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What Do You Call Your Mum?

Apr17
What Do You Call Your Mum?

What Do You Call Your Mum?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Do You Call Your Mum?

Ashleigh Barton

Martina Heiduczek

ABC Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780733343810

In every country around the world are mums – some short, some tall.

Though they go by different names, we love them one and all.

Whether it’s Mummy, Mama, Mum or Ma, or a word from another language altogether the bond between mother and child and the memories we make are unique and both Barton and Heiduczek have captured them perfectly in this new companion to What Do You Call Your Dad?,  What Do You Call Your Grandpa? and What Do You Call Your Grandma?,  another celebration of the special relationships with special people in our lives, regardless of the name we call them.

Apart from giving little ones a chance to share the special things that they do with their mum, maybe even different to those that their siblings do, it provides an opportunity to introduce the concept of people speaking different languages because they come from different places, and, beginning with the first word that so many say, regardless of their heritage,  share that special word for our female parent while learning new ones.  Build a word wall with photos and labels to explore how many languages are spoken in students’ homes.

Great for promoting inclusivity as well as being the focus for Mother’s Day on May 10!!!

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Apr2
The Flower Garden - A Changi Secret

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Claire Saxby

Lucia Masciullo

Walker Books, 2026

32pp., hbk.,  RRP $A25.99

9781760657352

I have a secret – we have a secret –
in this place where secrets are not allowed.

Imagine you’re a child with all the natural curiosity, imagination, energy and exuberance that goes with childhood.  But instead of being able to wander and explore the world around you, that world is bounded by high walls and barbed wire, patrolled and guarded by brutal soldiers who do not hesitate to impose their power – even on little children.  Such was the life of many children and their mothers who were long-time residents of Malaya and Singapore but who, with the fall of both countries to the Japanese in February 1942, were herded like animals into the notorious Changi Prison, and treated as such. Days were spent tending the gardens to grow food for their captors in the morning and then on rows of hard benches learning “numbers, words and formulas” and secret songs under the watchful eyes and ears of gun-carrying soldiers in the afternoons. Not until dusk fell was their time their own.

But in that time, the women tried to make life a little more normal for the children, and one in particular, Mrs Elizabeth Ennis, an army nursing sister, began a secret Girl Guides group and taught them how to take their minds, if not their bodies, far beyond the prison walls.  So as her birthday approaches, it is time to make a special present, and in this sensitive, softly illustrated story, Saxby and Masciullo not only divulge what that gift will be but expose the lives of those who made it and the risks they took to do so.

The horrors of Changi have been on my radar since my own childhood because even though my dad was a POW in Germany and eventually force-marched across Poland as part of the Germans’ human shield, even in those days long before television, let alone the internet, the atrocities and barbarities of Changi were known, and the brutality of the captors was being revealed by those like my future father-in-law who miraculously survived the men’s camp, as well as in stories like Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice, and movies like The Bridge on the River Kwai (where my f-i-l ended up).  Yet from the depths of the darkest despair, the human spirit soared and stories like the making of this precious gift have emerged.

As I read this book, including the author’s note that offers a short background history of the time, I wanted to know more and a simple search brought many links including stories of those who helped make it, a history of the quilt itself, including close-up photos of it in the Imperial War Museum, as well as information about the other quilts that were made, including the Australian quilt. 

 

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee Image: © IWM (EPH 9206)

However, this is not primarily a book for an older, quilt-loving  adult like me but one for younger readers – those, who, had they lived in another time and place, might have been in it – and so, once again, using her gift to use words to put real life into the realm of young readers, Saxby has opened up a whole new world that exemplifies the courage, determination and kindness of humanity even when confronted with its worst aspects, and Masciullo’s illustrations whose tiny details like the child finding wonder in the garden regardless of the overbearing soldier who dominates the image depict resilience and hope and the eternal love of adults determined to protect their children.

