Small Acts by Kate Gordon and Kate Foster

What if

we are all

searching for meaning

in all the wrong places.

What if we are

looking

in

mirrors,

websites

and catalogues

when meaning is not a thing that can be seen,

or clicked on 

or bought.

What if it is only something that can be given,

pushed out

into the world.

What if our own,

individual

meaning

does not exist,

but can only be shared,

like air,

like breath.

What if the only true meaning

is kindness?

In Small Acts we meet two kids - Josh and Ollie (Olivia). Both have issues and both find school and life itself can be difficult to cope with. Luckily in their Grade Five class they have the most wonderful teacher Mr Parham. As an aside if I could meet Mr Parham I would like to give him a huge hug and thank him for his kindness towards Josh and Ollie. He does not make a fuss about their autism - he just sets things in place which help both of them cope with their school day and he is always ready to listen. Oh, and unlike Josh, I think if I met him, I might make a comment about liking his red things - marker, socks, tie etc. 

Josh and Ollie do have things in common such as their autism and the fact that both of them have lost their very best friend - a truly devastating life change. But I love the way this book shows or tries to show that autism affects kids in very different ways and also the ways these two kids set up their own coping strategies are very different. And another interesting addition to this story is the character of Auntie Olive who is an autistic adult. Ollie's mum is her sister and when Aunty Olive was young she was lost in the bush for several days. This explains why Ollie's mum is so very protective her daughter Ollie. 

Both kids, independently of each other, decide the best way to get on in the world is to be kind. Josh is desperate to join one of the many clubs at school but none of them seem like a good fit. He decides to start a club of his own based around kindness. Meanwhile Ollie loves art. She sees a boy in the park who looks lost and alone. Her heart reaches out to him but she is so shy there is no way she could easily talk to this stranger so instead she makes a small sculpture and leaves it on the park bench for him to find. 

Here are some text quotes from Small Acts which is a narrative with a few sections in the form of a verse novel:

"Ollie was autistic like him and had been at Emu River as long as Josh, but he'd never really paid her much attention."

"It's okay. I was running with my eyes closed.' The boy smiled. It was like sunshine."

"Why was it so hard to make Ollie smile? Maybe he was only making Ollie smile on the inside. But how would he every know? He needed an outside smile."

"Ollie was more like Josh than he realised. Actually, Ollie was better at doing kind things than he was! Wow. Kindness was ... was contagious. That was a great word. Maybe doing kind acts wasn't only about making people smile; it was also to encourage other people to do kind things as well."

"I don't want to be one of your small acts ... I want to do Small Acts of Kindness, myself."

"... on that day Millie had broken her heart (and) Ollie had decided that she didn't deserve kindness. She didn't deserve friends. She didn't deserve people to like her. And so she would do everything she oculd to make sure nobody showed her kindness again."

If you are reading this book and you have not heard about the television series Bluey you will need to hunt out the episode called Sticky Gecko (referred to on page 133). Ollie also talks about her favourite book about a witch - The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy.

Small Acts will at times, break your heart, but under the skillful care of Kate Gordon and Kate Foster it will be made whole again by the end of the book not in a fairy tale way but in a very emotionally satisfying way. I highly recommend Small Acts for readers aged 10+. If this book was published in the UK I am certain it would be included on the Empathy Lab book list. If you read this book with a class your students could write their own lists of kind acts - and it would be even more powerful if they each did a small act of kindness anonymously. It seems obvious but an important part of reading a book about children autism (or any other 'disability') is that the story allows a child reader to enter the world of another child with a different set of life experiences or it shows a child who feels a like Josh or Ollie that they are not alone. If child is struggling with a 'label' like autism I'm not saying this book will make the experience any easier but perhaps it will help to both see the different ways Josh and Ollie experience peer relationships, the way they work hard to understand themselves, each other and others and also the way they bring others together through kindness.

The two Kates have collaborated to create an inspiring and optimistic, yet simple story, explaining how to learn what acts of kindness are; their value to those who receive, and equally, if not more, to those who offer them. Kids' Book Review

The book tackles significant real-world issues such as mental health, disability, and the impact of acts of kindness. By addressing these topics with sensitivity, the book offers readers a thought-provoking exploration of how individual actions can influence and improve the lives of others. It’s a compelling read that encourages empathy and understanding. Better Reading

Small Acts is a CBCA 2025 Younger Readers Notable title. I would not be surprised to see it make the shortlist of six.

Companion books:

The Unlikely Heroes Club (notice this is also by Kate Foster)

The Kindness Project

If you want to read another book about an inspirational teacher try to find this one:

Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus

Panda Book Awards

The Panda Book Award, initiated in 2008 by librarian Nadine Dewit Rosevear, invites students and teachers from participating international schools in China and beyond to vote for their favorite book published in the previous two to three school years. Titles chosen for the shortlists of the Panda Book Award meet selection criteria that focus on social justice, diversity and inclusion by up-and-coming authors and illustrators from across the world. There is an added spotlight on titles that feature Asian settings, characters or creators. 

