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Up High

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Book Synopsis

A tender and funny celebration of the bond between father and son.

Going up high on Dad’s shoulders is the best way to feel BIG when everything makes you feel small.

But maybe, just maybe, being down low is just as good as being up high . . .

A young boy and his dad go on a walk to the park. When the little boy starts to feel small walking through the busy streets in town, his dad puts him on his shoulders and, suddenly, it feels like he’s flying! And when they reach the park with its birds that sing and leaves that rustle, the boy starts noticing things. Little things. A busy squirrel, a frog on a lily-pad, a tiny ladybird . . . and LOTS of small, amazing things that might just make him feel a little bigger inside!

A simple walk to the park is everything in this heartfelt story from Matt Hunt, illustrator of the critically acclaimed poetry anthology A Whale of a Time, which was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2023.

He has also illustrated How To Count To One and Stephen Hawking from the Little People, Big Dreams series.
Up High is an instant classic in a distinctive, taller format, and with a heart-warming story that will resonate with children and adults alike.

Our Review Panel says...

The book is taller and thinner than the majority of picture books, which links to the heading ‘Up High’.

The author is both the writer and the illustrator, with a distinctive style. The story explores the special bond between a father and son on a day out together. Each double page has one large illustration, which has many details to spot such as the many tattoos on the dad’s arms and a few Lego pieces on the floor when the boy is having his shoes put on. On the journey to town, the son does not like how busy it is so his father puts him on his shoulder ‘up high’ where the son now feels safe and notices everything around him. The journey explores activities, which children can relate to such as walking through a park and looking in ‘boring’ and ‘delicious’ shop windows.

From feeling small at the beginning of the story, during lunch, the boy notices all the little things around that make him feel giant. Throughout the story, the love between them is evident and it is a very heart-warming read for both children and adults.

Up High

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