My own mother, an avid sewer, had an old button tin. As a child I adored sorting through this tin, looking at all the different buttons that had been collected over the years. And so I instantly connected with this book; from its title and gorgeous cover, to the simple text married with its stunning illustrations.
Nanna’s Button Tin is a delightful story about a little girl and her nanna who enjoy sorting through the button tin in order to find a very special button; a replacement eye for teddy.
As the pair look through the buttons in the tin, they come across all sorts of buttons of different shapes, colours and sizes. I love that author Dianne Wolfer, cleverly tells other stories within this story, through the discovery and memory of each button.
In a world saturated by technology, Nanna’s Button Tin gently encourages children to not only think about their own immediate lives - the need to find a teddy an eye - but it inspires children to ponder other people’s lives; the fact that Nanna was once a child, that she had wonderful experiences, adventures, and stories of her own, each told by various buttons.
Beautifully told, Nanna’s Button Tin is a simple yet profound story and is sure to become a favourite.
Title: Nanna’s Button Tin
Author: Dianne Wolfer
Illustrator: Heather Potter
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2017
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781922077677
For ages: 2 - 7
Type: Picture book
