Gone by Michel Streich

It happened

on a quiet morning

in autumn.

I woke early and saw that my bird had died during the night.

My own bird died just like this one and, like this child, we discovered him in the morning. My mother and I buried my little yellow budgie in our garden under some trees and beside a small rock shelf. I often think about that spot in the garden and wish we had put some sort of marker. It makes me a little sad to think I am the only person now who has a memory of this - I think I was in about Grade 4 or 5 and it was one of the first sad events in my life. 

The child in this book also carries his little friend out to the garden - think about the words in this sentence:

"I gently carried the body into the garden and dig a little hole and there I buried my bird."

Now think about the depth of this sentence:

"I thought about how life ticks away. One minute, one hour, one day at a time."

And what happens when we die? Michel Streich does not shy away from this either - instead each family member contributes their own wisdom. 

Image Source: Michel Streich

You can see the interesting page design used in this book. The text is placed at angles and two of the double spreads ask the reader to turn the book sideways. 

This is a gentle, soft-touch exploration of life cycles and life spans and the emotions that are evoked, made more sensitive by the creator choosing autumn to be the time when the bird passes so the illustrations are naturally those warm colours of red, orange and yellow. Read Plus Barbara Braxton

About Michel Streich: I was born in the Westphalia region of Germany, where I grew up and studied visual communication and graphic design, specializing in illustration. After graduating, I moved to London and started my career as a freelance illustrator. Three years later, in 2000, I relocated to Australia. After living in Sydney for a decade, I am now based in the Blue Mountains West of Sydney.

I am so pleased the CBCA judges did not shy away from selecting Gone which deals with the big topics of death and grief. Last year we had the wonderful book A Leaf called Greaf. It might be good to revisit that book when you share Gone with your library groups from Grade 2 up. 

There are some terrific titles this year in the CBCA Picture Book Notables list - I have picked out four that I am hopeful will make the short list of six - maybe Gone will be one of them. 

I was interested to read the CBCA Judges notes. They mention Old Pig; The Tenth Good think about Barney; When Violet Died (which is a book I have never seen published in 1973) and another book with the one-word title 'Heaven'. I wonder if this might be the book by Nicholas Allen?  My choices for companion books are:

The dead bird

Circles in the sky

The Bear and the Wildcat

When I saw Michel Streich had a 2026 CBCA Notable title I knew I wanted to read it. I adored this previous book:

Writing about Scary Bird in 2021 when it didn't make the CBCA Notables etc. I said: "I am certain this will WIN other awards. I really thought this would be the 2021 Picture Book of the Year winner. Message to the publisher (Scholastic) - please send this book far and wide. Perhaps it might win a future Kate Greenaway Medal as Bob Graham did in 2002 for Jethro Bird Fairy Child or a Caldecott prize as we saw with Hello Lighthouse in 2019. Nop (Caroline Magerl) is on the 2021 Greenaway Medal Long List. I adore Scary Bird so much I plan to add a copy to my own picture book collection."

Here are some other books by Michel Streich:

General Waste

The worst dog in the world

After by Padraig Kenny

"Tell me again how the world ended."

Jen and her father live in the world of 'our' future. All the cities have been destroyed following a huge flood and also, as Jen discovers later, a violent war. At the heart of this destruction is just one man. Edward Seacroft is a tech genius. He has developed a way to build powerful robots called Merks and then he has convinced humans to implant chips in their brains but when his plans went  badly wrong he then implemented his first contingency. 

"Seacroft was the man who invented the Hive, an artificial intelligence network that spanned the globe ... He created robots and machines that were connected via this Hive intelligence. Then he had the bright idea of also connecting humans via implants. ...  Soon the Hive became such an accepted part of life that people were given implants at birth. ... But for some reason the Hive turned on the human race ... The Meks rose up. They showed no mercy. The war was bitter and short. Then the Flood came, overloading everyone and anything connect to the Hive."

