Outside

As we go about our daily lives again now, it almost seems hard to imagine that three years ago we all stayed home for such a long time and couldn’t really go outside. When we were allowed to go out again, the world felt so much bigger and we noticed the changes that had taken place while the human inhabitants had been kept away from the streets.

Bee Chuck’s debut picture book perfectly captures this unique time in our lives, with its clever and clear summary of the world then and bright, bold, almost child-like illustrations. There is so much to see on every page and each re-reading of the book is sure to uncover another bird, flower or animal not previously spotted.

As the book reminds us, going outside was just something that we did. It was taken for granted and not really thought about, until we could no longer do it quite so much. Once the novelty of staying home had worn off, the luxury of being able to just go out whenever we wanted to was sorely missed.

I loved the chaotic colourful illustrations, which grow throughout the pages, much as the untamed countryside around us was allowed to do without human intervention. ‘Outside had broken free’; nature abounds with trees, foxes, and the bees as ‘we realised that our world wasn’t just for people and that outside should not be tamed’.

This beautiful book is a perfect way to gently explain the events of the pandemic to younger children, who were too small to remember this time and should be a staple read for all schools and libraries.