Some might question whether this is a topic that its intended audience need know about or, if indeed, it is one they can cope with, but whoever wrote the teachers’ notes is to be congratulated on their thoughtful approach that explores both the story and the history in a way that builds and supports the child’s historical knowledge, social awareness and emotional intelligence, even encouraging the class to create its own quilt. Probing questions that encourage them to think more deeply, understand the lives of others (which some in the class may have experienced in a different context), and focus on those human traits of hope, kindness, courage and empathy underpin an outstanding investigation inspired by the book but which have the potential to be so much broader and longer-lasting.

Among all the books I have read and reviewed over time, this is a stand-out and a must-have in any collection of those who want to better understand how a “simple” story can reveal so much more than the words on the page. 

 

My Super Uncle

Mar17
My Super Uncle

My Super Uncle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Super Uncle

Dannika Patterson

Seantelle Walsh

Ford Street, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $a27.95

9781922696540

My friends all love my uncle
when he jokes and fools around.
To me, he’s super special
’cause he never lets me down.
I don’t need x-ray vision,
to see the way he cares.
I don’t need super senses,
to know he’ll be right there.

Families come in all shapes and sizes – always have, always will – but now, more than ever before, those shapes and sizes can not only be accepted, but be celebrated. And in this joyful story, it is the shape of a family of two mums, a child and the sperm donor – depicted in a delightful “child’s” drawing on the endpapers, an a subtle hint on the front cover – that is celebrated.

But because endpapers are often overlooked, for much of this story, it seems that the little girl is just celebrating the joy and fun she has with a special adult in her life, and their unique relationship is not revealed till the final pages. But how excited will many little readers be when they see their family structure depicted in such a happy way, not just through the rhyming text but also the warm-hearted, realistic illustrations that convey a sense that these are real people, not just book characters -as, indeed, they are. 

While first term is often a time when young students investigate and share their family structures, learning about the internal relationships between the various adults and children, comprehensive teachers’ notes offer ways to delve deeper into the story behind the story, to use the clues in the illustrations to understand that each character has their own story rather than just being a 2D representation of an anonymous, imagined person and to appreciate the diversity of family structures in the 21st century. While this might be this little girl’s story, every child has one.

In Australia, at least, we have come a long way in the last decade being able to provide and promote stories like this that strayed beyond the ‘norm’ – as recently as 2015 some principals wanted to be kept in the loop so they could field any parental complaints in an informed manner, while many teacher librarians themselves, felt that to read such inclusions without prior parental approval would be “outrageous and cause uproar” – and although there will still be concerns about sharing a story about family diversity, sexual orientation or assisted reproduction,  even though most are more than willing to share those relating to physical disabilities, mental health issues, particular illnesses and different cultural, social and religious backgrounds as we try to promote the message that these things should not define the person or their worth, IMO it is essential that we think of the child first.  Books like this are a critical element of their mental health so they see themselves and their circumstances in everyday books, are not marginalised, made to feel that they have done something wrong or are somehow different because of the choices made about and for them by the adults in their lives, and the more we share stories that celebrate diversity the more we normalise the child’s situation and experiences.  

Just like the story behind Charles M. Schultz introducing a black character into the Peanuts comic strip has been well-documented and there are stories galore of how this impacted young black readers in the US, particularly, so too must we think of those whose origins are not what is considered ‘traditional’ and as well as books like this and Guess How I was Born  and Rainbowsaurus,  among others,  the teachers’ notes also provide links to several appropriate websites including 10 Ways to Rethink the Family Tree Project – and be more inclusive to all students.

Perhaps we, as educators, can also be the superhero who doesn’t wear a cape, by starting the conversations and actively fostering inclusion and acceptance. 

The Drover’s Son

Mar5
The Drover's Son

The Drover’s Son

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Drover’s Son

Leah Purcell

Dub Leffner

Puffin, 2026

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761341977

In 1892, renowned Australian storyteller Henry Lawson published his short story, The Drover’s Wife in which, through the life of Molly Johnson, he shone a spotlight on the courage and resilience of the pioneer women who followed their husbands to the rural and remote regions of Australia – in this case, the alpine country of New South Wales – and held the fort against the landscape, the isolation, and the dangers of the country while their husbands were away for months at a time trying to earn a living.   

