Tiny Owl Books ISBN 9781910328125 £12.99
This is a wonderful book which is an elegant introduction to the beauty of poetic verse in literature. The author is both writer and poet for children and this is evident from the lyrical prose and the abstract but encompassing nature of the piece. On reading this book I felt immediately drawn back to my childhood, with thoughts and questions about the world around jumping and dancing from one to another. The use of repetition and the sometimes unusual framing of the text is a great way to open a dialogue with children about breaking the constraints of ‘everyday’ writing, and would perhaps give those less able writers the confidence to have a go – there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of delivering a story. The illustrations are beautifully simplistic in style, punctuated softly with flashes of primary colour and full of character. They complement and enhance the moods created within the writing and the sense of childhood innocence and being carefree.
The way that the book is written and illustrated gives a fantastic insight into the curiosity of childhood, and the excitement of the new in the everyday. There would be plenty of opportunity to use this book within a creative writing or art lesson, but also as a stimulus for a Philosophy for Children enquiry – questions around perception, truth and even mindfulness. Tiny Owl publications, specialise in translating children’s books from Persian and illustrated by outstanding Iranian artists. It would be a fantastic addition to a school library and could be used with both Foundation Phase/KS1 and KS2.
Laura Davies, Project Development Coordinator for Fair Foundations, Chwarae Teg