Just So Stories

Wombat Books

July 2024

ISBN: 9781761111518

RRP: $26.99

Really, isn’t Tania Ingram just so multi-skilled? From the JF humour of Jinny & Cooper and Aggie Flea to the recently released The Other Shadow for older readers (a must-read if you haven’t already) through to picture books with heart such as Oma’s Buttons, she is an author who can turn her hand to any genre with such success.

I’ve followed the development of this new PB with great interest, as Tania said herself that it is a departure from her normal approach in that she wrote it intentionally as a ‘teaching’ book. And, in a world that is becoming increasingly torn apart by conflict, what a valuable lesson this is for our Smalls.

Knight and Viking live on opposite sides of the book and each believes their side is best. Not only that, each believes the other to be a threat. They each decide the best way forward is to build a wall to keep the other well away (sound familiar?- some orange muppet had that same idea quite recently).

Ignoring their children, who play quite happily together, these two lunatics build separate toppling walls, which do exactly that. Collapsing and creating chaos in the [book] landscape, the walls were not helpful or safe or wise at all. Encouraged by the children, Knight and Viking start talking to each other instead to build a friendship and alliance, instead of bricks-and-mortar exclusion.

What a powerful message for our kiddos! Not only does it succinctly illustrate the thinking behind the warmongers of our world, but it underlines the damage done to both people and the environment.

There are some teaching notes available, but I know that many of us could very easily develop this into a super unit of work focus with many supporting ideas. Aside from Tania’s clever words, the illustrations from Ruth-Mary Smith are just adorable. The cartoon-style characters have such expressive faces! And there is so much else going on in each spread which would make for some valuable inference experiences with some robust discussions.

Some of you will already have this via standing orders, but if that’s not you, I say you must get it on your orders list ASAP. This is a must-have for any collection, whether school or home, with its absolute relevance to current events but also as a major influence to shape our Smalls’ thinking and help them grow into accepting, inclusive humans.

HUGE 5 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱rating and big congratulations on this one, Tania!!