Winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards : Picture Book of the Year 2011
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.
Industry Reviews
With beautiful, meticulously constructed collage, Baker shows two very different worlds...By placing the narratives side by side, opening toward each other, she highlights their similarities.
--The New York Times Book Review Baker's entrancing collages, packed with visual information and created with fabric, sand, vegetation and other unusual materials, have the power to bring back child and adult viewers for infinite 'readings.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In layered, three-dimensional collages, Baker shows the differences between the families (traveling to an open-air market by donkey versus a trip to a hardware megastore in a Citro�n), but it is the underlying commonalities--helping parents, doing chores, caring for pets, sharing meals--that will resonate most.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Viewers will thrill to see the Moroccan dad selling a carpet (woven by the boy's mother) to a man, while on the facing spread the Australian dad buys that same rug from the same man at a shop called "Magic Carpets." Magic, indeed
--The Horn Book (starred review)
Illuminates the common humanity beneath the surface of cultural differences.
--School Library Journal (starred review)