There are six separate title lists according to age level:

• Early Years Readers (3-5 years) - picture books - Elementary School
• Younger Readers (5-8 years) – picture books - Elementary School
• Middle Readers (7 to 11 years) – chapter books - Elementary School/Middle School
• Middle Readers Graphic Novels (7 to 11 years) - Elementary School/Middle School
• Older Readers (11 to 14 years) – Middle School
• Mature Readers (15 to 18 years) – High School

Take a look here to see all of these titles

I saw a school library with a group of children using dot stickers to vote for their favourites in the picture book category and I squealed!! when I saw Floof had the MOST votes.

Out of the Jar is interesting because it is the third book in a series. These would be a fabulous addition to your school library. I previously talked about In a Jar. You can see more books by Deborah Marcero here.

You can see previous Panda Book Award winners here. 

Moon Mouse by Corrinne Averiss illustrated by Lora Hill

Moon Mouse lives all alone on ... yes the moon! There is no one to 'squeak to' but he is used to the silence, and he keeps busy with his garden, cooking and viewing earth through his gold telescope.

He especially loves to look for birthday parties. 

"Lost in that joy - he forgets ... he's alone."

Moon Mouse has a plan. He is building a rocket. When it is finished he hopes to go to a real birthday party - one with a magic show. Through his telescope he sees a terrific birthday with cake and singing and friends but then oh no, the little boy lets go of his birthday balloon. 

Have you ever wondered where those lost balloons go? Perhaps they get as far as the moon. Yay - Moon Mouse now has is very own birthday balloon. But what about that little boy - his balloon is lost. It must be time to fire up his rocket. How will he find this boy? What will happen when he reaches the house? Is there a way to deliver the balloon so it does not float away? Moon Mouse is very shy - will he talk to the little boy? Is there way they can become friends? You will notice that on planet earth has to wear his space helmet but from the cover you can see this is a very special kind of helmet - could this help the boy and the mouse?

With themes of kindness, friendship and its joys, and bravery, this charmer of a rhyming story is written by Corrinne Averiss and illustrated with details aplenty by Lorna Hill. Young children will particularly love exploring the scenes showing Mouse’s lunar abode and that of the birthday boy’s bedroom. RedReadingHub

The illustrations add so much to the text, as we watch Moon Mouse, with a rattle, a rumble, a BOOM and a BLAST, setting off for planet earth. The illustrated contrast between Mouse’s moon home and the birthday boy’s is great, as his lost red balloon is returned. Moon Mouse’s heart is bursting with pleasure, mission complete, as he zooms off into the night. We understand that a friendship has been cemented. A book to be savoured over and over, to be enjoyed for its rich language as well as for the quality of the detailed pictures. Books for Keeps

This book is a paperback. Here in Australia it is not expensive. This is a book you should add to your preschool library shelves and also to the shelves in your Primary school library along with other books by Corrinne Averiss. 

My Pet Star

Joy

Take a look here to see more glorious art by Lorna Hill. 

These long-loved things by Josh Pyke illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh

"I snuggle up and read you books that you read to me ... "

"I hold your hand and smile."

The text in this book is an ode to a long relationship which is coming to an end. The older adult or grandparent, is losing their memory, but the grandchild works hard to maintain a connection through shared memories. The memories come from photographs and experiences such as reading books together or eating a delicious cake with cream and jam along with visiting familiar places.

This book is a CBCA 2025 Picture Book Notable title. I think it might have a chance at making the shortlist. 

I love to think about an illustrator receiving the text for a picture book - perhaps on just one sheet of paper. There are no rules or constraints. The illustrator can use their creativity and imagination to add another dimension to the story. Picture books are such a unique art form - the combination of a literary text and art. Ronojoy Ghosh uses so many perspectives in his digital illustrations in this book along with very interesting ways of showing shadows. Each page turn is a total change of scene, colour and text placement. 

Here are some lines of the text that resonated with me:

"Words and songs and names may fade like leaves on a breeze, they might float away ... but the place in your heart where they land remains and when you no longer can, I hold your hand and remember."

Here are the very detailed Scholastic Teachers Notes.

You need to read this book very slowly and in a quiet place - try to set this mood if you are reading this book to a group in your library. This is a book you could read to children from Grade 2 right up to Grade 6. If you can allow the children to touch the cover of this book and talk about why the book designer has decided to deboss the image. With a group of older students you should also notice the dedication by Josh Pyke to his own grandmother Catherine. And talk about why the end papers are filled with autumn leaves. 

