Afloat by Kirli Saunders illustrated by Freya Blackwood

This is another one of those picture books where I marvel at the way the illustrator, in this case Freya Blackwood, has interpreted the text which I imagine was sent to her on one typed page. There is no mention of walking along a riverbank but that perfectly sets the scene. Similarly, there is no mention in the text of people living in makeshift tents beside an industrial wasteland.  Then we see people who have gathered to weave yarn, and they are seen talking and sharing food. The people are weaving with yarn as you might expect when we see them collecting vines and rushes but this definition also shows the people have gathered to yarn together: Yarning or having an informal conversation that is culturally friendly and recognised by Aboriginal people as a way to talk about something, someone or provide information. Yarning builds on the oral tradition (genre) of handing down information.

Viewed from above we see various hands weaving the threads and on the next page there are different pieces emerging from baskets to nets and even a pair of wings for a young child. The finished work beautifully matches the patterns on the end papers. 

The final words in this book are so powerful and make this book a perfect one to discuss with students aged 10+.

"Push out next to me. We are here to brave the storm. Here to rise above. To survive. Stand up next to me. We are here to fly, here to shape this world together. To thrive."

Here are a couple of quotes from the author and illustrator notes at the back of the book:

"Afloat was written for First Nations People across the globe - it's for my community, it's for the weavers, and for everyone who is with us on this journey. ... The story follows an Elder, teaching gathering and weaving practices to a child. As they continue, more people join them, until all are united in their efforts to move towards a promising future where this knowledge is deeply known and valued. At the heart of Afloat is a metaphor of weaving together, to form a raft, to brave a storm as one." Kirli Saunders

"I wanted a visual narrative to show the typical but alarming journeys of our waterways, and it begins, as the text suggests, roaming the water's edge. ... Gathering weaving reference from all over the globe, I noticed similar patters across different cultures ... " Freya Blackwood

Blurb from Freya Blackwood: From award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders and seven-time CBCA-winner Freya Blackwood comes Afloat, a story told in a time of climate crisis. Against a backdrop of a changed environment, an Elder leads a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge and gathering community along the way.  Afloat is an uplifting and inspiring picture book that uses the practice of weaving as a powerful metaphor for the honouring and teaching of First Nations wisdom, and the coming together of all people to survive, thrive and create a more hopeful future.

I first saw this book in January, 2024 but I didn't take the time to read it slowly or think about it in depth. The CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2025 shortlists have been announced and Afloat is one of the six picture book titles. 

Here are two important reviews of Afloat:

Diverse community members work together to gather natural materials, process fiber, and weave vibrant textiles, and as the book reaches a heartwarming conclusion, their vision is at last realized. Though the complexities of Saunders’ metaphor may be lost on the youngest readers, all will feel empowered by her overarching message, summed up in her final words: “We are here to fly, here to shape this world together.” Kirkus

The spare and straightforward text describes yarning, which can refer both to fiber arts and to storytelling. “We are here to collect the vines. Here to find the rushes, to fuse the fibers…to soak and split. To roll between finger and thumb. To yarn…to knot and loop. Here to form bonds, to make ties…to unite.” Saunders’s understated prose alludes to traditional ecological knowledge passed down by women elders, to rising sea levels and cultural displacement produced by the climate crisis, and to the need to join together to effect change. Blackwood’s illustrations combine saturated details with soft-edged blending and warm, earthy tones with deep verdigris teals and sea-glass greens. Horn Book

I find it wonderful and curious that this book was sent to these two very major US reviewers. I made a similar discovery with the book Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr (make sure you read this wonderful middle grade novel. In my view it should have been a 2025 CBCA winner!)

You can see inside this book here on the publisher page. This illustration is the one that moved me the most from Afloat:

Push out next to me. 

We are hear to brave the storm.

If you or your school are members of PETTA you will find the link to a unit of work using this book here. 

Companion book:

Post update - this is a new book just released in July 2025. It would also be a splendid book to read after you explore Adrift.

If you can find them these two Caldecott books also might be good comparison books:

This might be a bit of a stretch but Afloat made me think of this wonderful book about community and refugees and finding a new future:

Ruby the Christmas Donkey by Mirabel Cecil illustrated by Christina Gascoigne

"The little animals were usually fast asleep now, but they could not rest while their old friend Ruby was so unhappy. They decided that since she could not make a warm winter coat for herself, they would make one for her."

This is a deeply poignant story about an old donkey who spends her summers giving rides to children at the beach but now it is winter. It is bitterly cold and usually Ruby and the other donkey named Scarlett are able to grow a warmer coat as they spend winter in a farm paddock but this year Ruby just feels too old to grow her coat. The wild animals are deeply concerned and so they weave Ruby a beautiful coat from various forest materials.

When the neighborhood children come to select donkey for their Nativity play they see Ruby in her magical coat. She looks perfect for the play and so she is led away to be the star of the show with the promise of a happy but not specified happy ending. 

Ruby's friends think her as precious as the gem she's named after in this deft tale of generosity, compassion and love. An aging donkey no longer able to grow a warm winter coat, Ruby faces her last days in icy misery. But the donkey's woodland pals literally give of themselves to weave Ruby a warm, colorful coat. To boot, her newly stylish appearance earns her a starring role in the Christmas pageant. Chipper animals rendered in soft, earth-toned watercolors, brighten the stark snowy landscape. Publisher's Weekly

Here is the hardcover edition:

This book is from 1980 and so it is long out of print. I picked up a copy at a charity book sale in 2019 for just AUS$1. I have seen a new first edition copy of Ruby the Christmas Donkey is for sale for US$65. I haven't been able to find out very much about the illustrator Christina Gascoigne except that she and Mirabel Cecil were neighbors in Norfolk UK. Mirabel Cecil died aged 80 in 2024.  Here is another of their books: 

Here in Australia it is the end of the school year and many school libraries take the opportunity to 'weed' or cull their book collections. Of course, this is necessary, but I would hope that the staff especially the teacher-librarians involved in this process might take the time to read the picture books they think need culling. A tiny insignificant book like this could easily be culled but that should not happen. This is a sweetly emotional story about kindness, empathy and Christmas with soft colour pencil illustrations. I do hope you can find a copy in your local or school library and while it might be too late this year perhaps you can share it next Christmas.