Mo's Stick

Mo had a stick, a very special one but then he didn’t. Sans that favourite stick Mo won’t be able to draw wonderful pictures, nor fly high in the sky; there won’t be a mast for his sailing boat, nor a fishing rod or something with which to poke dragons. Nothing amazing at all. There’s not another stick anywhere that could take its place. However, Mouse is a little creature with lots of imagination that is used in creative play and this is what he’s been using the missing stick for.

Almost invariably when out walking in the park near my home, I watch a small child who has picked up a stick and is doing what Mouse was – having imaginative ideas sparked by their stick. No phone or expensive toys necessary.

Mo is a captivating little character and its great the way the book’s external narrator is gently supportive of his ideas so that eventually, he realises that it’s him rather than a special object that is key. This thoroughly uplifting, child centred tale is superb and deserves a place in every family with little ones as well as nursery and preschool settings. To be read frequently, I suggest. With occasional cutaway pages and die-cuts, the illustrations too are an absolute delight.