Other books about memory loss and the relationship between a child and a grandparent:

Phyllis and Grace

The Forgettery

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

Dance like a Leaf

Mr Mornington's Favourite things

Pidge's Poppies by Jan Andrews illustrated by Timothy Ide

Pidge and Henry (a pair of pigeons) live near the Canberra War Memorial. Henry explains:

"It's where people remember those who died in wars."

Pidge remembers stories from her ancestors about the war in 1939 and the war in 1914 and the way one of his long-ago family members received the Dickin Medal.

"If the telegraph lines from the battlefront were bombed, the pigeons could still carry messages from soldiers back to headquarters. They saved many soldiers' lives."

Pidge and Henry hear the guide talking about war heroes and poppies. It is time to build their nest and the scattered poppies left by visitors are perfect. Is this a true story? It certainly feels like one and the back cover says yes, it is so here is a missed opportunity - this book would be so much better with some back notes and more details about these true events at our Canberra War Memorial. Luckily it was easy to find this information.

Photo from the Australian War Memorial

Each day the pigeon has been flying down to the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier to steal poppies, carefully crafting a nest in the lead-up to Remembrance Day in an alcove above the stained-glass window of a wounded Australian soldier. Read more here.

Watch a video from Channel Seven (23 seconds).

The illustrations in this book by Timothy Ide are terrific. I especially like the way the war memory pages are presented in sepia. He is the illustrator of another wonderful book - Tom the Outback Mailman. 

Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher. Further reading from the Australian War Memorial.

I wonder why/how this 2024 book was missed by the CBCA 2025 Book of the Year judges. This is a book that could be shared with your youngest students who are sure to be amazed at the contribution of pigeons in many past wars.

Ide’s illustrations show a deep understanding of the text. The multi-layered illustrations create the visual story with much skill. The illustrations really shine a light on the story. The pigeons are lifelike in appearance and movement. The colours used vary according to the time frames. I love the sepia effect when the story travels through the world wars. The vivid red of the poppies sing and pop on the spreads they appear. Buzz Words

Look for these books too:

Lofty's Mission

Spies in the Sky

This final one might be hard to find in Australia but I saw it at the splendid D Day Museum in Portsmouth.

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire by LM Wilkinson illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

Bookseller blurb: Titch and Huckleberry are on an epic quest. They have followed their hearts ... right into the path of a terrifying swamp monster, and a village full of brainwashed squirrels! Maybe their hearts aren't to be trusted? Maybe Titch is just an ordinary little mouse and not Bravepaw after all ...? But Bravepaw or not, Titch is not about to give up. Can she defeat the greedy turtle controlling the squirrels, and discover what his glowing green gem has to do with the legend of Bravepaw and her quest to save Alluria?

This is the swamp monster called a Bogbungler

It is wonderful scene when this slimy loathsome creature is defeated 

by Titch, Huckleberry and their new brave friend, a squirrel named Briar.

Image source: Instagram Lavanya Naidu

This book opens with the prophecy that you might remember from book one:

When the sky fills with shadows

And all is turned to grey

Bravepaw will come.

When hope turns to ashes

And all have lost their way

Bravepaw will come.

The Heart will light the dark

Night will turn to day

When Bravepaw comes.

Titch and Huckleberry have set out on their journey. They find themselves lost in a swampy area. Luckily a new friend named Briar arrives to help them but she then shows them something terrible. This area is a terrific place to find mulberries but somehow all the local squirrels have been enslaved by an evil turtle named Muskeg. Muskeg has a gem around his neck and this seems to be where is power comes from. Titch realised this is connect with the dreadful curseworms you might remember from the first book. At this point I need to stop and say you do need to read Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria in order to make sense of this second installment. So once again Titch and her friends have to defeat several enemies and then find a way to continue their journey and fulfil the prophecy. 

Last night I re-entered the world of Bravepaw and the heroes Titch, Huckleberry and little Dollop. This is the second book in the series but so far I cannot find out how many more are planned. We discover in this second instalment that Titch and her team have to find all the 'Gems of Harmony'.  In this book they have found and restored the Clawstone. We also know they now have to go to the library city of Lexhelm where they will find clues about the other missing gems. So the way is open now for book three!

I was so disappointed Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria did not make the 2025 CBCA Younger Readers Notable list but now it is even more important that you don't lose sight of this series. They should be added to your school library - a great quest, terrific writing, memorable characters, inviting covers, Australian, and perfect for junior readers aged 7+. 

