Author & Illustrators
When Grandpa is ill, Cora wants to make the right impression during her visit. Thoughtfully, she wears a hat that he once bought for her. At the hospital, Cora realises how frustrating it must be for Grandpa to only have a small square of sky to look at. This sets Cora to thinking about how to bring the outside in.
Using her special hat, Cora scoops up the features of the sea – ‘the softness of the sand and the seagull cries all wrapped up in the wind.’ Next, she uses her hat to bring the countryside and all its sounds and colours to Grandpa’s hospital bed. Into the hat goes the fun of the fair, the marketplace and the night sky. When the wind blows Cora’s hat away, she is perplexed. How can she continue to bring Grandpa his adventures and taste of the outside if she no longer has her hat?
Cora doesn’t need to worry, though – Grandpa is feeling much better, and he explains that it wasn’t the hat that aided his recovery, it was Cora, her kindness and her imagination. This is a heartwarming story of the love between generations. Beautiful descriptions awaken the senses and the bright, bold, slightly scribbly illustrations add to the charm.
Sona Sharma lives in India with her busy family, where she learns about the ups and downs of family, friendship and life.
Sona and her friends are excited to learn their beloved teacher, Miss Rao, is getting married – but then they panic that she might leave their school for ever after her wedding! They try all kinds of tactics, like wishing on a peacock feather and even starting a petition to keep Miss Rao. But Miss Rao’s beautiful Indian wedding has a surprise in store for the girls.
Sona Sharma, who lives in India, learns all about school elections, the ups and downs of best friends, and how to choose what matters most in life.
When Miss Rao announces that there’s going to be an election for Class Leader, Sona is excited to stand as a candidate – until she finds herself competing against her best friends, Joy and Renu.
When the three girls fall out, Sona must decide what matters most – winning the election or proving herself to be a true friend indeed. With the support of her wise family, perhaps Sona can learn that there is often more than one way to be a winner.
This colourful picturebook tells us from Jake’s perspective about his creative, recycling, wheelchair-using Mum, who sees the potential in everything whether from a skip or an antique shop. She upcycles her finds to make new things for their home and garden as well as to beautify their community. Sometimes, his Mum’s constant remaking of things causes Jake to worry, but he is soon reassured by his Mum who will always love him however he changes.
We love the environmental message of this book, showing that so much that is discarded can be used again. This would be an excellent book to encourage thinking about recycling and reusing, or to spark ideas for upcycling projects for students to create themselves. The story also features positive representations of wheelcahir users, whose inclusion in the book is not solely or primarily focused on their disability or wheelchair use.
Jake’s concerns about change wil surely resonate with many children as they grow and change throughout their school years, and this book provides a reassuring message about how change and growth are okay and to be embraced. A large, hardback picturebook, with wonderfully colourful illustrations and large writing, this is ideal as a read-to-the-class book or for younger children to enjoy looking at independently.
Being a big sister to a new baby brings big responsibilities.
Sona Sharma’s house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come unannounced, the phone rings frequently and friends drop in all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn’t sure – she has always enjoyed being an only child – and straight away she has a word with her best friend, Elephant. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming ceremony, she is determined to find the perfect name for her new brother or sister. Because although she realizes that her life is about to change, and while she’s having some difficulty in coming to terms with having to share everything with the new baby – including Amma and Appa, her grandparents and her home – Sona Sharma wants to be the very best big sister she can be.
Sona Sharma combats climate change.
When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school and is very worried that no one is doing enough to combat it, she takes up the challenge herself. But Appa isn’t amused when Sona throws out her baby sister’s nappies and Thatha isn’t happy when she tells him to get rid of his colour-coded plastic files. When Sona learns that many of the kolams – the traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the winter months and the festival season – are not organic, she sets out to make some big changes by getting everyone involved.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
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Any other comments