; a Bible; tiny scissors; a sparkly poodle dog pin; a pale blue handkerchief with the letter P embroidered in pink; a heart-shaped box made of red velvet and a silver charm bracelet. Oh and there is a photograph of a young girl about the same age as Loretta. The charm bracelet is the key to what happens next. Her mum and dad agree to visit all the places that match the charms. I imagine you have guessed that Loretta and her parents are going to end up at the Sleepy Time Motel.

Then we meet Kirby. Kirby is a troubled boy. His mum does not understand him and he does not like the latest step dad. Things have become so bad that he is now being sent juvenile detention centre/school. His step dad does not come on the long journey. The car is old and yes, it breaks down and yes this happens near the Sleepy Time Motel. Kirby is angry and desperately missing the only person who ever showed him any kindness - Burla Davis - the old lady from next door.

Now you have met all of the characters (the chapters alternate their voices) I invite you to read this wonderful story of healing and new beginnings. I am always drawn to books like this especially ones where places (and people) are in need of repairs. Oh, and this book, even though you know there HAS to be a happy ending, has just the right amount of tension to keep you flying through the pages. Hooray for Barbara O'Connor! This is resoundingly a five-star book.

I often look for character descriptions:

"Her face was lined and leathery, but her eyes were clear and sparkly. She kept pushing the stretched sleeves of her sweater up over her bony elbows."

"The one who smelled like lavender talcum powder. The one who made doll clothes out of dishcloths and cradles out of oatmeal boxes. The one who called her Lulu ..."

Here is the teacher's guide.

As these unlikely folks come together in Aggie’s tumbledown motel, they find something they need through the friendships that form. O’Connor artfully weaves together the hopes, fears, disappointments, sorrows and joys of her multi-generational cast to produce a warm and satisfying conclusion. Kirkus

Publisher blurb: Aggie isn't expecting visitors at the Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smoky Mountains. Since her husband died, she is all alone with her cat, Ugly, and keeping up with the bills and repairs has become next to impossible. The pool is empty, the garden is overgrown, and not a soul has come to stay in nearly three months. When she reluctantly places a For Sale ad in the newspaper, Aggie doesn't know that Kirby and his mom will need a room when their car breaks down on the way to Kirby's new reform school. Or that Loretta and her parents will arrive in her dad's plumbing company van on a trip meant to honor the memory of Loretta's birth mother. Or that Clyde Dover will answer the For Sale ad in such a hurry and move in with his daughter, Willow, looking for a brand-new life to replace the one that was fractured when Willow's mom left. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that Aggie and her guests find just the friends they need at the shabby motel in the middle of nowhere.

Companion reads:

Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel

Front Desk (note this has a very different US Cover)

Louisiana's Way Home

Other books by Barbara O'Connor:

Halfway to Harmony

How to Steal a Dog

Wonderland

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

Wish

Summer of Shipwrecks by Shivaun Plozza

Do you have a best friend? Is this friendship so important to you that you would try to change yourself to keep this friend? Is it possible to think of someone as your best friend when you only meet once a year for two weeks when your families visit a seaside campground? It is this last point that I found a little unlikely and yet this was the main driver of the plot - with Sid desperate to win the approval of Lou. 

Sid regards Lou as her best friend and so when Lou brings Hailey along this year it is clear things will be different. You have read this plot line before I am sure - once there were two friends and now there are three girls - is there a way they can all be friend. The annual holiday location is called Shipwreck Coast and Sid is totally caught up in the story of a shipwreck from years ago. 

"Since forever I've spent the last two weeks of summer holidays camping at Penlee Point, so I know about every shipwreck that's ever happened her. ... The Penlee set off form London ... March, 1879; there were fifty -four people on board; ... the Penlee hit a reef off Desperation Point and only took ten minutes to sink; the ship was carrying nineteen million dollars worth of treasure; ... only one person survived: Katherine Natpier."