People who were too poor for the implants have survived and, as this story begins, Jen and her Father have stumbled onto a small colony. Their leader, Albert, is welcoming and Jen knows this could be a place that she will feel safe but it is vital that no one discovers the true identity of her 'father'. Also who is Albert? Is this really a utopian community? What is hidden behind that locked door? Are the people right to be suspicious of strangers? 

There are eight chilling words in chapter 18:

"Human beings are useful. Up to a point."

Jen is a character who will linger with you long after you finish this book. She is so wise and insightful but also at times witty and funny.  The idea of brain implants is explored in another very old dystopian book that I read and loved decades ago - Devil on my Back by Monica Hughes.

Okay, so I need to say I have had this book on my 'to read' pile for over six months. The cover reminded me of another book I read by Padraig Kenny and I wrongly assumed this one would be similar. I did enjoy Stitch but it was a somewhat harrowing book and so I kept waiting to feel 'in the right mood' to tackle After. 

YES as I said I was wrong. After is a gripping book with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is not a horror story in the traditional sense such as another Padraig Kenny title - The Monsters of Rookhaven. This new book, After, has more in common with Tin published in 2018 because once again he explores the possibilities of robots and their role or interactions in our human world.

I found After when I visited an independent bookstore in Balmain. Chatting to the shop owner I mentioned I enjoy middle grade novels with a dystopian setting - she checked her database and handed me After but months later I had forgotten this conversation and I let the cover guide me, so I kept skipping past this book with the wrong impression of the contents.

Yesterday I started and finished After. I was so engrossed reading this on a bus that I totally stepped away from the 'real world' for several minutes. I love that feeling of being so absorbed in a story. 

This is science-fiction, a dystopian future, but also a message about how we care for each other, and why we do so. Just Imagine

From the outset, the reader is encouraged to question the dynamic between Jen and Father, who are wandering along a path hoping to find a better place, hunting for food and avoiding gangs of scavengers. They have an unusual relationship: Jen is an independent and clever twelve-year-old girl who seems to make a lot of the decisions for the pair, while Father is quiet, protective and obsessed with a parenting book he has read. ...  this (is a) fast-paced and action-packed take on what could be a frightening dystopian topic, that is handled in a moving and thought-provoking manner for young readers. From its gripping first line – ‘Tell me again how the world ended’ – immediately setting the scene, to the final thrilling climax, this book will open young readers’ minds to some big philosophical questions about what it means to be human, whether machines can learn to have feelings and how we treat those who are different to us. Who are the real monsters here, machines or humans?  Children's Books Ireland

Here is a radio interview with the author.

Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer from County Kildare, now living in Limerick. Previously an arts journalist, a teacher and a librarian's assistant, he now writes full-time. His first novel Tin and recent The Monsters of Rookhaven were both Waterstones Books of the Month. He has twice won the Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Fiction, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.

After is sure to make you think about similar issues to those raised in other robot books such as The Wild Robot. Jen's 'father' makes a sacrifice to save her life and the life of the people in this small community. How did the processors of a robot allow him to do this? If you are looking for other dystopian books and books about robots use the labels at the bottom of this post - this book covers lots of issues that should generate deeper discussions about technology, power, corruption, climate change, and even AI.

The wild Robot

This book also explores the issue of robots and emotions.

This book also reminded me of the pods that are found in this book:

The Raven's Song

The King and Nothing by Olivier Tallec translated by Nick Frost and Catherine Ostiguy

"There was once a king who had everything."

Stop and think about this sentence and the title. Now go onto this sentence:

"He lacked almost nothing."  

Wait a minute the king interprets this as he lacked Nothing. He needs Nothing. He is a collector and so he is missing this 'thing' called nothing.

Perhaps Nothing is something tiny - like a microbe. Or maybe he can find Nothing in the desert or perhaps in the vast night sky. The king demands everyone in the castle - someone must bring him Nothing. Even a tiny leaf is actually something and burning it just leaves ashes. He cannot even do nothing because that leads to daydreaming. He decides he might find Nothing if he gives everything away. He has an amazing collection of stuff but it all needs to go. The end page is sure to give you and your group of older students some thing to think about. 

