My daughter has been carrying this book everywhere and that’s okay because I love reading it over again. This elegantly beautiful new Australian children’s book is a sumptuous delight. Enchantingly poetic wording from Edwina Wyatt is brought to life through the soft-coloured magic of illustrator Gaye Chapman. This is a collaborative team to watch.
In the Evening is a book that charms from the outset. Beginning with an excerpt from Emily Dickinson, we are swept into a twilight world of silvery blue hues and pale pink clouds. Here live Oscar and Charlie, two neighbours who have not yet formed a friendship. As the backdrop dwells on that time between day and night, so Oscar and Charlie’s relationship hovers somewhere between strangers and friends.
Ultimately, this is a story about the shyness we all feel when meeting new people. Have you ever had a moment when you just didn’t know how to respond to a stranger’s hello and found yourself ignoring them? Oscar has. When Charlie says hello, Oscar just doesn’t know what to do and those awkwardly shy moments just keep escalating each evening.
This is a story about tricky social moments and how they can flourish into friendship with a little courage. What I love about this book is the delicate touch with which that message is applied. You’ll find no blatant ‘and the moral of the story is…’ scenes in this tale.
In the Evening is perfect for reading when your child is starting at a new school or anywhere they might encounter new social groups. Available through Readings with free shipping across Australia.