The Ocean Gardener

Ayla’s island home is surrounded by a coral reef. This she visits with her mum who is a marine biologist, wondering at its beauty and all the incredible creature who live there. On one visit, however, they notice the corals have lost their vibrant colours and the fish were disappearing, swimming off into the ocean. Fortunately, Ayla’s mum has a plan, but is it too late to save the coral reef?

In this gorgeous book, Clara Anganuzzi both captures the beauty and importance of coral reefs and the important work done by marine biologists in working to reverse the damage that has been done to them.

The lyrical text gently conveys so much- the close mother-daughter relationship, the wonders of the reef, sorrow at the destruction of the reef, the hope that it might recover and joy for the future. It is sure to capture the imagination and the breath-taking illustrations which accompany it are just as enchanting.

At the end of the book, readers are introduced to a real marine biologist, Chloe, whose story offers facts to support the events of the book, perfect for sparking conversations about the work being done to reverse the damage done to the environment, offering a hopeful message. The book concludes with some facts about corals and what is happening to them is also included.

‘The Ocean Gardener’ is a must-have for homes, classrooms and libraries.

The Ocean Gardener Clara Anganuzzi

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838915315

You can read my review of ‘Dear Earth’, illustrated by Clara, here.

Strong

Maurice might be a dragon, but he isn’t very scary, doesn’t like to breathe fire and loves flowers more than anything! He sculpts the most amazing floral arrangements, but the other dragons aren’t interested in flowers, particularly Gruff, Maurice’s brother, who usually wins all the dragon competitions. When Maurice takes part, he fails to throw a flame and just isn’t scary enough. Saddened by his lack of dragony prowess, Maurice lies down in the rain. As storm clouds gather, Maurice questions whether it is safe to continue with the competition, but Gruff disagrees and flies off into the sky. When he doesn’t return, it’s up to Maurice and his ideas to save the day.

‘Strong’ is a delightful story which celebrates different ways of being ‘strong’ and above all, being yourself. Everyone knows what dragons are supposed to be like- and Maurice is definitely the odd one out. Small, gentle and thoughtful, he has a real passion for flowers and knows that he does not fit in with the other dragons. How many children have I taught over the years who have felt like this? And stories like this one are so important for validating individuality and celebrating the importance of being true to yourself. There is so much to discuss here and the story is perfect for encouraging children to be proud of having different interests, liking different things or behaving in a different way to their friends- and for encouraging empathy and understanding in those who are ‘part of the crowd’. The story also asks the reader to consider different ways of being brave, different ways of having strength to face challenges and solve problems.

The illustrations are completely captivating! From the wonderful textured cover, each spread is full of strong colours, tempting children to look carefully and notice details. Maurice’s range of expressions are wonderful as he sees the wonder in the world around him, experiences sorrow at feeling different and finally, contentment at being valued for being himself. The text is full of descriptive language to discuss and enjoy alongside the story and children are sure to be inspired to draw or paint their own dragons and might enjoy writing stories about Maurice’s further adventures.

Perfect for developing understanding of yourself and others, ‘Strong’ is sure to become a firm favourite and a story which will be read again and again.

Strong Clara Anganuzzi

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838913915