I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me by Maggie Hutchings is a gentle story of kindness and compassion, looking closely at the world around us and opening our hearts to others.
A small boy is the only one who sees Pete's warm smile and bright drawings as he sits quietly with his dog on a busy footpath. When the boy says hello, Pete gives him a picture of a yellow bird like flying sunshine and their friendship begins. The boy makes Pete visible to others and through small acts of kindness, the boy and his local community care for Pete. While snuggled in his bed, the boy wishes he could give Pete a safe and warm home of his own. When Pete gets sick and nobody knows where he's gone, his little friend knows the best way to get a message to Pete.
Yellow sunshine flows through Evie Barrow's hand-drawn pencil illustrations highlighting kindness, friendship and hope in this tender story. I especially love that the endpapers wrap the book up in the warm colourful blanket given to Pete. Can you find the blanket in the story?
I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me shows us the connections we can make when we open our eyes to see the people around us. During lockdown here in Melbourne, I have enjoyed meeting and talking to people on my daily walks, especially older people who have the most interesting stories to share when you take the time to stop and listen. Everybody has a story.
One dollar from each sale is donated to The Big Issue that helps homeless and disadvantaged people make positive changes to their lives.
Happy reading!