By: Jeannie Baker

Hardcover

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Booktopia Comments

Winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards : Picture Book of the Year 2011

Book Description

Two diverse cultures, countries and families are linked with warmth and charm in this two-in-one picture book.

This innovative picture book comprises two stories designed to be read simultaneously – one from the left, the other from the right. Page by page, we experience a day in the lives of two boys and their families. An Australian family, whose way of life strikes a familiar chord, and a family from a far away country with a way of life that differs more than one can imagine. As we read we discover the simple truth that despite these differences we are all the same. We are the mirror of each other.

• Innovative dual-book format. Effectively communicates shared experiences and values, despite geographical and cultural differnences
• The narrative is conveyed wordlessly, with a short introduction and author’s note in both English and Arabic

About The Author

Jeannie Baker was born in England where she finished Art College before moving to Australia. She is the author-artist of a number of distinguished picture books including Where the Forest Meets the Sea, a Boston Globe-Horn Honour Book, and the recipient of an IBBY Honor Award. Another of her picture books, Window, was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal in Great Britain and won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award. Her characteristic use of mixed media to create detailed and elaborate collages is stunning and unique. Where the Forest Meets the Sea and The Story of Rosy Dock have also been made into animated films, both directed by Jeannie.

Reviewed By Toni Whitmont, Booktopia Buzz Editor

I have just seen a finished copy of this wonderful book. It is stunningly beautiful, very cleverly designed and is destined to become both a bedtime favourite and a talking point for years to come. My only regret is that I no longer have kids under eight to share it with!

Reviewed By Toni Whitmont, Booktopia Buzz Editor

When I first saw a finished copy of the peerless Mirror I knew that I was holding in my hand a book that was quite unique.

This is the kind of picture book I would have loved to have when my kids were still in primary school. For a start, it is stunningly beautiful, full of Baker's wonderfully imaginative collages, fabric work and embellishments, and you can see what I mean by looking at the internal images we have loaded here (as well information about just how she managed to create those images).

But it is so much more than just beautiful. It comprises two wordless parallel stories that link two boys worlds apart. The book can be read front to back or back to front as is appropriate given its settings in both a suburb in Sydney and a village in Morocco. This is a book to look at, to talk about and to share with a child over the age of five. From the point of view of an adult however, this is also a book to treasure.

I should also point out that this hardback is actually two books in one, and includes a title page and introduction in both English (at the front) and Arabic (at the back - or in fact, at the front if you are used to reading in Arabic). I have never seen a book designed like this before.

ISBN: 9781406309140
ISBN-10: 1406309141
Audience: Children
For Ages: 5 - 7 years old
For Grades: K - 3
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 40
Published: 1st August 2010
Dimensions (cm): 25.7 x 27.9  x 1.7
Weight (kg): 0.539