Picture book round up time! Both these books can be for any age, however, there are sensitive issues that might not be for everyone.
Wombat Said Come In is a multiple layered story. It is about friendship, loss and even about limits. Wombat is sitting down when he hears a knock, a friend is in need. The land is on fire and one by one the knocks on the door find another friend in need. Of course, maybe a bit hesitantly (especially when the house becomes crowded) Wombat cannot say no to a friend in need. The themes Carmen Agra Deedy puts forth are not pushy, even are humorous, but the adult will understand what is happening. Brian Lies is at their best (but then again, when are they not?) with the artwork. Fun, sweet, colorful, busy to the point of what is needed, and little gems here and there.
To summarize Two White Rabbits (written by Jairo Buitrago) the publisher description works best: “a young child describes what it is like to be a migrant as she and her father travel north toward the US border.” There is nothing OMG! as it is simple, but not simplistic. The pace can be a tad awkward at first (I think it might be due to the translation by Elisa Amado) but then it sounds like a young child’s voice. Both beautiful and sad, the journey the young girl takes is still (unfortunately) relevant today as it was in the 2015 release. The artwork (created by Rafael Yockteng) is soft but has edges to show you the landscape and the situation. However, it is still accessible to most ages.