Just So Stories

Penguin Australia

September 2024

• ISBN: 9781761340949
• Imprint: Puffin
• RRP: $24.99

Grief is hard. And most of us know, in one way or another, some losses are harder to bear than others. I know that well, as does author Christopher Cheng.

In a beautiful new book from this illustrious author, comes a narrative that explores the depths of grief, and how strength to deal with it can come from the community around us.

When Mr Singer’s wife went away, all the joy and spirit seeps away from him, his house and the many dragons he has always cherished. His young neighbour, Evan, who had delighted in spending time with the old man is no longer welcome. The house and the man become more and more neglected, despite the best efforts of his close community.

But one day Evan plucks up his courage and goes back to Mr Singer with paper in hand, asking to make origami dragons again. The old man is curmudgeonly and ungracious but gradually, Evan’s innocent approach begins to thaw him. As Evan struggles to make his dragons, the old man lends him a hand. And in that small action, he begins to come back to life.

Christopher’s words are quite magical (as befits a dragon story) and Lucia Masciullo (another of our fabulous Queensland creators!) has created stunning illustrations that completely capture the essence of this powerful exploration of the deep depression that can follow a profound loss. Matching the author’s words “colour faded” and “turned grey“, Lucia has provided the perfect accompaniment to this poignant story.

Chris Cheng is a master of emotive stories and this latest joins a long list of equally glorious titles. It is now ten years since I did a Q&A with Chris and he has remained as busy as ever since that time. I follow his travels and activities with great interest always.

I know that in some schools, it will be getting close to budget spending being done for the year (seems to get earlier and earlier!) so make sure you get this one on your orders list.

It’s a must-have for your collection and a gentle way to talk about loss and grief, as well as the power of a supportive community. It’s a huge 5 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉 rating for this.

We’ve always been big dragon fans in this family (and not just my footy team). The Kid has a special thing for wyverns, as did her mum. These pics bring back happy memories 😔, amidst my own ongoing grief. As for origami… I confess, every time I’ve done it with kids, I end up at some point thinking WHY did I think this would be a good idea? But there’s no doubt that they love it so here are a couple of origami dragon tutorials to try out.