If You Were Here

A child explores the natural world around, taking the reader on a visual journey through meadow, forest and down to the sea. Together we hear the sounds of the wind, the leaves, the birds and insects. We feel the grass beneath our feet, the tickle of the sea, we can smell the earth and taste the salt on the breeze. ‘I wish you were here ‘ says the child speaking directly from the page. The illustrations are lush, vibrant, colour saturated covering each double spread following the onward movement of the child who is very much at the centre of the images. Who is the child talking to? This is a book about absence – maybe a friend who has moved away, maybe a grandparent has died. Through this exploration of the natural world it could help its audience to find a connection, to share through experiencing the physical world. The book would be a good basis to open discussion and comment among its audience – an Early Years class perhaps, or family where the situation has arisen; how to connect with someone who is not there. Discussion would also help widen the background. While the artist draws us into a world of trees, woods, rivers and sea this would not necessarily be a familiar environment or the experience of many children. The situation and the feelings however are universal.