the life-changing value of speaking up—for yourself or for someone else

the life-changing value of speaking up—for yourself or for someone else

ages 2 to 8 years
When I read this book to four-year-old Ivy, she sat in silence, then, at the last page, said, “Let’s read that again.”

Twig is that sort of book—beautiful to look at, with a story that's relatable and full of interesting ideas to process. 

Read More

a lovely book for kids going through 'hard to find friends' times

a lovely book for kids going through 'hard to find friends' times

ages 2 to 8 years
Do your little ones have imaginary friends? Some of mine did. It was cute to hear them chatting away to someone invisible—less cute when I once had to wait in the rain because an imaginary friend called Minga had to get in the car first and then took her own sweet time about buckling up her seatbelt! There are lots of good reasons to enjoy the imaginary friend stage, one being...

Read More

the sweetness of renewed hope

the sweetness of renewed hope

ages 2 to 8 years
There seems to be a visceral human connection to gardens—they’re inspiring and calming. And, as much as visiting any garden lightens the soul, it’s the nurture of our very own gardens that speaks to so many of us. That’s especially true of children. In this story, Mae and her family move from the country to the city and, in the process, leave behind her beloved garden...

Read More

how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

ages 8 to 14 years
Beloved by parents, in part due to the cloistered risks the trip offers to children, camping is the stuff of dreams for many children too. Except when it’s not. For Henry Hoobler, who will go into year 3 at school when his family camping trip ends, there's some mild anxiety going on...

Read More

a profound exploration of death and the intertwining of grief and joy

a profound exploration of death and the intertwining of grief and joy

ages 6 years to adult
Because grief, when it visits, consumes us and seems to blanket all the world in sadness, our inclination is to shield children from its depths, or to show them how to escape as quickly as possible. It’s a strange, if quintessentially human, response. Our great love for the children we care about motivates us but 

Read More

a wonderfully concise look at younger sibling-hood

a wonderfully concise look at younger sibling-hood

ages newborn to 8 years
That's William at playgroup, all dressed up as a pirate and asking: “Who will be my crew?” And, when William's dad was five or six-years-old, he used to leap on to the lounge chair asking exactly the same question: 

Read More

complex, moral, metaphorical reasoning tied up in an hilariously funny story!

complex, moral, metaphorical reasoning tied up in an hilariously funny story!

ages newborn to adult
A board-book all time favourite that invites complex, moral, metaphorical reasoning—and makes you laugh! About a unique relationship between a boy and a duck—is it exploitative or is it synergistic? 

Read More