Last summer Sid and Lou found a coin which surely must come from the ship's treasures. Sid has huge plans for her time with Lou but this year everything is different. Hailey just wants to sit on the beach. Hailey is 'cool' and she wears a bikini and she has her period. Hailey seems to know about boys - how to flirt with them and get their attention. None of this interest Sid but she feels she needs to change so she and Lou can go back to the way things were.

It has taken me a while to read this book mainly because instead of settling down and reading long sections I tended to read only 3-5 pages at a time. I was a little invested in the main character Sid but most of the time she really exasperated me. I just wanted to say 'please stop trying to please Lou because she is no longer noticing you'. 'Please be brave enough to be yourself'. 'Please stop making promises and telling lies so you can get back with Lou'. Lou is giving all her attention to Hailey and Lou in turn is letting Hailey manipulate her activities, taste, reactions to boys and especially her relationship with Sid. Growing up should not be this hard. Poor Sid. 

The suggested age for this book is 10+ but I think it might better suit 11+. Other reviewers really enjoyed this book:

Summer of Shipwrecks is a tender and poignant story of best friends growing apart, and the grief that accompanies this change. It’s also an exciting mystery of long-ago shipwrecks and lost treasure, and how life continues – even after incredible suffering. For me, a highlight is the relationship which slowly develops between Sid and her almost-stepsister, which vividly relates all the awkwardness, pain, and surprising moments of joy which can occur as two families become one. Readers ... who like contemporary, character-driven fiction will wholeheartedly enjoy this story. StoryLinks

ReadPlus review. Reading Opens Doors.

Here is an interview with the author and Joy Lawn for Paperbark Words. There is a link to a set of teachers notes for Summer of Shipwrecks on the UQP page but in my view this is not a book I would use for class study - it feels more like a book to be read privately by a girl who is either at the end of Primary School (Grade 6) or just beginning High School. 

If your readers enjoy this book, I would recommend these companion books especially Junonia which follows very similar themes of change and growing up and summer holidays and altered expectations. 

Shouting at the rain (5 stars from me)

Junonia (5 stars from me)

The first summer of Callie McGee

You could also look for a couple of older books - Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord (2014); and Takers and Returners by Carol Beach York (1974).

Just before I left for the IBBY Congress in Trieste a parcel arrived from UQP (University of Queensland Press).  I simply didn't have time to read the two books which were released 3rd September - Summer of Shipwrecks The Lost History by Melanie La'Brooy. The Lost History is a sequel to The Wintrish Girl but with over 430 pages I won't be ready to talk about this one for a week or two. 

I previously read this book by Shivaun Plozza:

Meet me at the Moon Tree

Home for Grace by Kathryn White illustrated by Rachael Dean

Jess and her mum see a lady sitting outside a shop. Jess notices the lady has a sleeping bag, a cup, a glass bottle, a big spoon, a plastic picnic plate and an old cushion. She also has a ginger cat. At first Jess is too shy to talk to the lady but mum discovers her name is Grace and over time Grace shares the contents of her special tin of treasures and through these precious objects Jess and her mum learn a little of Grace's story. Grace is a refugee. She and her twin sister were very young when their mother was forced to flee. In the refugee camp the children learned how to fold paper butterflies - this is just one of the treasures. Each one is part of Grace's story - a photo of a woman and man with two children, three origami butterflies, two tiny cloth dolls, two woven bracelets, a pebble and a pouch of seeds.

The seeds made me think of Amira's Suitcase. 

In an act of kindness Jess and her mum give Grace a different sort of treasure box - with food, a hat, water, a notebook and pen. Jess makes a box for Luna the cat with cat food, a little old warm sweater, a drawing of Luna by Jess and a pom pom on a string. 

We never read about Grace's twin sister or her parents but one day Jess and her mum arrive at the shop and Grace is gone. 

"Each day on my way to school I looked for Grace and Luna. But they never came back. I made a Christmas card for Grace. I left it in the shop doorway, just in case." 

