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Tag: Art

Published on Leave a comment on I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me by Maggie Hutchings

 

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!

 

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Published on 2 Comments on Rainbow Bear by Stephen Michael King

I am a huge fan of author and illustrator Stephen Michael King whose illustrations dance with joy and creativity.  Stephen says that he loves to draw and dream and likes nothing better than when a small idea grows beyond his original imagining.

Stephen Michael King lives on an island and I love that he has added a few “Henry and Amy” wiggles and a bunch of squiggly “Milli” somethings to his house. You can find out more about Stephen HERE and the books he has created over 20 years HERE 

Rainbow Bear is a playful story set in a white snowy world. When Bear returns from a trip to the city with gifts for his family, he wakes the next morning to find himself looking rather different. Who are the secret artists that decorate his furry canvas with colourful swirls and dots and lines and circles each night while he's asleep? When Bear finds a clue, he turns the tables on the little artists and they share a fun family day of colour and creativity before diving into the deep blue ocean, blowing bubbles and turning somersaults.

After reading the story, you might be tempted to colour in the black and white endpapers! Why do you think the endpapers are black and white? Did you also notice that the endpapers are different?  Stephen has made his endpapers available for you to download so you can colour and scribble outside the lines for yourself! The front endpaper is HERE and the back endpaper is HERE.

Did you know Stephen Michael King often includes a little red bird in his picture books (you can see a picture of it on his website). I wonder if you can find his bird in Rainbow Bear…

"I love colouring outside the lines – and that made creating 'Rainbow Bear' a whole lot of fun." (Stephen Michael King)

Happy reading and creating!

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