The original story has inspired artworks, retellings, and other interpretations including a play written by Leah Purcell, itself becoming a film, a book and an opera.   Central to Molly Johnson’s story are her love for and protection of her children, and now, emerging from such auspicious beginnings, is this new picture book that focuses on her oldest son Danny, who believes he will have no choice but to leave home and go droving with his father. But then he meets Yadaka, an indigenous man, who despite the attitudes towards First Nations people at the time, takes Danny under his wing and shows him there can be  another path – one in which a man can be wise and gentle, and a warrior too. “It’s not what you wear on your feet, Danny. How you carry yourself is what makes a decent man.”

Set in 1893, with the Ngarigo landscape and intriguing characters perfectly portrayed in Leffler’s exquisite illustrations, Purcell, herself, says, “This is a yarn about fathers and sons, a mother’s love, fierce and true, and about family in whatever form that takes. A tale of cautious meetings, bonding and the sharing of stories.  Of lessons learnt and of cultural understanding and genuine respect. This is a story about a time in our history we shouldn’t forget.”

Although the primary story is Danny’s, Molly’s also remains central as she awaits the birth of yet another child, isolated and without modern medical assistance – giving today’s girls plenty of food for thought. How would they cope with being almost constantly pregnant, the likelihood of losing the baby anyway, while all the while having to take full responsibility for the other children 24/7?

Whether it is read and shared through the lens of the power and endurance of the women of the time; the attitudes towards and treatment of First Nations peoples; Yadaka’s connection to Country and heritage and the importance of that; the difference in childhood between then and now; the relationship between Yadaka and Danny and the importance of role models; the visual literacy of Leffler’s interpretation of a landscape and history that I see daily out my window; the reimagining of a story from long ago into so many versions so that it is as powerful today as it was then; or any other perspective this is a must-have addition to the collection that will open up so much of this nation’s early European history for older, independent readers.  

Treeshape

Mar3
Treeshape

Treeshape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treeshape

Trace Balla

A & U Children, 2026

136pp., graphic novel, RRP $A32.99

9781761181252

Ever since I was a kid my favourite place has always been up a tree – where everything I notice feels like a part of me. Every birdsong, every leaf’s light, every butterfly’s dance…

It was a refuge from the incessant playing of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, the clouds of cigarette smoke and the never-ending sweeping that characterised her mother’s mental illness in a time when depression was little understood, and her father’s tension and insomnia.  Young Trace would sit in the tree and “draw pictures of an imaginary mother and tell the birds stories about her” and a “mama [who] cooked a huge cake and after dinner they all sang songs before she tucked everyone into bed.”

Told in her unique graphic style, the author of Rivertime, Rockhopping,  Landing with Wings, and Leaf-light,  recalls and reflects on the people and places of her childhood that led her to where she is now- passionate about the environment and its impact on her life. But she does more than examine those things that have significantly shaped her, particularly special trees that evoke memories, because she looks at those things that shaped those who went before her.  The decisions and choices her parents and grandparents made, the threads stretching far back in time that were woven together into the unique fabric that is her life and her story, illustrating that connection to place, people and heritage that we all have, but which First Nations people understand, value and celebrate so much more overtly. 

From that tree where she imagined having a different mother, to a 10 day walk in an old-growth forest being felled by loggers, to picnics under the Dancing Tree on Sunday mornings, and many more, this is a memoir that tracks and traces her development as an author, illustrator, songwriter and environmental activist in a most unique way.

But it is the final quote that opens it up for the reader…”I wonder what shape your tree is growing into and what your fruit might be…” offering an opportunity for students to take the time to think about the key influences on their lives so far.  What decisions have their parents made that have shaped them, who they are, what they like and do, and strive for?  One of the most-repeated messages from our recent Winter Olympic Games athletes was encouraging young people to have a dream, whatever it looked like, and to chase it, but the common theme of all the success stories was the acknowledgement of the family and foundations on which they were built.  Looking forward while looking back .  Because Treeshape is more suited to upper primary students and beyond, it would be the ideal accompaniment to an end-of-year unit as students reflect on their primary schooling before transitioning to secondary, as they identify their beliefs and values, who they are and what they stand for and why so that when they are challenged in the future as Trace was and they will be, they have that firm footing of connection to past and present to stand on. 

