Just So Stories

Affirm Press

July 2024

AUD RRP $22.99

ISBN 9781922930293

I wish you health and happiness,
but even when there’s pain …

I hope you see the rainbows

as you’re running through the rain.

Caz Goodwin and Sara Acton have created an absolute joy of a picture book, which will make the perfect present for a new babe in your circle, or in our case – even one that is growing like Topsy and almost 8 months old now.

With a gentle and quite lyrical rhyming text, this extended wish for a little one encompasses both grand goals e.g., climbing mountains as well as the smaller excitements like watching snails in a garden.

I particularly love that this features father and baby because still, it seems, more often than not we see mums and bubs in picture books. [This is one reason I know this will be a perfect book for our coffee shop friends with little Daisy, because even though they are both lovely parents, I just adore seeing Mitch being so gentle with his tiny girl.].

Throughout both words and images symbolically evoke meaning with ideas such as stars (wishing) and rainbows (the sign of hope), sunny days as positives and rainy days as negatives but none of that will factor in reading this to a tiny Small. It will be the lullaby of language that they will find soothing and comforting. Of course, my favourite couplet is: ‘I wish you many magic hours lost inside a book.

There’s so much to discover if you’re just prepared to look.’ as father and Small share a bedtime story (I also love the illustration of them reading sitting underneath a tree, soaking up sunshine). From start to finish it’s just pure pleasure and I have no doubt will be a strong contender in next year’s award lists. Most definitely a 5 👶👶👶👶👶 rating for readers from newborns upwards.