Harper Collins Australia

September 2020

• ISBN: 9781460759806
• ISBN 10: 146075980X
• Imprint: HarperCollins – AU
• List Price: 24.99 AUD

When Tomfoolery’s Facebook video of his spoken word poem was launched in April 2020 it resonated with thousands of people across the world and was shared and re-shared again and again. As the global population struggled to come to terms with an event of epic catastrophic proportions, Roberts gave an extraordinary gift of hope and unity which will surely become one of the most iconic legacies of this terrible plague.

Little wonder that it would swiftly become a beautiful picture book to share with young readers. With stunning illustrations by Nomoco, the book captures the beauty and feeling of the original spoken piece and will bear many re-tellings long after the [hopeful] eventual end of the fear and angst that Covid created.

The poem truly encapsulates the resilience of many in the face of disaster and their ingenuity shared so freely around the world: spontaneous choirs from lock-downed balconies, innovative fashion designs created from food packaging in quarantine quarters, Italian cooking lessons via video link to Nonnas’ kitchens, the humour of dressing up to take out the bins and so much more.

The awakening by so many that perhaps this disaster was an impetus for us as a species to slow down, to appreciate the simpler gifts on offer from nature and each other and to come together as one to do what we can to help others in whatever small and simple ways we can.

From my first viewing of Tom’s video months ago I knew this would be a lasting reminder to us all and a modern classic to share with our young readers over and over again for years to come.

If you haven’t got around to ordering it, you must – for either library or personal collection.