Bookseller blurb: There once lived a king who had absolutely everything—and we mean everything. From elephants without trunks, to caramel-flavored ice skates, to caterpillars on bicycles, and even storm clouds that refused to make lightning. Yes, there was simply nothing you can imagine that this king did not have . . . well, except for nothing itself. From author-illustrator Olivier Tallec, The King and Nothing is the wonderfully whimsical and philosophical take of one person who searches high and low for nothing, only to encounter something at every turn. Just how far will the king go to find nothing?

Heady stuff, but potentially thought-provoking fare for budding existentialists. Kirkus

Despite his important anti-materialist message, the book’s cartoonish characters all sport big noses and googly eyes, which add to the fun. Even very young children will be able to grasp that the king’s library and cabinet of curiosities (bulging with rain clouds, sandwiches, bats, cacti, and moon boots) contain more than enough stuff for a lifetime. A timely message about how the chaotic mess of too many possessions can be countered with thoughtfulness, a desire for simplicity, and a deep clean out of one’s closet. YS Book Reviews

"He'd always been told you can find anything in books, so surely they would also be a good place to find Nothing. But the king quickly realised that although he had millions of books, their pages were always filled with something, a prince in love, different ways to repair a spaceship, or simple ways to prepare French-fry cakes. Decidedly, Nothing was not hiding in his library."

The French title is: Le roi et Rien.

Olivier Tallec graduated from the Ecole Supérieure d’Arts Graphiques in Paris and worked in advertising as a graphic designer before devoting himself to illustration. He has done many illustrations for newspapers and magazines and has illustrated more than thirty books for children. He lives in Paris.

One of the things I miss now that I no longer work in a school library is connecting books either in our library sessions or for staff. If I was sharing The King and Nothing these are the two books I would use as comparison texts (or just read for fun!).

The Greatest Treasure of Charlemagne the King

Teaching Children Philosophy - The Prindle Institute for Ethics

Interested in teaching philosophy and ethics to elementary school children? We’ve got over 250 discussion guides designed to help you introduce philosophy and ethics using popular children’s picture books. Each discussion guide will introduce educators to the key philosophical or ethical issues in the picture book. The guides also provide questions to help initiate a philosophical discussion with young children.

Have you ever thought of using children’s literature to teach philosophy to elementary school children? It may surprise you to know that children’s books often raise deep philosophical issues and that children love to think about them. Each of our book modules has all of the materials that you need to lead philosophy discussions with your students. We’ve chosen a set of books that we think are remarkable for their philosophical content, and we have assembled questions to use to initiate a philosophical discussion.

Today on her podcast Fuse 8 n’ Kate, Betsy Bird talked about Papa Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle and she mentioned and read an extract from The Prindle Institute for Ethics. Of course, I was SO curious. This is a brilliant resource and well worth taking some time for a deep dive. Take a look at their resources and questions for Papa Please Get the Moon for Me. 

Browsing The Prindle Institute so many of my favourite titles jumped out at me (pop these into my search bar) such as The Important Book; The Name Jar; The Quiltmakers Gift; Those Shoes; Sam and the Firefly; Corduroy; Waiting (Henkes); Extra Yarn; Elmer; If you give a Mouse a Cookie; Emanuel's dream; and Leonardo the Terrible Monster. I did spy (on a quick viewing) one Australian title - The Very Best of Friends by Margaret Wild illustrated by Julie Vivas (hint you cannot search by illustrator).

This could be a fantastic resource to share with your staff - perhaps give them a picture book from your collection and print out the page of ideas and questions. Some of our schools here in NSW each Ethics - I guess they have fairly structured and set lesson formats but if you have a chance to share this resource I imagine it would help the volunteer teachers deliver such rich lessons enhanced with beautiful picture books. 

Here is a screen shot of some titles from their site:

I put in the following filters to get this selection:

Grades 1 and 2; Art or Beauty

I put the following filters to get this selection

Grade Pre K; Life and Death

Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia translated by Sara Lissa Paulson

Where does the stuff of dreams go? 

