How the Sun Got to Coco’s House

How the Sun Got to Coco’s House

Bob Graham

Walker Books NZ$28

 

Australian author-illustrator Bob Graham has produced a large picture book which makes the world much smaller – small enough for a child to understand. The sun is its main character.

 

While young Coco is asleep in her bed, the sun is rising on the other side of the planet. “It leapt whole countries, chasing the night.” Whichever country it reaches – and almost every part of the globe is hinted at in Graham’s beautiful landscape illustrations – the sun always casts its rays on a child somewhere.  Finally the sun reaches a snow-bound urban street and “barged straight through Coco’s window.” The sun helps Coco wake her parents, “and joined them for breakfast.” 

 

An amazing double-page spread shows how a sunbeam spends the afternoon with Coco and her friends. “But for a few passing clouds, they spent the whole day together.” This is the sort of book that makes every child a citizen of the world.

Reviewed by Trevor Agnew
This review first appeared in Your Weekend magazine (Fairfax) on 7 Nov 2015