Hope is the Thing by Johanna Bell and Erica Wagner

Title: Hope is the Thing

Author: Johanna Bell and Erica Wagner

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Uwin

Published: 31^st January 2023

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: A highly original, beautiful and deeply meaningful picture book that sees the marvellous and inspiring world of birds through the eyes of a child and celebrates birds’ adaptability and ingenuity.

Hope is a kookaburra singing the sun
Hope is the emu learning to run …

Let your imagination soar in this joyful ode to the world of birds and the healing power of nature.

Sparked by the Emily Dickinson poem ‘Hope is the thing with feathers’, this lyrical text accompanied by glorious mixed media collages reflects and celebrates the diversity, ingenuity and wonder of birds.

~*~

This beautiful picture book is inspired by the Emily Dickinson poem – Hope is the thing with feathers, and gives it an Australian flair as it explores the world of birds through the eyes of a child to give all readers hope and motivation to see the beauty in the world around them, and in their everyday lives. It is simply told through rhymes that relate to birds and nature in Australia, almost like a song – it just needs the right tune, the right music to be put to it.

I loved the mixed media used to create the images that accompanied the words – I think it added a beautiful layer to the text and a magic that ensures the book can be engaged with on many levels and in many ways so everyone can find something they enjoy about it. And the way it gently introduces birds, words, and different artistic methods. It feels calming in many ways, and I love that it celebrates Australian birds and hope as something that feels connected – that birds can bring us hope and make us feel hopeful in a world that sometimes feels like there is not much hope.

This is a great book for all ages – its simplicity is what makes it accessible and a book that is suitable for many, and one that I think everyone should try and read. The rhyming is gentle and calming as well.

Each rhyme features a different Australian bird, and unites language and nature, and the magical songs of the birds that make up everything we know and love about the birds of Australia, and shows that each bird is unique and beautiful – and that is why they are filled with hope. It is a beautiful book and one that is to be treasured and loved – and I think it is one that we can all get something out of. It is filled with joy and creativity, exploring different ways of bringing hope to life for readers and what the world and nature can help us do.