I am not going to tell you what happens next but please consider adding this story of compassion to your school library. It is a perfect book to use when you discuss the Sustainable Development goals - 1. No Poverty.

Andersen Press blurb: No one knows who Grace is. One day, she appeared in a shop doorway in a sleeping bag, with a cat called Luna, surrounded by strange things. When Jess and her mum strike up a friendship with Grace, Jess has questions: why did she leave her home? Does she have enough to eat? And what happens when the cold weather comes?

This is a thirty-two-page picture book, but the story is so powerful that I found myself sobbing by the final pages. When you share this book with a group of older students you might like to talk about the shop doorway. It is a lighting shop - is this symbolic of Grace's search for light, her need for light in her life, her need to find a new home in this new land moving from darkness into light? It is the parts of this story that are left unsaid that make this such a powerful reading experience. 

Kathyrn White’s compassionate characters highlight the issues around refugees arriving in new lands, and how difficult it is to build a new life. The mother and daughter’s generous gestures toward Grace show how wonderful friendships are made in the most complex and harrowing of circumstances.

Love Reading 4Kids have a useful list of books about refugees and the issues around homelessness. You can see other books by UK author Kathryn White here. 

Companion books:

I saw Pete and Pete saw me

Crumbs

The Old Man

Digger digs down by Johanna Bell illustrated by Huni Melissa Bolliger

Digger is a dog. Digger is a dog who digs. Nothing will stop Digger in his quest to dig down and down and down except when he bumps into something and so he digs right then left then round and round and round until he reaches somewhere quite surprising. Then he hears a voice from above:

"Digger! Where are you?"

So, it is time to dig again - this time up and up and round and round and left and right and upside down until ...

If you are going to write a book with only thirty words it is important to add a rich unspoken story in the illustrations and that is exactly what Huni Melissa Bolliger has done in Digger digs down. An adult sharing this book, or any really good picture book, with a very young child needs to enjoy the book too. The text here is very, very simple almost at the level of an old basal reader from the 1950s or 1960 but so much is going on under the ground as Digger digs deeper and deeper. This means adults and children will enjoy revisiting this book for repeated readings and there will be lots to talk about. 

I especially appreciated the way the first page has no text. You also need to begin reading this book from the title page because that is where the story starts. IF this book does ever appear on a service like Story Box Library I do hope they begin their 'reading' from the title page onwards. The end papers hint at the colourful marvels Digger will find deep under the ground. OH and please think about the rainbow on the cover. After reading this book with your young reading companion or with your preschool group you are sure to want to talk about the idea of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

The illustrations in this book, as I have said, really take this book to another level. They are full page and made with vibrant saturated colours printed on glossy paper. There are pages you need to turn sideways and the text is positioned to mirror the context - for example the words go down the page as Digger digs down and they are curved when he goes round and round. The 'noisy' words are given emphasis because they are written in capital letters. Blurry or smudged edges to his fur show Digger in action as he romps below and above the ground. He is an adorable orange coloured shaggy puppy full of energy. If you met him in real life you would want to give him a pat and a hug although I think he would probably jump all over your first. The word exuberant certainly applies to this energetic young dog. 

I was sent Digger digs down by UQP (University of Queensland Press). It will be published at the end of July, 2024. See inside this book here. This book will be a good addition to a preschool book collection and as a read aloud it will work well with words like donk!, bonk!, clonk!, and swish swish swish for young children aged 2+. 

Publisher blurb: Join happy-go-lucky Digger as he ditches the boredom of backyard life for an underground adventure. What will he find? What won’t he find? Packed with hidden treasures, this picture book is perfect for small children who love dogs, digging and discovery.

Johanna Bell is an award-winning children’s author, poet and Churchill Fellow ... Digger Digs Down is Johanna’s sixth picture book and her first created in nipaluna/Hobart with fellow Tasmanian Huni Melissa Bolliger.  

Huni Melissa Bolliger (you can see a show reel of her work) is an award-winning animator and artist. Her films have won awards in Australia and internationally, including a prestigious Special Jury Prize at Hiroshima Animation Festival. ...  Digger Digs Down is Huni’s picture-book illustration debut.