In a world that seems to be focused on the next dopamine hit, taking time to look back and appreciate can often be even more satisfying than the instant, fleeting thrill.

 

Muttonfish Magic

Feb25
Muttonfish Magic

Muttonfish Magic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muttonfish Magic

Aunty Ruth Simmons & Lucy Robertson

Jasmine Seymour

Magabala Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922864130

It is one of those days that in itself, is unremarkable, but which leaves an imprint on the mind that lingers decades later as childhood memories are revisited and warm, fuzzy feelings are evoked.

Mummy has loaded up the old cane pram with its wobbly wooden wheels with supplies and Ruth and her brothers set off on the long walk from their home in La Perouse to the cliffs and rock pools of Cruwee Cove on a mission to gather muttonfish. for their evening meal.  It’s lunchtime by the time they get there and so Mummy shows them how to twist a fish hook and sinker onto a ropy line of fish intestines, and it’s not long before there is a speckled spiny muckendy flapping at their feet, ready to be the basis of a delicious soup.

But it is the muttonfish that are their prize, notoriously tricky to prise from the rocks of the rock pools while all the time watching for the razor-sharp teeth of the eels who also enjoy them.  But with success, just enough muttonfish for the evening meal and a tummy full of the delicious soup, it’s time to make the long walk home again.

Born in 1941 on The Reserve in La Perouse, Aunty Ruth Simms is now a Bidjigal Elder working as an Aboriginal Education Officer and this is her story of her lived experience as a child at a time when being self-sufficient was a way of life. even if it did take a whole day just to gather the evening meal. For apart from gathering their food, there was much else to be learned about traditional foods, medicines, stories and practices as her mother shared her knowledge with her and her siblings – knowledge that she remains passionate about sharing with today’s children. 

Like Going for Pippies, this became a trip back in time and nostalgia for me as I read and recalled a similar childhood – although I was at the very south of the South Island of New Zealand, the walk to the beach was just across the road, and the muttonfish (which Australians call abalone) were ‘paua’ to Kiwis. 

Between them, Aunty Ruth, Lucy Robertson and Jasmine Seymour have created a book that not only celebrates a slower, simpler way of life but shows how sometimes the basic and necessary chores such as feeding the family can form critical connections between generations, and pass on “invisible” knowledge and understandings that just become part of who they are. Creating the magic of memories.

While the Geography strand of the Australian HASS Curriculum for the early years focuses specifically on that special connection that First Nations Australians have to Country, as with Going for Pippies, this book not only addresses that but also offers the chance for young readers to share their experiences of the particular things that their families do that have always been done, foods that are always eaten at special times, stories always told and so on. Unlike me, few will relate directly to Aunty Ruth’s stories – unless they are lucky enough to live where they too, can explore the rockpools at tide-turn – but they will have their own stories to relate, and perhaps one day share with their little ones. 

 

Grandma’s New Home

Jan7
Grandma's New Home

Grandma’s New Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma’s New Home

Roy Wood

Serena Originario

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., pbk.,  RRP $A16.95

9781923306325

There comes a time as we get older when living on our own is not the best choice and, for many, acknowledging that need for assistance and saying goodbye to independence can be a real struggle.  And so it is for Lily’s grandma who is moving into hostel living and is confronted by a large, bare room with only a bed, bare walls and a smell like cleaning spray.  But Lily is determined that this will be a new adventure for Grandma and beginning with a lavender sachet from Grandma’s handbag to make it smell like Grandma’s  cottage, she sets about making it feel like home.  From using a cuddly quilt to cover Grandma’s own armchair to the promise of growing flowers on the windowsill, they make this a special space so that it does, indeed, become a new adventure.  And it’s not long before Grandma makes new friends as she gets involved in all the different activities on offer.

