The Map of Me

This beautiful picture book does so much in just a few pages. It is a book about home, about feeling connected – to people and to our past. It is also hopeful, looking to map a bright future.

When a little girl leaves behind her Granny and dog to move to a new home in a different country, everything feels strange and unfamiliar. To help navigate her new surroundings, Mum creates a map of the local area for her. But she still feels far from the family she has left behind, so the little girl extends the map to include them.

With the help of her friends and family, the map grows and grows, and everything starts to feel closer and more connected, helping her to develop resilience in challenging times and to show her that change isn’t always bad. She even develops the map to manifest a better future for all.

There are fantastic curriculum links to this book, and teachers will feel inspired to use it in Geography (e.g. creating your own local area maps) and in PSHE to learn about navigating change and challenges. It could also be used when thinking about Climate Change and a vision for the future.