Ages 6-8Told entirely through dialogue, moving back and forth between the old woman’s tale and the exchange between the two boys, this original, sometimes funny story raises questions about what divides us and what brings us together, in spite of all our differences — it is the power of song in this case, which ultimately brings hope.
Piet Grobler brings a masterful visual interpretation to this layered story, rendering the old woman and children in the playground in monochromatic tones and the characters in the old woman’s tale in a naïve style with vibrant color, complete with incomprehensible languages in hand-drawn speech balloons.
An author’s note explains JonArno Lawson’s inspiration for the story.
About the author
JonArno Lawson’s internationally acclaimed picture book Sidewalk Flowers won the Governor General’s Literary Award and was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book, among many other accolades. He is a four-time winner of the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Children’s Poetry and the author of numerous books for children and adults. JonArno lives in Toronto with his wife and three children.
Piet Grobler is a world-renowned illustrator of children’s books. He has illustrated more than eighty books, which have been published in many languages, and he has won a number of awards, including two silver medals at the Noma Concours (Japan), the Octogone de Chêne (France) and a Golden Apple at the Biennial of Illustration in Bratislava. He lives in Pretoria and is the visiting Professor in Illustration at the University of Worcester, in the United Kingdom.