Luckily, even in the 10 years since my own mother had to face the reality that living alone was no longer a viable option as her rheumatoid arthritis took its toll on her stability, aged care facilities have transformed a long way from “God’s waiting room” so the transition can be more gentle than it might have been.  While there are still significant psychological hurdles to overcome, being able to cocoon yourself in a place that resembles home rather than a hospital can make things easier as it does for both Grandma and Lily, and so this book not only offers reassurance to all the Lilies who are living this period but also offers guidance on how to deal with it.

Written by someone who has worked in Aged Care for some time,  and who understands that not only can there be emotional challenges for the older person but also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, this can help both navigate the new situation more easily so that “new places can bring new happy memories”.   

Sundays Under the Lemon Tree

Nov1
Sundays Under the Lemon Tree

Sundays Under the Lemon Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sundays Under the Lemon Tree

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Myo Yim

Scribble, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761381485

On Sundays, our family gets together to eat good things under the lemon tree in the backyard.” 

But before they eat, there is the cooking to be done and everyone pitches in to help- except for the littlest one, also the narrator, who  is deemed too small to help.  But when Dad can’t carry three buckets at once to collect seawater which is the secret ingredient to making ricotta, things change and the reader is taken on a journey that not only takes them through the park, up and down a big hill, across a busy street down the 67 wooden steps to the beach (and back again) but also involves them in the making of a special handed-down-through -generations recipe that becomes the hit of the meal. 

Drawing on her Maltese heritage and her broad experience as a cook and a cookbook author, this is one that will reflect the experiences of many of our students, not only as they gather for family dinners but also learn those traditional foods and recipes that bind and bond families together in unique ways.  While some of the budding cooks might like to try making the Apple, Lemon and Ricotta cake from the recipe supplied, others might like to share their own family events that bring them together regularly and the foods they share, especially as the upcoming celebrations seasons, in all its manifestations, is almost upon us again.  It offers the opportunity to share what happens in their families and why, investigate the origins of the observances, discover those passed-on recipes so strengthening intergenerational relationships,  but also engage in instructional writing as they share recipes, maths as they make them and developing a general awareness of the ties that bind us no matter where we are from.

Not to mention the memories it evokes and makes!

At a time when “Peace on Earth” seems to be the catchcry – although not the reality – stories and activities that bring people together can only help to promote it.  

And to kick start proceedings, here is my family’s recipe for pavlova, passed on through six Kiwi generations so far and eaten at every Christmas dinner I can recall… even when sugar was in short supply, post-war. It’s taken from the Edmonds Cookery Book that has been passed through the family since my Great-Gran got a copy for my Nanna in the early 20th century! (And my Nanna only had a wood stove till the 50s, as did we –how posh we were when we moved to Christchurch in 1960 and had an electric one.  And a fridge!!!) 

Ingredients

  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup  caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 3 tsp Edmonds Fielder’s Cornflour
  • whipped cream and fresh fruit – kiwifruit, strawberries and passionfruit

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 150˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and draw a 20cm circle on it.. Flip the baking paper so that the pencil line doesn’t transfer to your pavlova. Make sure there is enough baking paper to be able to grasp the edges to flip the pavlova when cooked.
  2. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff, add cold water and beat again.
  3. Add the sugar very gradually while still beating. Keep beating for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. (My Great-Gran and Nanna swore by doing it by hand but my mum had an electric mixer. All mod cons in the 50s.)
  4. Slowly add the vinegar, vanilla and cornflour.
  5. Pile the meringue in the centre of the circle and gently spread it out to the edge of the circle keeping it as round and even as possible. (The littlest one gets to lick the bowl, and the next in line the beaters. )
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, then leave to cool and dry in the oven overnight. That gives it its crusty shell.
  7. Gently place  a serving plate on top and flip the tray over so the marshmallow side is uppermost.  Peel away the baking paper. Cover with whipped cream  with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  (Or you can leave it crunchy side up and just decorate the top.)
Our family pavlova recipe.

Our family pavlova recipe – but not my photo because the resident chef (son) was too busy to cook for me this weekend.

