Fern lives alone with just her books in an ordered city where people keep to themselves. She reads about the past; a time when trees filled the streets and parks. The town awakes one morning to find rubbish spilled about their well-ordered streets.
They conclude it is bandits, who came to trash and steal. But is it really?
Fern sees something unusual and wants to know what it could be. Is it the bandits? Forbidden to leave the city, Fern decides to follow the shadows anyway.
At sunrise, she looks at the surrounding strangeness. Fern recognises the forest from pictures in her books. There is a boy and his pet friend. He shows her what he does with the rubbish he takes and the benefits of returning waste food to the earth.
Can Fern leave the greyness of the city blocks and stay in the forest land where renewal and restoration are found?
Bandits is about environmental awareness and choice. It reflects on how people are ruled through fear; that simply accepting a given situation isn’t good enough. One must question. To dare to explore and to discover truth, can sometimes bring you what you thought was impossible.
Beautifully illustrated in a unique way, in vibrant colours and a style that will identify with Sha’an D’Anthes’ name.
Title: Bandits
Author/Illustrator: Sha'an d'Anthes
Publisher: Hachette, $24.99
Publication Date: 29
September 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780734419675
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book