Background information shared by the publisher:  The story of Digger was first conceived when Johanna’s daughter (then three years old) began telling her a story about a dog called Digger, which was quickly scribbled on the back of a receipt. And in her debut as picture book illustrator, Huni, an animator, found inspiration for Digger in her very own Digger, her dog Rufus.

Here are some other books by Johanna Bell:

Go Home Cheeky Animals was the Winner: Territory Read Awards, Children's or Young Adult, 2018 and
Winner: CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, 2017. 

Hope is the Thing illustrated by Erica Wagner has been shortlisted for the CBCA New Illustrator award for 2024. I am tipping it will be the winner!

A Small Collection of Happiness by Zana Fraillon illustrated by Stephen Michael King

"Hattie's father had told her then that full-moon wishes were the most powerful wishes of all ... Ever since that night, whenever there was a full moon, Hettie would push open the window. She would look at the moon and imagine she was back there on that hill with her father. And then she would whisper her strongest, most fiercest, 

most important wish to the moon."

This story is told in twenty-five parts or fragments. I cannot call them chapters as each one almost stands alone and yet of course they are interconnected and do need to be read from first to last.

The Characters:

1. Hattie

Hattie is a young girl who lives in a tall, run down, apartment building in an urban city. Hattie is a lonely girl with a lively imagination. She is in need of a friend and also an adventure. We only very briefly glimpse her mum on page 170 and we are never really told explicitly about Hattie's dad but there are fragments in this story which will tell you dad is no longer there and perhaps he has died. Hattie holds memories of their times together close to her heart. 

2. Ada

Ada is an older lady who has recently lost her partner - a woman who she loved so deeply named Bessie. Ada arrives late one night and moves into the empty apartment next door to Hattie. In her pocket she has an envelope which contains a mysterious letter. 

"No one saw Ada arrive. Not even Hettie. No one saw her drip and squelch and puddle her way through the gates and down the path. No one saw her wait and wait and wait for the elevator that had been broken for a year already and wasn't about to start working now .... No one saw her slowly drag her suitcase up the metal stairs - thump, thump, thump - to the fourth floor."

Ada seems gruff and set in her ways but over time she and Hattie somehow forge a close relationship. Ada is writing a very curious book entitled How to Live. It is filled with quirky advice (I loved this part of the story) such as:

"Spend at least a week walking in someone else's footprints."
"Go to the top of a hill and whistle your favourite song into a bottle. Leave the bottle on someone's doorstep so that when they open it, they too can enjoy the song."

3. Salim

Is a boy who is a little younger than Hattie. He has seen the footprints of the elusive panther that people think is prowling their neighborhood. His mum makes delicious soup which Hattie would love to eat. It is very clear right from the beginning that Hattie and Salim are destined to become friends even though Hattie herself would deny this. 

After Ada's arrival on the stormy night Hattie heads next door to visit her new mysterious neighbour. Over time we watch as Hattie and Ada share tiny moments of joy such as watching baby spiderlings unfurl their tiny threads and float away on the breeze; listening to the world very early in the morning before the sunrise; and collecting special objects to add to their bag - their small collection of happiness. And they both enjoy cups of tea and the Friendship Biscuits Hattie bakes - I do wish the recipe was included at the back of the book. We also watch the evolving friendship of these two, very different characters.

I am not sure I can relate too much of the plot of this book without spoiling your own reading journey. This story is told in fragments (I have used that word a few times here) and reading it felt like I was trying to catch a butterfly. You can see this beautiful creature, but it is always just out of reach and perhaps just out of focus - an exquisite tiny piece of the natural world. This book is also an exquisite piece of expertly crafted storytelling with a gentle conclusion.

