Taking Time

It's the Journey Not the Destination by Carl Honore; illustrated by Kevin and Kristen Howdesell (Magic Cat 2022)

Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand; illustrated by Freya Hartas (Magic Cat 2022)

Life goes fast these days. As technology develops at a lightning-speed pace and the relentless busy-ness of the day threatens to overwhelm, many of the joys of taking the time to appreciate the moment and breathe can be easily overlooked. For out youngest readers, this is something that more than ever needs to be noted: their childhood - a precious, wide-eyed wonder - could slip by without a moment's notice, and how sad it would be to miss that. 

I have sung the praises of Magic Cat elsewhere on this blog and on Twitter; I've even used their website to inspire my class in their own publishing house ethos and manifesto! The books they are producing have a very timely relevance and both It's the Journey Not the Destination and Slow Down and Be Here Now are no exceptions. 

Mindfulness is something of which many children nowadays are aware. There are shelves of related colouring books available in shops, guides to techniques and music tracks for them to listen to. But what I love about these two Magic Cat books is that they tap into something very deep - almost primal - that many of us adults even are likely to forget: the taking of time to experience our world fully. 

Armchair travellers will delight in It's the Journey Not the Destination, as they take the time to laze slowly by on the river Cam, or cycle along the Silk Road to appreciate the historical significance of this time-worn trail. The prose is hypnotic and poetic, and casts a magical spell all of its own. The 'journeys' cascade one into the other, so we can be transported from the mysteries of Stonehenge to the equally extraordinary Macchu Pichu in the whisper of a turned page. 

A children book such as this that covers 'slow journeys' the whole world over, whether on foot or by train or by bike, is always going to be an inspiration to those young, imaginative readers: a whole lifetime of exploration could be mapped out just from reading this book. And I mean exploration not only of the very real kind of physical landscapes presented here, but also (and perhaps even more key for young readers) of the imaginative world that reading gifts us all. 

In Slow Down and Be Here Now, we are invited to watch - no, observe - Nature go about its daily routines, just as our ancient ancestors would have done. Indeed, the symbiotic relationships between Human life and the world around them are something that has always played a vital part to our survival. Whether you choose or not nowadays to 'Examine an Earthstar Mushroom as it blooms' or 'Watch a Frog catch a fly', these tiny-but-massive rhythms of life happen every day, the cycles of life continuous and reviving. How much more appreciative of the world would the next generation be, and how much more caring, if they were to notice! This book, using highly accessible but also expertly scientific language with gloriously warm illustrations to boot, helps them to do just that. 

Far, far more than being yet another book on animals or geography, both books are superbly designed to be shared and discussed and really are a truly wonderful gift to any young person. Their uniqueness really does excite me about further books from Magic Cat. Ideal for sharing between parent/teacher and child, the prose reads aloud beautifully in both books and the short double page spreads, allowing one journey or one natural phenomenon, are perfect for a little reading and a lot of talk and connection. They both look completely individual and enticing, with a highly attractive quality of illustration. In short, these are very special reads indeed. 

It's the Journey Not the Destination is available now from all good bookshops. Slow Down and Be Here Now can be preordered now; it will be published on 29th September 2022. 

Key Truths

Key Player by Kelly Yang (Knights Of, 2022)

I love Kelly Yang's writing. 

When I began reading the Front Desk series a few years ago, I found myself carried away on a raft of fresh, enjoyably readable prose that compelled me always to read 'just one more chapter'. Then I read Parachutes, her first Young Adult novel, and the story it told truly shocked me. Along with this, the writing was so fluid and so confident  and I simply raced through the novel. 

My friends love Kelly Yang's writing. 

Sam Creighton described Front Desk as 'truly magnificent' and, following his being completely blown away after reading the novel, wrote an epic review for Just Imagine (https://justimagine.co.uk/review/front-desk/) . Sam is a highly selective reader. His thinking about books cuts to the absolute chase. For Front Desk to elicit this kind of response from him demonstrates the effect this book has in potentia for anyone lucky enough to read it.

And my classes love Kelly Yang's writing. 

Just after I myself read Front Desk, I lent my copy to a couple of particularly interested pupils: the book is a little bit bashed and its dustjacket scuffed but I love that its scars are multi-testament to the same affection I have for the book. When I read them Not from Here last year, there was real connection with the experiences described of COVID and empathy was developed hearing about Knox's experiences of racism and bullying. There was a lot of discussion, too, which is always a very good sign. 

For Yang's books to impress so many people shows how vital her writing is; and that they love her books proves that that the all-important emotional vitality is there, too. But as I began Key Player and the same delicious feeling of being in the welcome company of Mia, Hank, Jason - even Mr Yao! - wrapped round me again, I started to wonder (for the first time, funnily enough) just why her writing connects so much, and with so many. 

On page 121, I found my answer. There, tucked away quite unassumingly, was a Truth:

"[...]everyone was someone's child, even Mr Yao."

Mia, in that wonderful way of seeing that children can have, shows us that even the most apparently unpleasant people have come from somewhere, that they were children once too, they were vulnerable and scared and in need of care. 

As quickly as it appeared, though, this Truth passed by.... and vanished, into the fabric of Yang's storytelling.

But then, just a few pages later, another one popped up. Lupe says to Mia: 

" 'I think about how you mum always says, 'Don't worry about what's around you. Or what's behind you. Just focus on what's in front of you.' "

And then another one came along, straight after. Lupe again: 

" 'She's really pretty.'

I stopped kicking and looked over at Lupe. 'How do you know she's pretty?'

Lupe shrugged. 'She just is.'

'But like, who decides?' 

'I dunno,' Lupe admitted. 'The world, I guess.' 

Recently, I have started to notice these Truths more consciously in my reading. They don't appear in every book I read. Often they are so obvious they manage to disguise and play-down their importance and relevance to the reader. Humble and unobtrusive, there they are, hidden in plain sight. But, my goodness, their power, especially to their (intended) younger audience is so strong. They show us what reading is for: they show us how life works; and for children this is one of the most important things their literature can do. 

Now, particularly thanks to Key Player, I think I have started to put my finger on why Yang's books are just so good: 

Those Truths are like the rarest of beasts. They don't parade themselves around, only to be pinned to a board or preserved in glass jars. They are not there to be gawped at. They will show themselves, very briefly, but only if the reader wants to see them. 

And then - like the words, pages, and books that carry and sustain them, just as Key Player does - they shine. 

***

Key Player was published on September 1st 2022 by Knights Of. Please remember, if you can, to support independent bookshops when you order it! 

My thanks to ed PR and Knights Of for sending me a copy.