The Magic of Oliver Jeffers
This week, I am guest-posting in this fun series called My Favourite Children's Authors at Toddly Mummy. Thought I would share the post here as well :)
Oliver Jeffers is relatively new to the world of book illustration and... to us!
We only discovered his books very recently on the recommendation of friends. 'They are wonderful books for boys - your son will love them,' they said. And they were spot-on!
Sean lapped up every last one of his beautiful picture books and we too fell in love with the rich, child-like illustrations, subtle humour and uplifting stories about courage, friendship and hope.
Jeffers is best known for his debut trio of Once there was a boy books: How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found and The Way Back Home. They chronicle the heartwarming adventures of a nameless young boy with some rather unusual companions.
How to Catch a Star was inspired by a Brer Rabbit story Jeffers read as a child. It has our little hero set out on an ambitious quest to catch himself a star to play with and talk to. It doesn't quite go as planned but the story ends with a unexpected twist that will no doubt make you smile.
The Way Back Home sees the boy jet off into outer space before he encounters engine trouble and finds himself stranded on the moon. He meets an alien who is in the same predicament as he is and they worked hand-in-hand to get themselves off the moon. Great story about working together to overcome differences.
Lost and Found has our plucky young hero befriend a lonely, mute penguin who shows up on his doorstep one day. Thinking the penguin may lost, he rows all the way to the South Pole braving hell and high waters (quite literally) to get his little friend home only to realise that home is, in fact, where the heart is.
Stuck is a silly story about a boy who got his kite stuck in a tree one day and tries to dislodge it by hurling all sorts of preposterous things up the tree. The absurdity of some of the items (like the ladder and tiny saw) escapes Sean at his young age but it is still one of our top laugh-out-loud funny books to read at bedtime.
Oh, there is a lovely video of Oliver Jeffers himself reading this book with an animated version of the illustrations playing in the background here.
Up and Down is a touching sequel to Lost and Found. The boy and penguin get along famously and become the best of friends. One day, the penguin sets off on a personal quest to learn how to fly. Very sweet story about helping a friend out and reaching for your dreams no matter how crazy they may seem. This book also makes us want to learn how to play backgammon!
The Heart and the Bottle is about a girl who loses someone dear and seals her heart in a bottle just so she didn't have to hurt anymore. Beautiful story which struck a deep chord in me because of the delicate way it is able to convey the feelings of loss and bereavement. Probably more suited for older children.
Oliver Jeffers books has piqued my inquisitive three-year-old's interest about many things about our world. We have had long interesting conversations about outer space, aliens, penguins, who lives in the South Pole, why animals can't talk, why stars only appear at night and which birds can/cannot fly :)
You can find out more about Oliver Jeffers on his website or read about the reviews of the other My Favourite Children's Authors.
Happy reading!
Oliver Jeffers is relatively new to the world of book illustration and... to us!
We only discovered his books very recently on the recommendation of friends. 'They are wonderful books for boys - your son will love them,' they said. And they were spot-on!
Sean lapped up every last one of his beautiful picture books and we too fell in love with the rich, child-like illustrations, subtle humour and uplifting stories about courage, friendship and hope.
Jeffers is best known for his debut trio of Once there was a boy books: How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found and The Way Back Home. They chronicle the heartwarming adventures of a nameless young boy with some rather unusual companions.
How to Catch a Star was inspired by a Brer Rabbit story Jeffers read as a child. It has our little hero set out on an ambitious quest to catch himself a star to play with and talk to. It doesn't quite go as planned but the story ends with a unexpected twist that will no doubt make you smile.
The Way Back Home sees the boy jet off into outer space before he encounters engine trouble and finds himself stranded on the moon. He meets an alien who is in the same predicament as he is and they worked hand-in-hand to get themselves off the moon. Great story about working together to overcome differences.
Lost and Found has our plucky young hero befriend a lonely, mute penguin who shows up on his doorstep one day. Thinking the penguin may lost, he rows all the way to the South Pole braving hell and high waters (quite literally) to get his little friend home only to realise that home is, in fact, where the heart is.
Stuck is a silly story about a boy who got his kite stuck in a tree one day and tries to dislodge it by hurling all sorts of preposterous things up the tree. The absurdity of some of the items (like the ladder and tiny saw) escapes Sean at his young age but it is still one of our top laugh-out-loud funny books to read at bedtime.
Oh, there is a lovely video of Oliver Jeffers himself reading this book with an animated version of the illustrations playing in the background here.
Up and Down is a touching sequel to Lost and Found. The boy and penguin get along famously and become the best of friends. One day, the penguin sets off on a personal quest to learn how to fly. Very sweet story about helping a friend out and reaching for your dreams no matter how crazy they may seem. This book also makes us want to learn how to play backgammon!
The Heart and the Bottle is about a girl who loses someone dear and seals her heart in a bottle just so she didn't have to hurt anymore. Beautiful story which struck a deep chord in me because of the delicate way it is able to convey the feelings of loss and bereavement. Probably more suited for older children.
Oliver Jeffers books has piqued my inquisitive three-year-old's interest about many things about our world. We have had long interesting conversations about outer space, aliens, penguins, who lives in the South Pole, why animals can't talk, why stars only appear at night and which birds can/cannot fly :)
You can find out more about Oliver Jeffers on his website or read about the reviews of the other My Favourite Children's Authors.
Happy reading!