Does it pass into the dreams of others?

I am a fan of books with questions (and sometimes even answers). This book has some incredible and possibly unanswerable questions that might spark some philosophical discussions with your students in all grades. Here are a few of the questions selected for this book from 39 of the original poems that I enjoyed thinking about:

Who shouted for joy when the colour blue was born?

Do unshed tears wait in little lakes?

How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom?

Does smoke strike up a conversation with clouds?

What knowledge is in the bee for it to figure out its itinerary?

Why don't they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun?

And what do you call that month between December and January?

See more art from Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

The text on this page says:

What do you call a flower that flits from bird to bird? 

Which birds dictate the order of the flock while it flies?

Editor's Note: "We hope that you enjoy these questions, and that, however they arrive for each of you, they come as a reminder of the vastness of our unknowing and a call to passionate engagement in endlessly re-envisioning the world."

Wait until you see the COVER of this book.  My image above does not do it justice. All of the printing is on a clear overlay and then when you lift this off you see the amazing illustration which stretches across the front and back covers.

With a clear acetate jacket with striking green lettering (an homage to Neruda’s affinity for writing in green ink, which he saw as the color of hope), this edition contains six magnificent gatefold spreads that lift to reveal more questions and expanded illustrations, inviting readers into deeper and deeper reflection. Enchanted Lion

Read more about this book and especially about the creation of the illustrations here. 

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was known as a poet and ambassador of the Chilean people. During a time of social upheaval, he traveled the world as a diplomat and an exile, served as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party, and published more than 35,000 pages of poetry in his native Spanish. Here are a few quick facts:

• Pablo Neruda was the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
• He published his first poems when he was 13
• A Czech poet, Jan Neruda (1834-1891), inspired the young poet and so he took his last name
• He received numerous prestigious awards, including the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971
• Neruda occupied many diplomatic positions in various countries during his lifetime and served a term as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party
• When Neruda died in 1973, The Book of Questions was one of eight unpublished poetry manuscripts that lay on his desk

El libro de las preguntas (The Book of Questions) contains:

"320 unanswerable questions, these poems integrate the wonder of a child with the experiences of an adult. By turns Orphic, comic, surreal, and poignant, Neruda’s questions lead the reader beyond reason into realms of intuition and pure imagination. In his introduction, O’Daly writes, “These poems, more so than any of Neruda’s other work, remind us that living in a state of visionary surrender to the elemental questions, free of the quiet desperation of clinging too tightly to answers, may be our greatest act of faith.”

The 320 questions in the original book were presented in a sequence of 74 poems each containing three to six questions for a total of 320 questions. 

"What Neruda shares with us as an old man isn't the arrival of truth, but the astonishing freedom of a curious mind that dares to reimagine the world again and again."

Here is the English edition of his book (for adults):

Awards for Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia:

• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the 21st Century (So Far)
• NYT Best Children’s Book of 2022
• Marginalian (aka Brain Pickings) Favorite Book of 2022
• Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of 2023, Outstanding Merit
• 2023 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf Selection

How did I find Pablo Neruda Book of Questions? I borrowed an odd little book from a library illustrated by Paloma Valdivia. At first I was unfamiliar with this name but digging deeper I found she was a Hans Chrsitian Andersen nominee in 2024 and that she comes from Chile. A few years ago our IBBY Australia group met up with an IBBY delegate from Chile and we were able to show her our NSW State Library children's book exhibition. Investigating the art of Palmoa Valdivia I saw this book cover and a few of the pages and I was intrigued. Then I saw this AUS$35 book was reduced to AUS$28 so I decided to buy it!

I have no expertise about Pablo Neruda but by chance I recently talked about this book which is a biography suitable for readers aged 7+ and which I was shown when we were hosting our visitor from Chile:

Pablo Neruda Poet of the People

One Day by Shirley Marr illustrated by Michael Speechley

"Mayfly has not regretted a second of the 

incandescent experience that is life. 

It has been a perfect day."

