Hi All,

You may notice that there has been a bit of a break in posts. I was busy finalising preparations for my PhD seminar on Australian children’s picture books. What a rush! I finished today, and it all went swimmingly (or so I’m told). So, now, back to my reviews!

The Wattle Tree, written by John Bell and illustrated by Ben Wood, is a beautiful story. John Bell is of Bell Shakespeare fame, and boy does he know what he is doing. I have actually met the man before. When I met him, he was a rather rigid sort, and I was kind of intimidated. It was in the capacity of radio production, back in the days when I produced for Radio 2CC. He was interviewing with the venerable Mike Jeffries, for whom I produced at the time.

 At any rate, I should have guessed that Bell would be was an extraordinarily capable children’s picture book author, especially when considering the success of his Shakespeare company. However, when I came across this book I found it difficult to reconcile the seemingly stern man with the sorts of crushing emotions that he both understand and effectively communicates.

What is really flooring is how he has encapsulated the awful and distressing emotions a child experiences with the passing of a loved one. The Wattle Tree is about a little girl whose grandmother passes away. The little girl misses her grandmother very much, and doesn’t know how to express or discuss it.

Interestingly, this book depicts the experiences her mother is having too. I appreciate the realistic aspect of this book; mum doesn’t have the answers for everything, and she is really suffering too. That’s rare in children’s books, and it was an enjoyable aspect of this narrative. This story is a touching one, and worth your dollars. You can find it at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/36390.John_Bell