Title: Whatever the Weather, We’re In This Together
Author: Jessica Braithwaite and Rebecca Ralfe, art by Laura Bee.
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Published: 4th November 2025
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Price: $22.99
Synopsis: Like a warm hug on a cold morning, this beautiful book reassures children that they are loved … always.
I love your smile when the sun shines bright,
when magpies sing in the morning light.
I love your hug when thunder rumbles,
clouds roll in and raindrops tumble.
No matter what the seasons do, if skies turn grey or sparkle blue,
I love you now, I’ll love you forever…
Whatever the weather, we’re in this together.
A beautiful celebration of unconditional love – no matter what the day may bring.
The perfect picture book for:
– comfort and reassurance at bedtime
– reading aloud to your kids
– celebrating the changing Australian seasons
You will love this book if you treasure Guess How Much I Love You, or Under the Love Umbrella
An earlier version of this review appeared in Good Reading Magazine in April 2026
~*~
These days, there are lots of books around that deal with a wide range of emotions and health issues to help reassure and educate children that it is okay to be scared, or how to find the joy in small, simple things. Whatever the Weather, We’re in this Together is a delightful story here different families watch the weather and seasons go by, growing up and changing, but where the love they feel for each other never changes.
Unconditional love is something we should all have, because it means we belong to a community, a family, and that we have a place in the world. And in today’s world, books like this can reassure children that they are always loved. In all seasons, in all weather, and that they can work through any mistakes that they make. Because that love is always there. This book brings it all together, and shows how powerful love and celebration of the small things in life are. What we see as important can be seen differently through the eyes of children or a different perspective when we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.
Love that says you are special, you are important. And I will love you whatever things are like, because everyone is in what we call life together, we are all trying to find our way in the world. Everyone has challenges and obstacles, and as a society working together can help make the world a better place. Everyone will deal with things in different ways, but the one thing that everyone has in common is love, and the ability to love. Community-based stories are powerful because they show us how we can become part of something meaningful.
Each spread has the title Whatever the Weather, We’re In This Together repeated as a phrase throughout the book, to reiterate the fact that love is forever, that everyone deserves love, and that love is, at least in this book, unconditional. It is powerful and that’s part of what makes this book such a great book to read together, as kids might remember that single phrase. So, it will help them learn to read as well as learn to love books.
Laura Bee’s art is delightful, inclusive and filled with beauty. They complement the words and make everything weave together delightfully. I couldn’t choose a favourite image as they were all done so well. They show the diversity of the world, and highlight that everyone sees the weather differently, but that when we are part of a community we are in things together in all types of weather. I found this evocative as it celebrated and acknowledged how everyone sees different types of weather. What we do in it, how we deal with it, and what it means to love in all weathers.
This is the perfect reassuring picture book for stories at bedtime, reading out loud with kids, or even talking about the changing seasons in Australia, and what each season is. Or what to expect with changes in the weather throughout the year. It’s a touching story that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Discover more from The Book Muse
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The Book Muse 