Here is a text quote:

"Hettie slumped onto the couch. She ran her fingers over Ada’s patchwork quilt and wished that she had something like this, something passed down through her family. Her family was all so scattered and lost and forgotten that she hardly knew anything about them. Sometimes she felt like she didn’t really belong anywhere. She wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by a great, big, huge family. To know there was always someone to talk to, someone to go to if you needed help. Someone who had stories to pass on and secrets to share. Someone who would give her a quilt one day and who would know that she would pass it on herself."

Do not rush your reading of this story - slow down, take your time, enjoy the way each fragment (that word again) quietly reveals more about Hettie and Ada. There are page breaks between the 'chapters' and I think these are designed to help you slow down your reading.  I do hope the CBCA judges add this book to their 2025 Younger Readers Notables list.

I am not a big fan of endorsements on book covers but it is very special to see UK author David Almond says: "I enjoyed this strange, inventive and moving tale." 

Oh and I do LOVE the cover. Give it a shake when you find the book so you can also see the way the designer has included spot vanish as an added layer of sparkle. 

I can also see why the publisher thought to ask Stephen Michael King to illustrate this book - he was the perfect choice and I imagine he loved contributing to this book. You can see inside this book and read the opening pages here. And you should explore these teachers notes by Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright. 

Robyn Sheahan-Bright says: This whimsical tale has the stamp of a classic story. It is a multilayered tale about happiness, wishes, reality and imagination, family and friendship, urban renewal, urban myths, and individual and community memory. Peopled with two memorable characters, Hettie and Ada, it powerfully reinforces the notion that both imagination and human connection can enrich and sustain a life in a myriad of ways.

This unique and quiet story reminds us that we should look for what matters in the small, everyday moments, as this can mean more to people than the big moments. The Book Muse

This is such a unique, whimsical story with elements of magical realism and captivating, often abstract ... Facebook Reading Opens Doors with Elise Ellerman

With its themes of friendship, hope and happiness, it will definitely find a place in the hearts of many young readers who enjoy a story with a difference. Kids Book Review

Companion books:

Hazel Green 

(Read the comment below from Zana Fraillon)

View from the 32nd Floor

This one is long out of print, but I constantly recommend it- hope you can find it.

The Silk family series

The Book of Gold by Bob Staake

Isaac visits the New York public library with his parents:

"Isaac's parents loved books. They adored how they smelled and the way they felt in their hands, but most of all, they loved discovering the answers hidden inside."

Isaac is not interest in books but later his parents take him into a curiosity shop and the owner tells Isaac:

"There is a legend,' she explained, 'that somewhere in the world there is one very special book that's just waiting to be discovered. It will look like any other book, but it holds all the answers to every question ever asked, and when it is opened, it turns to solid gold."

This idea puts young Isaac Gutenberg, a boy who has declared he does NOT like reading, on the road to discovery. He hunts high and low looking for this promised golden treasure and along the way he finds a love of reading, develops his curiosity and finds answers to his questions. Perhaps the "book of gold" will never be found but Isaac finds an even better treasure. I hope you have guessed what this is.

Here are some of the questions Isaac asks:

• Why don't the pyramids have windows?
• How can something as heavy as a ship float?
• Who invented pizza?
• Were dinosaurs covered in fur?
• Why don't elevators also travel sideways?

and my favourite question

• How did the number eight get its name?

It is also fun to think about the name Gutenberg. 

You might like to use this book when you talk about the 2024 CBCA Book Week Slogan "Books are Magic." 

For adult readers here is something you need to know about The Book of Gold.  I picked up a copy of this book at a 50% off sale and so now I have seen under the dust jacket - it is truly special but of course difficult for libraries to cover the book and still allow the removal of the jacket:

The book has two covers. If you detach the wraparound cover with the image that everyone associates with the book, you'll find the paper-on-board cover -- which I designed to look like an artifact squirreled away in the recesses of any dusty attic. It's my hope that children will find the book years from now (minus the wrap) and realize that THEY have indeed found the elusive Book Of Gold.

