By Maureen Tai, 21 September 2018

“The war began. Every day bad things started happening around us and soon there was nothing but chaos.”

The 21st of September has been designated the International Day of Peace. It is befitting that we read The Journey, a visually breathtaking picture book about the escape of a widow and her two young children from their war-torn home.

As they cross border after border, they don’t really know where they are going. All they know is that they are seeking peace. All they have are stories to keep them alive. Continue reading →

By Maureen Tai, 14 September 2018

“Great things begin with small bricks” – Brick’s mother.

Brick is a small rectangular block the colour of a ripe persimmon. She’s a baby brick.

Cradled in the arms of her mother, she gazes up at towering skyscrapers. Brick is awed by what she sees, the possibilities of what she might one day become.  “Look around,” her mother gently coaxes, inviting not only Brick, but us readers as well, to cast our eyes on the structures that line the streets and the buildings that blend into the skyline.

Brick’s journey of self-discovery, and our journey to some of the most incredible architectural marvels in the world, are about to begin.

Continue reading →

By Maureen Tai, 3 September 2018

The first spread is a classroom scene. The thirteen desks and chairs are arranged in a circle, which is one of the first things Anna and Ben notice when we read this picture book together (the second thing is how few children there are in the class). A kindly, tea-drinking teacher poses a question to the bright-eyed and attentive students.

“The teacher asked us what we thought made our family special.”

What a good question. What does make a family special?

Continue reading →