The Postman’s My Mate – Kelly Louise Jarris. Illustrated by Natalie Herington

KLJ Books

June 2024

ISBN: 9760645535181

RRP: $24.95

There are two things I want to say straight up. I love the stories that are set in outback or remote areas, and while there are a few, possibly not enough. I think the kiddos in those locations love to see their own setting reflected in stories that show their unique perspectives.

Secondly, I love books that encourage children in their imagination and in handicraft of whatever kind. Obviously the benefit of imagination speaks for itself but crafting is often under-estimated. The research into the benefits of handicrafts for children’s cognitive development is plentiful and one of the reasons I have always included such activities in my library breaktimes, going right back 25 years.

All Smalls love to get mail, that’s a fact, and when your postie only visits a handful of times each year, this is even more exciting. So when Charlie’s postie mate leaves a mysterious big box at the letterbox, imagination takes over.

What could be inside? He remembers playing a trick on his postie friend last visit, so maybe his mate has done the same…but then again, that big box might hold a spaceship…or some dinosaurs…or maybe a pirate ship?

The postie’s gift box is exactly the thing for all those adventures. As many of us have witnessed time and time again, there is an eternal charm in having a wonderful box to transform. The Kid had a whale of a time making herself a car not long after she came to live with me.

And absolutely, several times I’ve used Cain’s Arcade and the Cardboard Challenge to spark creativity and engineering in my libraries. The rhyming story and the charming illustrations will be a winner with your readers.

For kiddos in the country, they will delight in the connections they can make and for those in urban areas, this gives them a glimpse into a very different way of life, and will open up many discussions on the differences between country and town living.

An easy segue as well into some creative upcyling which could be simply self-inspire or incorporate a visit from an organisation such as Reverse Garbage if you have a local version. Your readers will have a lot of fun with this one and I’m giving it a big 📦📦📦📦rating for kiddos from around 6 upwards.