Publisher blurb: Young Isaac Gutenberg isn’t a curious boy . . . that is, until he meets an old shopkeeper who tells him about The Book of Gold. This special book, hidden somewhere in the world, holds all the answers to every question and turns to solid gold when opened. Isaac is determined to find the book—it will make him rich! He opens many books in his search, but quickly closes them when they don’t turn to gold. That changes one day when he opens a book, looks at the page, and a question pops into his mind. From then on, he reads every word. Time passes and Isaac ages, but he still scours dusty attics and flea markets, crisscrossing the world, searching for The Book of Gold. This sweeping picture book asks important questions: Is searching for knowledge better than having it? How important is curiosity? And what makes a life meaningful?

Here is the author web site. You can see a few pages inside this book on the publisher web site. There are some lovely touches in this book. The sepia pages that give that olden days feel, the name Gutenberg of course and the scenes inside and outside the splendid New York city Public Library. Make sure you look for another special book by Bob Staake - a wordless treasure called Bluebird. Here is a CNN interview where Bob talks about the ideas behind Bluebird.

Little Treasure by Chanelle Gosper illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith

 

Publisher blurb: A mother and child explore a deserted beach on a windy day. It is an afternoon they will both treasure always. A poetic and tender book about how the small moments spent together are often the most precious.

One of the important "outcomes" that comes from reading a well written and beautifully illustrated picture book to a child (of any age) is they will hear rich language.  Look at these examples from Little Treasure:

"A smooth purple pebble with silvery lines, a seaweed strand with beads so fine, blue sea glass in the shape of a bell, and a tiny pale pink heart-shaped shell."

"A piece of the night sky that fell from the stars, a necklace of green stones sparkling like glass, a precious sapphire as blue as can be, and a perfectly pink charm of the sea."

I don’t think there is one straight line anywhere in any of the images in the book. The illustrations have a fluidity that capture the shifting nature of the beach setting and the make-believe scenes from the characters’ imaginations. Towards the end of the book, we begin to grasp the dual meaning of the title, Little Treasure. For while the child is lost in her world of seaside treasures, the mother is treasuring the experience of being with her innocent, inquisitive daughter. Reading Time

The ordinary becomes the extraordinary as shells and seaweed become a mermaids’ jewels; a ship on the horizon transports treasure to unknown places; footsteps in the sand become pathways to new adventures and undiscovered worlds.  And throughout it all, is threaded the unending love between mother and child fed by the small moments that become memories and the joy of sharing them in a timeless bubble, reminding us that those are the most precious things of all. The Bottom Shelf

Stop and look at the end papers and then next time you visit the seaside you might look for this seaweed that is like a string of pearls. I found the scientific name for Neptunes Pearls Hormosira banksii.

Image source iNaturalist New Zealand

Little Treasure is a 2024 CBCA Notable Picture Book. 

A Sea of Stories by Sylvia Bishop illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

Roo goes to stay with grandpa for a few days. He lives in a small cottage by the sea with a wonderful view of the beach and a nearby lighthouse. In his younger days Grandpa was a fisherman and over time he has collected all sorts of interesting objects which now fill his house. Near Grandpa's house there is a small cove. It is a place Roo loves to visit but sadly Grandpa can no longer manage to clamber down the rough path.

Roo and her Grandpa do enjoy their day - playing hide and seek. In the late afternoon they settle down inside and Grandpa begins to tell Roo the most marvellous stories, true stories, using the curious objects in his collection. He begins with a gold dubloon which could be pirate treasure. 

Over the following days Grandpa shares lots of stories but Roo keeps thinking about the Cove. Grandpa loved visiting the cove and so many of his stories are set there, plus it was his favourite place to view the sun setting. Roo is a problem solver and a kind girl. When her parents return she explains the problem and her proposed solution. 

"They parked the car in the Market Square, and went to ask for help. Before long a great crew of people had assembled, carrying spades and buckets and wood and rope and tools of all sorts and sizes."

I will leave you to imagine the next scene and also to imagine the happy ending to this story. You will need to take time on the last page because there is something important and very poignant in the illustration. 

