An inspiring coming-of-age tale of resilience, courage and spirit that illuminates how life can be beautiful even in the darkest of times.
After a great flood swallows their city, a wise grandmother, her two grandchildren, and their pet rabbit find themselves stranded on the only safe place left—the rooftop of their home. With nothing but their small garden and a handful of supplies, they must learn to survive in a world where the familiar streets have turned to endless water.
Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, as they face hunger, storms, and the uncertainty of what lies beyond the horizon. But through each hardship, the grandmother shares words of wisdom, teaching her grandchildren the power of resilience, kindness, and hope. As their garden grows, so too does their belief that even in the darkest times, life finds a way forward.---from the publisher
136 pages 978-1623715854 Ages 8-11
Keywords: graphic novel, survival, resilience, courage, grandmother, hope, coming of age, flood, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old
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When it rains and rains and a flood engulfs their apartment building and there is no rescue in sight because everyone has already left the city, Grandma and her two grandchildren and their pet rabbit are left stranded on the roof garden. Surrounded by water, Grandma teaches them all she knows about survival particularly the critical notion of never giving up hope.
As the seasons pass and using their growing knowledge of planting, nurturing, recycling and hanging in there, the children's energy complementing Grandma's wisdom and strength. Even when it is clear that the rising waters will eventually swallow even their rooftop sanctuary, Grandma becomes more and more frail and encourages the children to build a raft and sail into the unknown on their own, the thread of resilience and hope remains strong.
This is an unusual book as it is a blend of picture book, graphic novel, and diary with minimal text and so much explored and explained in the illustrations, beginning as monochromatic but gradually getting lighter and brighter as the children find salvation. Those who believe that the amount of text and sentence length determine a book's suitability for readers will consider this one for those is the 5-8 bracket, but there are so many layers that it is of significance to all ages. Apart from the physical threat of the flood (which could be a trigger for many, especially those in northern NSW or south-western Queensland), the flood could also be metaphorical as students face a variety of situations and circumstances that threaten to overwhelm them. There are also themes of intergenerational relationships, climate change, sustainable living, needs versus wants, resilience, and the importance of hope to explore, as well as considering what it would be like to have to leave everything and everyone you know for a new life in an unknown place.
Suwannakit says that the book was seven years in the making as it underwent many changes but the result is something that spans life and age groups, offering something personal for so many. Powerful. Expect to see it in awards list over the next year.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
