As we grow up, the special relationships with family, friends, and caregivers are what give us our sense of place in the world, make us feel loved, teach us the important things in life, and give us the courage to face each step from childhood to adulthood and beyond. Therefore I love books that celebrate these very special people in our lives.
This is the story about a curious Little Blue Penguin. His questions about the natural world around him and all its wonders and the unquestionable love between Tiny Blue and his Papa.
Tiny Blue thinks his Papa is very wise and so must know the answers to everything! Perfectly capturing the curious nature of toddlers, Tiny Blue, I Love Youis a beautiful exploration of nature and a heart-warming tale of the love between parent and child.
This is one of my all-time favourite books. I’m a big fan of Lane Smith, I love his books and his illustrations are gorgeous – he has a wonderful ability to tweak his style to fit the specific book and storyline perfectly. Visually an intriguing delight, and a deeply touching narrative about shared time, memories, and love between Grandpa and Grandchild.
Grandpa Green wasn't always a gardener. He was a boy who lived on a farm and a child who had chickenpox. He was a soldier, a husband, and, most of all, an artist.
Grandpa Green wasn't always a gardener. He was a boy who lived on a farm and a child who had chickenpox. He was a soldier, a husband and, most of all, an artist.
Follow his grandson through a garden where memories are handed down through the shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten. Grandpa Green opens the door to a garden of wonder which parents and grandparents will be able to share with children for generations to come. An ode to the joys of a full life well lived as well as exploring some of the sorrow life…
This is an absolute classic and has stood the test of time. I still get tears in my eyes after reading this book today, the same as I did reading it over 25 years ago (when it was first published) to my then small daughter. We still refer back to it today. The beautiful soft and delicate watercolour illustrations by Anita Jerum are the perfect match for the text which pulls at your heartstrings every time.
This gorgeous picture book has become a modern classic. The story of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare trying to express how much they love each other is one that has captivated adults and children the world over.
Celebrate twenty-five years of love right up to the moon and back! A new board-book edition is perfect for little hands.
How much does Little Nutbrown Hare love his daddy? And how much does Big Nutbrown Hare love him back? The cherished tale of boundless affection is ready for boundless sharing in a durable board-book edition for the younger set.
Richly illustrated, this tender book depicts a conversation between a father and daughter; the promises he makes to her, the worries and reassurances, and the hopes and dreams. Oliver Jeffers books are always wonderfully unique and beautifully lyrical.
A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work; building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe, and love to keep them warm. A heartfelt poignant story.
From Oliver Jeffers, world-renowned picture book creator and illustrator of The Crayons' Christmas, comes a gorgeously told father-daughter story and companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Here We Are!
What shall we build, you and I? Let's gather all our tools for a start. For putting together . . . and taking apart.
A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work, building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe, and love to keep them warm.
CJ begins his weekly bus journey around the city with disappointment and dissatisfaction, wondering why he and his family can't drive a car like his friends. Through energy and encouragement, CJ's nana helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine.
This is a stunning book about a Nana who creatively teaches her grandson to look deeper than face value – to see the beauty in every element of the world around them. It’s a rich story of humility and gratitude. Beautifully illustrated by Christian Robinson with bold, graphic shapes in a lovely retro style.
This beautifully illustrated, emotive picture book explores urban life with honesty, interest, and gratitude. Last Stop on Market Street has won multiple awards and spent time at the number one spot on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine and in the world around them. This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the love and understanding between grandparent and grandchild as the world comes…
Hello, Mum is a visual diary of the magical highs and absurd lows that many parents will recognise – from the shock and awe of the baby days to the delight (and terror) of the toddler years and the mayhem of sibling rivalry. Dunbar's fantastically funny, wise, and enchanting drawings capture this precious and fleeting time with heart-touching perfection.
I follow Polly Dunbar on Instagram and loved seeing her daily sketches, depicting the honest highs and lows of Motherhood in the form of beautiful loose pen drawings and handwritten text. So I was thrilled when this visual diary became a book. It is honest, funny, touching, and tender and a beautiful gift for a new mum.
'Tender, funny, sometimes heartbreaking snapshots of motherhood.' - Shappi Khorsandi
Fantastically funny, wise and charming motherhood sketches from award-winning illustrator Polly Dunbar.
'Go away, I'm busy writing about the beauty of motherhood.'
Polly Dunbar is an award-winning illustrator who usually draws for children rather than adults, but when she had her own sons, she started recording the beautiful and maddening moments of parenthood with a doodle.
Hello, Mum is her visual diary of the magical highs and absurd lows that many parents will recognise - from the shock and awe of the baby days to the delight (and terror) of…
My book recommendations reflect an abiding passion for Japanese literature, which has unquestionably influenced my own writing. My latest literary interest involves Japanese poetry—I’ve recently started a project that combines haiku and prose narration to describe my experiences as a part-time resident in a 1300-year-old Japanese hot spring town that Bashō helped make famous in The Narrow Road to the Deep North. But as a writer, my main focus remains novels. In late 2023 the second in a planned series of novels set in Ishikawa prefecture will be published. I currently live in Kanazawa, but have also been lucky to call Sapporo, Akita, Tokyo, and Fukui home at different times.
Emmitt’s plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of purchasing their dream home. Disappointed, he’s surprised to discover her subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo.
In his search for a meaningful life in Japan, and after quitting his job, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa’s most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English. He becomes drawn into the mysterious death of a friend of Mirai’s parents, leading him and his father-in-law to climb the mountain where the man died. There, he learns the somber truth and discovers what the future holds for him and his wife.
Packed with subtle literary allusion and closely observed nuance, Kanazawa reflects the mood of Japanese fiction in a fresh, modern incarnation.
In Kanazawa, the first literary novel in English to be set in this storied Japanese city, Emmitt's future plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of negotiations to purchase their dream home. Disappointed, he's surprised to discover Mirai's subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo, a city he dislikes.
Harmony is further disrupted when Emmitt's search for a more meaningful life in Japan leads him to quit an unsatisfying job at a local university. In the fallout, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa's most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English.
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