This poignant tale about a girl’s touching relationship with her grandfather is ideal for children who are moving on from picture books. Perfect to explore the concept of the past, it beautifully celebrates the value of sharing stories and memories. The vibrant, full-page illustrations have a dynamic, painterly quality and successfully evoke the wildness and beauty of the coast, bringing the text to life.  Book Trust

The illustrations are delightful, airy and with a frothy texture evoking the soft wildness of the sea in their special cove, and the scenes with the garden and the sea are just so evocative you can smell the salt and green leaves. Little Fae

This book is from a series published by Little Tiger either called Stripes of Colour Fiction. I talked about Little Rabbit's Big Surprise earlier. I really do highly recommend this series for independent reading and also as books to read aloud in a family. A Sea of Stories is aimed at a slightly older audience of 6+. The colour illustrations are especially fabulous. Paddy Donnelly is a children's picture book illustrator and author, originally from Ireland and now based in Belgium. His art reminds me of Salvatore Rubbino and especially the book Ride the Wind. 

You can see more art from this book here. 

And here are some of his books:

The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Helen Craig

First off I do need to tell you this book was first published in 1990 so it is long OUT of Print!! If you are a publisher reading this book (I know that is unlikely) but can I BEG you to republish this gem and then consider publishing lots of other Margaret Mahy titles (so many are brilliant). If you are not a publisher then I do hope you can find this book in your local or school library. 

This book is a perfect book to read aloud. I dream one day of using this book with a group of teacher education students - reading it aloud - as a way to show them the magic of a perfect read aloud book! The library I visit each week had a copy of The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper on their shelves and I was thrilled to see it was the larger format hardcover edition. My old library copy (which very very sadly was tossed out by my unqualified replacement) was just a small, very flimsy, paperback.

Mr Parkin loves his pumpkins.  On his way back from the garden store, pushing his wheel barrow filled with the very best potting mix, he passes a small plant creeping out from under a metal gate. The gate belongs Lily Rose Willowherb. 

The plant had "trumpet-shaped flowers of such a pure and beautiful blue that they reminded Mr Parking of the sky on a midsummer's day. For a moment his loyalty to pumpkins wavered."

But Mr Parkin should not stop to talk to this plant - she is utterly treacherous. Of course Mr Parkin is not listening to me!  The plant tells Mr Parkin she is being abused by Lily Rose Willowherb. 

"She makes me stay out in all weathers. She never reads to me or helps me enjoy the finer things of life. Take me home with you, and I will be your humble little pot plant, though I am actually a rare and valuable species."

Mr Parkin is not sure this is a good idea but the little plant tells him this is not stealing. She is happy to creep, creep, creep into his wheelbarrow. 

At home Mr Parkin put her in a pot, but this is a huge mistake because now her demands begin - more water, but not too much. Turn on the television - alas for the creeper Mr Parkin does not own a television. She demands entertainment. Mr Parkin tries playing his banjo but she is not satisfied.

"I can't bear it ... I need music, poetry, light and laughter. Is that too much to ask?"

Mr Parkin phones up the 'Dial-an-Orchestra' people who are listed in the telephone book. Just to add an aside at this point it would be such fun to show your young readers a real telephone book and also, if you can find The Boy who was Followed Home (also my Margaret Mahy) you might compare this scene with the one where the parents look up witches in their telephone book and find Mrs Cathy Squinge. 

Now back to the book.

The orchestra agree to come to Mr Parkin's house and they will bring their own strawberries but they also want champagne and a piano. Of course Mr Parkin does not own a grand piano but the orchestra come anyway. They fill up the kitchen and even have to perch on top of the fridge.

"The orchestra played mightily, sustaining itself with strawberries and champagne in between minuets and mazurkas."

But the creeper is not satisfied. She demands Mr Parkin read her some poetry and at that moment Lily Rose Willowherb arrives. She has heard the orchestra and has guessed her naughty plant is causing havoc for her poor unsuspecting neighbour. 

