King of the Sky

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The friendship formed between the little boy and Mr Evans is a perfect example to me as to why an intergenerational project within school is a good idea. Striking mixed media artwork combined with a timely message for anyone struggling to fit in in a strange and seemingly hostile place make this a strong purchase for large collections and/or curriculums with a global focus. Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin have created another outstanding picture book to be enjoyed by all ages. It’s a fantastic independent book seller that will actually be responsive and select appropriate books for you. Davies recognises this – her sensitive, uplifting tale about find your place in a new strange new land could just as well be about a refugee as it could any child moving to a new town.

The message of the book is very relevant to today's world with lots of immigration into this and many other countries.The stunning illustrations capture the Welsh mining valley and St Peters Square, and the emotions those places evoke in the young boy. Pigeons make my heart sing - and reminded me of a poignant picture book, the award-winning King of the Sky by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin (Walker Books 2017). Davies brings the story full-circle in elegant ways, and Laura Carlin’s mixed-media illustrations exhibit the same type of smudgy, scratchy-yet-soft look that won her accolades for The Promise, also written by Davies and published in 2014. com affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to books.

While pigeon racing is celebrated in this book, it could spark some good discussion of animal sports in general and the many modern, more humane alternatives to these events that can replace animal use. The writing in the book (by author Nicola Davies) is simple yet beautiful and evocative - the opening line 'It rained and rained and rained' - along with the powerful illustration of grey, dull, miserable landscape - perfectly captures the boy's sense of alienation - as he goes on to say - 'All of it told me this is not where you belong'.The illustrations all look like pastel drawings and they depict the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the mining town (a place that didn’t feel like home to the boy) very well. We like the end papers best, these were covered with lots of paintings of different types and colours of pigeon, we enjoyed choosing our favourites. This is a slow, dream-like, tender story of what it means to make a new home whilst always honouring the one left behind.

Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading * "Most of the world doesn't have to think twice when asked where they're from or where home is; some children have to think harder about the answer.

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Evans asserts with unfaltering confidence that the white-headed bird is destined for victory — if only they can find the right race for him. At last, the downpour ends and the boy runs outside to squint at the sky, into the clouds of fragile hope.With little connection to where he used to live, the child is lost and uncertain, only feeling that he belongs at the small reminders of his previous country.