The illustrations have enough splashes of bright color to catch a child's eye while maintaining a dark aura, fitting for a cave. Puffin books have given me such joy throughout my life and it feels very special to now be working together on making stories. In the final scene, the now fast friends sit together, sharing marshmallows and chattering together…atop a disregarded pile of glittering gold. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. We at Penguin Random House Australia acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians and the first storytellers of the lands on which we live and work.

I rarely read children's novels but the illustration and the title caught my eye that I just had to request for it! Rodin, who studied children's book illustration at the Cambridge School of Art and featured in the Illustrator's Exhibition at Bologna in 2019,said:"I'm so delighted to be working with Andrea, Clare and the magical team at Puffin. Thank you so much, to the publisher and NetGalley for the free preview copy of this ebook; the review is voluntary--and enthusiastic! A story from a stunning new author-illustrator about a special friendship, the nature of play, conflict and compromise, and about how much richer life is when you work out how to share it. When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.And the lesson is great too: you must be brave to make friends, and it is not easy to overcome fears, but it is so worth it! Little Echo captured the hearts and imaginations of all at Puffin, and it’s been my utter privilege to work with Al on bringing his beautiful, original work out into the world. Additionally, it’s ideal for preschool and early elementary school educators to use as a resource for teaching compassion and understanding. It is too afraid to show itself and would only echo behind any sounds made by other creatures living in the cave. When the daring adventurer comes along, Little Echo’s whole world visibly brightens as she first follows his light and then begins to find her own.

He studied children's book illustration at Cambridge School of Art and received the 2019 Sebastian Walker Prize. When Little Echo realizes that Max is in danger, she finds her courage, and even better, a true friend. If the symbolism of that image is obvious enough to need no pointing out, the import of Max noticing Little Echo only when she speaks up for herself is oblique enough to be, possibly, unintentional and does need unpacking. I was over the moon when I discovered it was being published by Puffin Books and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy!But if you have a child like me who fears shadows and hates everything “mean”, maybe wait until they are older.

Now that I have my very own copy, I’m so excited to be able to share my thoughts about it with the world. Rodin’s message is quiet and gentle, but clear: It’s so much easier to find your voice when you have someone to listen.And as a parent of a very sensitive and imaginative child, I just know that we would not make it through the book without a tear. So, if you have a brave little child who is not afraid of simple villains – mainly a wild bear – and is not too scared of the dark, then enjoy this fun little read about bravery and making new friends. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries around Europe and Asia, and he was selected for lllustrators' Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2019. The basic premise is that Little Echo needs to find her own voice and not just always repeat that of others.