"He kidnapped me! He kidnapped me! ... He reached through the gate and dragged me into his wheel barrow. ... I'm too sensitive for this rough life ... I'm beginning to droop."

"You? Droop? You're as tough as old boots,' said Lily Rose Willowherb, whisking it out of its pot. 'You're so tough you're practically a weed!"

When I read this book aloud in my library I would always gather some ivy or other "creeping" plant so the children (Grade 2) could see the way creepers cling onto walls and fences. 

To those attuned, the satire here cuts with rapier precision, but Mahy's use of language is so deft and good-humoured that her tale will also be read as more lighthearted hyperbole. Illustrator Craig nicely extends the characterisations, adding plenty of amusing details Kirkus Star review

Margaret Mahy, as I have said in previous posts, was a superb storyteller. I do love the way each of her books has a different illustrator. This one is illustrated by the wonderful Helen Craig who also illustrated Jam. (And the Angelina Ballerina book series). 

Papa brings me the World by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

 

"My papa is a photojournalist. His pictures and stories are windows into magical worlds. Papa says he was born to explore. When Papa comes home, his pockets are treasure troves of silver and gold!"

Papa travels for and wide around the world and he always brings truly special things from over twenty five countries for Lu but the gift she really wants is to join him on his adventures.  Finally that day comes and they head off to Australia!

This book is based on a true story. You can read about that at the back of the book and there is a world map showing all the places Papa collected the treasures. 

The collage illustrations are scrumptious. You can see pages from this book on the publisher website. On the title page you will see a brown leather covered journal. This is the book Papa gives Lu ready for her to fill with notes about her own adventures. 

Readers in Australia are sure to especially love the illustration showing Papa and Lu walking towards Uluru. 

You can listen to an interview podcast with the author (40 minutes). Here is part of the Author Note by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw:

"That someday eventually came when we travelled to Australia together. It was a gift from my parents. Dad and I visited the Three Sisters Rock formation in the Blue Mountains. we ran five miles in the pouring rain along Sydney Harbour and up the steps of the Sydney Opera House. .... Thank you Dad, for sharing your joy of exploring and your wonder for all the world's diversity and beauty."

I also love this book, Same Same, but Different, by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw - it is one that should be added to all Primary school collections:

Grandpa's Gift by Fiona Lumbers

The subtitle of this book is "Finding Magic in everyday."  The magic in this story comes from the beautiful relationship between this young child, they could be a boy or a girl, and their grandfather. There is also magic in the unstated parts of this story.  

The young child has moved to the city. The words of the opening sentence resonate with unspoken events and unhappiness:

"The City had been home to me for three weeks."

Where has this child come from?

Why are they with their grandfather?

Has something sad happened to the rest of the family?

The child and grandfather enter a shop of curiosities. As the child looks more closely he or she begins to see there are interesting things in this second hand shop. Grandfather finds a small treasure. 

"It might just look like a boring, grey stone to you, but when I was younger, about your age, my grandma told me beauty and magic and be found in the most unexpected of places. You just need to look for it."

On the way home the child does begin to look. There are puddles and flowers, birds and statues, a fountain and a rainbow. Best off all there is a playground to explore and a new friend waiting.

"We were surrounded by the everyday fantastic, and for the first time in three weeks and four days, I felt hopeful."

This is a beautiful book to share with a young child. It could be a gift given to a grandfather to share with a grandchild. 

I adore the illustrations in this book by Fiona Lumbers. She is the illustration of The Secret sky Garden which is a book I absolutely love and the quirky and splendid book  I like bees, I don't like honey.

Fiona also illustrated the Luna books:

Fiona Lumbers words resonate with me:

I think the shared experience of a picture book is fundamental in a childs development. Even before a child can read, they are able to formulate stories from the illustrations. Picture books are their first introduction to literature, to the experience of storytelling, of being read to and of reading to others. They spark curiosity and they are windows into new worlds and experiences. CLIP