Mayfly is born in May. She will only live for one day so every moment is precious. Humans do live longer than one day but equally the underlying message in this book is clear - it is important to value your day and your relationships. It is also important to notice and celebrate the world you live in no matter how big or how small.

This book opens with a calendar page. The date 18th May is circled because this is the birthday of May (that's the name I am giving her) - the mayfly. A frog spies the newly emerged mayfly. He is the voice of doom. "The world out there will eat you up ... not that it matters. You'll only live for one day, anyway."

How will she react - here is the opportunity to talk about optimism. Mayfly says - "One whole day! It's hard to believe." 

As we watch Mayfly exploring her world including the big city, we also see a young girl with her grandparents. Think about their life journey. There is a scene where, as a reader, we are given a birds-eye view of the city. Notice the shop and building names - these are a powerful way to show a life journey - A1 Daycare; Day Street Primary; Day Street High School, Juan Dei University; Juan Dei Student housing; The Daily Grind Pty Ltd; Day Job Corporation; Daydream travel; Daily bakery; Sunset Retirement living; and Apel A. Daye Hospital.

Okay this is a big call, but I am going to say One Day is my 2025 book of the year (so far). I was previously a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) picture book judge. I wish I had that privilege this year so that I could champion One Day as a book that needs to be added to all school libraries. This is a perfect example of a multilayered picture book which can be shared across school grades. This book is sure to appear on lots of awards lists.

Walker Books Australia released One Day this week. They have made a teaching kit (aimed at a very young audience) but this book is sure to lead to very deep discussions with older readers in middle and upper primary classes about the circle of life, our human life journey, our brief time on earth, the importance of family relationships, along with -  techniques of illustrators, book design (colour palette, embossed lettering on the cover, end papers), and page/book formats. 

I don't often comment on the work of book designers, but Sarah Mitchell deserves a huge award for her work on this book. You can follow her on Facebook. 

The text of this book is brilliant, but it is equally brilliant to see how Michael Speechley extends this text with tiny illustration details AND the 'calendar-style' format where you turn this book sideways is so different and utterly perfect. (I was not able to find the official term for this).

There is a word that I quoted at the top of this post. It made me gasp:

incandescent

That is the perfect word to describe One Day by Shirley Marr - incandescent! Paul MacDonald used another perfect word in his review - "a stunner".

Here is some more of the text from One Day:

"To her astonishment she takes flight. But it's easy to feel small in a big world. Life is a map with no set destination. One that can take you in any direction. ... Life is a moment in time."

Interview: One Day introduces a little girl in a yellow raincoat to a mayfly who is determined to make every moment of her day count. ‘We playfully discussed, during a chance meeting, the hypothetical question of “What would you do if you only lived for one day?”,’ said Marr and Speechley. ‘The idea quickly became something driven primarily by the love of art and prose that neither of us believed would find publication—if not for the support of agent Gemma Cooper of the Bent Agency. We cannot wait for readers to delve into our passion project and meet Mayfly!’  ‘Shirley and Michael’s beautiful encapsulation of the notion of carpe diem has never been more beautiful,’ said Walker publisher Clare Hallifax. ‘From Shirley’s exquisite prose to Mike’s charming and inventive illustration, readers young and old will be charmed and inspired.’ Books and Publishing interview

Here is the very best companion book (sadly long out of print):

Mayfly Day

Try to find this book too:

Life

I highly recommend these middle grade novels by Shirley Marr - she is one of our top Australian children's writers. 

Countdown to Yesterday (5 stars); All four quarters of the Moon; A Glasshouse of Stars

Michael Speechley has been a graphic designer and high school art teacher in WA. His first picture book, The All New Must Have Orange 430, explores themes of consumerism and the environment. It was shortlisted and awarded as an Honour Book in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Children’s Book of the Year Award in 2019 and was the winner of The Wilderness Society’s 2019 Environment Award for Children’s Literature, Picture Books. His second book is The Gift, which was published in September 2019. This book deals with loss, kindness and the joy of giving. It was a Notable Book in the 2020 CBCA Book of the Year Awards and was shortlisted for the 2019 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards.

