Sally Fawcett's illustrations of an ordinary view at the front gate of the new house show how what we perceive can be a window to our hearts.
As we turn each page, changing details in this single viewpoint work in tandem with carefully chosen words to match one little girl's evolving mood.
At first, sorrow and loss see a broken down facade and we share sombre steps to school.
But ever so slowly the tread lightens as the heart begins to heal. When hope emerges, so does new life in the front garden.
As we track this girl's journey from broken heart to new found happiness, there are countless opportunities to discuss why she sees things differently. Is it because physical changes occur or is there something happening inside her heart?
Something truly magical happens on the last page.
Through the Gate is a must-have for any family preparing to move house or school. It's the perfect diving board for sharing thoughts, fears and feelings about the future but it also offers a seed of hope that happiness can grow somewhere else.
Title: Through the Gate
Author/Illustrator: Sally Fawcett
Publisher: EK Publishing, $
Publication Date: 4 May 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925335415
For ages: 3 years +
Type: Picture Book