Titch, Huckleberry and Briar are some of my favourite characters in contemporary children’s literature, and a series like this shows that children’s books can be timeless, they can be the kind of book that doesn’t attach themselves to a specific time or era. These can be very powerful, because rather than connecting with readers through a time, place, or items they can recognise, they use themes and what makes us who we are to connect us with the story and the characters.  The Book Muse

Better Reading list three reasons to read Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire:

1. Who says you need to be a giant warrior to be a hero? Titch proves that even the smallest creatures can have the biggest hearts! She might be unsure at first, maybe she’s not Bravepaw after all, but one thing’s for sure: Titch won’t back down. She’s a great example that even when you feel small or ordinary, you’ve still got the power to be a hero. Plus, there are some magical gems along the way that might help too. Extra sparkles for that heroic flair!

2. The best part of any fantasy adventure? Magical prophecies that might come true! Titch needs to discover the truth about her quest, the legendary Bravepaw and the mysterious glowing green gem the turtle is wearing. What’s its connection to the fate of Alluria? How do the Gems of Harmony fit in? 

3. There’s so much mystery and wonder, you’ll want to unravel every single secret hidden in the pages.

Sure, there are monsters and gems, but the real magic in Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire is the unbreakable friendship between Titch and Huckleberry. They stick together, face dangers head-on and remind us that being brave isn’t just about fighting—it’s about supporting your friends, no matter what. This story shows that the strongest heroes are those who can rely on their loyal friends!

When I read the first Bravepaw book I immediately thought of the Redwall series (and other heroic animal stories) and it seems this was one of the inspirations for Lili Wilkinson. That's great but I do hope she only plans to write three or perhaps four books for her series. There are 22 books in the Redwall series - I think I read about four or five before I lost my stamina.

Here is a quote from the teachers notes for the first book:

‘Bravepaw sprung into existence over breakfast with my fabulous publisher Susannah Chambers. Our kids are besties, and we were discussing their reading and play. My kid Banjo loves reading funny, silly books like the Treehouse series and Real Pigeons, but when he plays, it’s deadly serious, high-stakes adventure. I found myself longing to introduce him to the classic children’s fantasy that I loved as a child – Brian Jacques’ Redwall, Tamora Pierce’s Alanna and Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn. But at the time he was still a bit too young for those. The Bravepaw series is an introduction to high fantasy for junior fiction readers. It’s got all the tropes, all the adventure, but packaged in an easy to read, early chapter book format, complete with Lavanya Naidu’s stunning illustrations.'

Something's Wrong by Jory John illustrated by Erin Kraan

Subtitle: A Bear, a Hare and Some Underwear

On the title page we see Bear waking up to the sound of his alarm clock. He feels that something is wrong.

"Let's see ... I ate my breakfast. I wrote in my journal. I watered my plant. I took my bath. I tried on the gift from grandma. And I combed my fur. Hmmm. So why do I still feel like I'm forgetting something?"

The delight here is that readers, and the other forest animals, can see the problem even though Bear cannot. Yes, Bear still has on his underpants. But no one seems able to tell Bear the truth. That is until Bear meets Jeff. 

"Oh boy. Should I tell him? Yes? You really think he can handle it? Why am I even asking you? Who are you? All right. Welp. Here we go ... ' Deep Breath."

Jeff is the best of friends. He turns a potentially terrible and utterly embarrassing situation into something affirming and warm-hearted. 

The book is also a clever primer on handling embarrassment and how it can sometimes be dealt with by simply changing the perspective of what’s happening. This underwear affair is wise, witty, and just brief enough. Kirkus Star review

This book is so funny. Your library group or young reading companion will be rolling around on the floor with laughter BUT sadly here in Australia this book is priced way beyond any library or home book shelf at over AUS$45. My hardcover copy was published in 2021 - perhaps a paperback edition will be produced. I do hope so. See inside on the illustrator web page. 

Publisher blurb: Jeff the bear has definitely forgotten something. He ate his breakfast, he watered his plant, he combed his fur . . . what could it be? Why does he feel so oddly off? So he asks his friend Anders the rabbit what could possibly be wrong. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's wearing underwear . . . over his fur . . . could it? Another read-out-loud, laugh-out-loud picture book from bestselling and beloved author Jory John, paired with rising star illustrator Erin Balzer, about that horrible nagging feeling that it just might not be your day—but you know you have a friend to support you no matter what.

You can see other terrific books by Jory John on his web page. Here is the stand-alone companion book:

Anders does not seem like himself. He and his friend Jeff are headed out for a picnic, but no matter how much Anders insists that he’s feeling just fine, Jeff gets the sense that his best friend isn’t being totally honest. Should he check in on Anders, or give him space? Should he help him out, or just be by his side? How can he be a good friend if he doesn’t know what his friend might need?

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a blog post about Underwear Day and this one too. And here is her Pinterest - what a fun mini theme for your Preschool or Kindergarten group. Here's a sample of her collection.