If I had a little dream by Nina Laden illustrated by Melissa Castrillon

"If I had a little house,

I would name it Love.

Love would make me happy

and protect me like a glove. ...

If I had a little pond,

I would name it Wonder.

Wonder would show me beauty

above the water and under."

You might like to read my previous post about picture books that contain poems, or philosophical musing. If I had a little dream perfectly fits this category. It is a lyrical book with scrumptious illustrations and it would be a comforting book to share during a quiet reading time with your young reading companion but you do need to know there is no actual narrative in this book. It is just a series of thoughts or dreams or musings. It could be a lovely gift for a new child or as a Christening present. If you read this book to a class of older students the form of each page/poem could be used as a writing stimulus.

If I had a little land; If I had a little house; If I had a little garden; If I had a little pond; If I had a little boat; If I had a little bicycle; If I had a little table; If I had a little chair; If I had a little dog; If I had a little cat; If I had a little brother; If I had a little sister; If I had a little book; If I had a little bed; and finally the last page matched the title - If I had a little dream.

See inside this book here

Jacket flap: Celebrate the wonder of the world in this reassuring picture book about the joy, love, and beauty that is part of each and every day. Our world is full of possibilities if you look for them.

Some people (reviewers) are lucky and are sent advance copies of new books - this rarely happens to me but I am lucky because twice each year our local Lifeline hold a charity book sale and I always find so many book treasures - many for gifts and some to keep.

If I had a Little Dream (2017) is listed as AUS$30 on an online bookseller site - my copy was AUS$4 from the sale and it is in mint condition, with an intact dust jacket which, when lifted, reveals a different cover image - I am a huge fan of this. Now I have to decide will I keep this book on my own bulging shelves or gift it to a family.

You can see more books by Nina Laden here. You could use this video with your library group (I would turn off the sound and read it yourself). 

Within the art’s parameters, each page turn produces a fresh look in terms of layout, negative space, and appealing, eye-catching details. The overarching sentiments are love and gentleness, and the verse and artwork complement each other as they lull a child into sleepiness. ... Easy on the eyes and ears; excellent for bedtime. Kirkus

I picked up this book because I have seen other books illustrated by Melissa Castrillon and I do really love her art style. Melissa Castrillon is an and English and Colombian illustrator based in the southeast of England. She spends a large chunk of her days illustrating and writing picture books for children as well illustrating and designing book covers for readers of all ages. She has illustrated more than ten picture books, written three and they have been translated into more than 20 languages around the world.

Her newest book published earlier this year is Love is my favourite Colour (Color for US readers).

Mighty Min

Nano

Dear Little One

Poetry with Pictures

No One but You; Happy; A feather on a wing; Now we're Together

I read a comment/question on a Facebook group towards the end of last year and it has lingered with me ever since.

"Sharing my thoughts and wondering. Out of the 12 picture books I read from the library this week only 3 had what I consider a narrative arc, with a problem/resolution - the rest were more poetry with pictures. Beautiful and lovely to read but not a story. Has anyone else noticed this trend towards picture books without a story." 

A Life Song; Don't Forget; When you're Older; Big and Small and In-Between

I love the words "poetry with pictures" and I immediately thought of so many examples. I often rate these books very highly because their language is lyrical and often the illustrations are so beautiful. They are also often very philosophical.

Now for some thoughts

• Is this a new phenomena? (no, see below)
• Do children respond to, and enjoy these books?
• Are these books a response to the 'mindfulness' movement?
• Are these books intended to 'teach' a lesson e.g. care of the environment, mental health, growing up etc.
• Can they be too didactic? (yes, they can be of course)
• Children enjoy books with a narrative but is there a place for these more lyrical books to be part of the reading experiences of a child?
• Is this 'movement' driven by publishers who want to appeal to the people who purchase books for children - adults, grandparents, etc.
• Is a strength of these books the way they expose children of all ages to beautiful and varied art styles?
• In our busy world is their a place for quiet, contemplative and thoughtful books like these?
• I am still pondering the name for this style of book - one friend suggested 'Plotless' but we both agree that has harsh overtones. I suggested a homily story. I read this definition: a piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave. That is nearly right but not quite. These books are not always about behaviour - often they feel more like philosophical ramblings. 