A Hatful of Dreams

Oct30
A Hatful of Dreams

A Hatful of Dreams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Hatful of Dreams

Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2025

40pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781529525861

At the end of a dingy, grey street full of long-forgotten houses that even the sun, moon and stars seem to have abandoned, there is one with a light glowing for that is where the Andersons live – mum, dad, Millie, Sonny, Jonas, Maggie the dog, and Grandad.  There is much love and laughter, happiness and hi-jinx because Grandad has music in his fingers and magic under the hat that he never takes off.  When the children ask him why he always has it on, he tells them he keeps his “magic up there – a few dreams and secrets” but when they press him, they are not sure whether to believe him or not, particularly Millie who tells him,  “Grandad, I’ve seen you without your hat, and nothing was there except your hair.” 

But it doesn’t really matter because the bonds between the generations have their own magic, and whether or not the final pages are true or just wishful thinking, the story sparkles with positivity and hope. 

Margot Lindgren has written a brilliant review that focuses on Bob Graham’s story world and how characters and illustrations seem to step from one book to another, and, in each, building a tale that focuses on the everyday lives and living which every young reader is going to recognise and be a part of.  And books that are mirrors, particularly those that wrap themselves around you like a grandparent’s love, are what many of our kids need right now.  Even if their external circumstances seem as derelict as Five Mile Road right now, offering them the warmth that shines literally and figuratively from the Anderson’s home, might help feed their belief that the dark does pass and the morning star will shine and welcome the sun.

 

Going for Pippies

Sep25
Going for Pippies

Going for Pippies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going for Pippies

Wilaaran Hunter Laurie

Tori-Jay Mordey

Magabala Books, 2025

32pp., hbk.,  RRP $A27.99

9781922864147

That particular time of day when the tide is on the turn and  all the family members gather at the beach to search for seafood.  And for five-year-old Wilaaran, it is time to learn the special knowledge that has been passed through generations for thousands of years – how to do the pippi dance, which is not some new craze learned on Tik Tok but a feet-squishing, heel-digging, hip-twisting set of moves in the shallows where the waves break that will detect the shellfish ready to be gathered.  Wilaaran is unsure about the waves so he sits on the shore waiting to collect what the others find in his bucket. Soon his bucket contains enough to feed the whole family and, after returning the small ones to the ocean so they have more time to grow, they head home for a meal of pipi fritters…

Written when he was just five himself, this is an authentic story that many other readers and reviewers will comment about its literary and artistic merit, but. for me, it brought back special memories of doing just what Wilaaran did when I was his age but thousands of kilometres away on Oreti Beach at the tip of New Zealand’s South Island in the post-war years of the early 1950s. Led by a group of dads who had all served overseas in World War II (and, in hindsight it was probably therapeutic for them to process their PTSD because they never spoke about it with their wives – “If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand and you don’t need to know”), families would gather at a certain part of the beach at a certain time of the month, laden down with gear because few had cars in those days and prepare to hunt for tea, just as Wilaaran’s mob did.  The men themselves would venture into deeper water armed with flounder nets to catch the delicious flatfish while the women and children would do the pipi dance just in case the nets were empty when they were dragged in.  And, on occasions, instead of pipis we would get toheroa, an even greater delicacy because Oreti Beach was one of a handful of places they lived beyond the North Island. 

But this book brings back more than just memories for me – for just as it tells of a tradition that goes back so many generations for Wilaaran’s family using knowledge passed down and across from one to another, and reinforcing their connection to Country, it also shows that other cultures pass on similar knowledge to their upcoming generation.  How did those men know which days to go to Oreti Beach and where,  along its 26lm length, to cast their nets?  So while the Geography strand of the Australian HASS Curriculum for the early years focuses specifically on that special connection that First Nations Australians have to Country, this beguiling book not only addresses that but also offers the chance for young readers to share their experiences of the particular things that their families do that have always been done, especially recipes for foods that are commonly shared at important times for them.  

For me, the best books for little ones offer ways that they can connect to the story, and while they might not relate directly to Wilaaran’s memory, they will have a story of their own to tell. That, alone, makes it an essential addition to the collection.