Here are a few book blurbs of books which fall into the category of 'Poetry with Pictures'

Footprint by Phil Cummings: Embark on a lyrical, meditative journey through nature's tapestry, where every step you take leaves a legacy of wonder and protection for the environment.

A feather on a wing by Maria Speyer: When a little girl feels lonely in the dark, her big sister takes her on a dreamy journey to imagine different ways they can be part of something bigger – as waves in the water, as raindrops in a shower or as feathers on a wing.

A life Song by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker: A musical journey from the time a child's life song first begins, through all its modulations, adding new verses and extra voices through the years, until it becomes their own unique composition - and one that is ultimately a part of the beautiful, grand and glistening score of the world.

Now we're together by Nicola Edwards: This life-affirming picture books takes readers on an adventure away from the glare of phone screens. Admire the wonderful world around us and take a moment to appreciate spending time with loved ones.

Just one Little Light

A song full of Sky

In answer to my own question are these books a new phenomena - no - this famous book was first published in 1977:

Read about these here - published in 2012

Let's go back and look at one of the newest books from this post - Footprint by Phil Cummings. I am a huge fan of his work. I think this might be the first book from his repertoire that I would put into this category of Poetry with Pictures. The publisher has (I would think) very cleverly combined the CBCA New Illustrator winner Sally Soweol Han (Tiny Wonders) with a lyrical text by Phil Cummings. 

Here is part of the text:

"Walk into morning, the open air. Wake to the wonder you find there. Trudge along the winding track. A precious load upon your back. Inherit the wonder of the forests tall. Cloaked in the mist from a waterfall. Listen to the whisper of the river flow. Wildlife watching as you go."

So, we see solitary children taking a bushwalk, then a different child on a canoe ride, then another strolling through a meadow of flowers, and yet another climbing up a rocky path. In my mind I could make connections between these landscapes, but the next page turn is a bit of a jolt as suddenly another child, who is now with a friend, is in the icy waters of the arctic and then on the next page a different child is in a mist filled forest. All of these scenes are beautifully captured but, as I quoted from the comment above, the text has no narrative arc. There are five individual children who we follow through each landscape and we do see them all doing good deeds for the environment but apart from that I couldn't really find a narrative (via the illustrations) that told their story. 

Having said all of that I would happily add this book to my school library. The language is lyrical, the illustrations are very appealing and the 'message' about caring for our world is delivered in a quiet and understated way. 

Kids' Book review said: It’s a bit like an instruction manual, providing inspiration for places to go but also reminding you to stop, take it slow and breathe as you go so you get to experience the moments. ... this is a tale for lovers of language and adventurous kids. With its gorgeous lyrical flow, it’s a lullaby in story-form that is engaging, inspiring and impactful.

Here are some other books that fit this category of Poetry with Pictures:

Wonder Walkers

Outside In

Picture books can be a cumulative story, a story told in dialogue, a story with contrasting views, a stream-of-consciousness story, a series of poems that tell a story, or a classic story featuring a main character with a problem to solve. But, if you sit me down with a stack of picture books and ask me to choose my absolute favorites, it’s likely a lot of them would be lyrical picture books. Those are also the sort of books I find myself writing lately. ... A truly lyrical picture book is one where the words are arranged to such perfection that you could read the text out loud, without even thinking about what the words mean, and still be struck by the beauty of the sound. Lyrical language has a poetic feel and rhythm – whether it rhymes or not. ... Lyrical books can have a traditional plot, but sometimes, they’re more about an emotion – encouraging the reader to think about or feel something. And the emotion that’s generated – whether it’s hope, laughter, nostalgia, or love – is what makes readers come back to the book again and again. Pat Zietlow Miller