His output has become increasingly political. What We’ll Build contains a reference to a Trumpian construction: “[We’ll build] a fortress to keep our enemies out, and higher walls for when they shout. But you don’t always lose, and you don’t always win. So we’ll build a gate to let them in.” Purples and pinks dominate in this beautiful book that speaks of a father and daughter as they dream, plan and build for the future. The text rhymes and is written as a poem. It is also about relationships – that between the male figure and the young girl, but also about solving problems, forgiveness, and dealing with anger. Just when you think Oliver Jeffers’ work can’t get any better, he releases yet another stunner. Every bit as wonderful as his other books ‘What We’ll Build’ is the story of parenthood; the hopes and dreams we have for our children’s futures, the protection we give them and the sharing of ever-lasting love.

A rare and enduring story about a parent’s boundless love, life’s endless opportunities, and all we need to build a together future. The perfect baby shower gift or gift for new parents!

The Way Back Home

The father-daughter duo build their home, the only material thing they construct, and then they invest their time in the importance of building love, hope, resilience, forgiveness and warmth. The tools are laid out at the very beginning, a selection of hammers, saws, drills (and a tiny pink pig!) from a shiny, red toolbox but we come to realise that the real 'tools' we need as parents when building our futures together are trust, comfort, compassion, unconditional love. The toolbox appears throughout the book as if to remind us that we carry these tools around with us on our parenting journey.

With offspring prone to crashing his Zoom meetings and his studio over on the other side of the Atlantic, he has found creating in Belfast a challenge. The couple had set up a quiet area in their bedroom for work calls: “But that was like a red rag to a bull to the kids, knowing that one of us was trying to avoid them. They would just come bombarding in.” Agenda books: Anti-Racist Baby, Feminist Baby. I gave my kids Buddhist baby books and I already feel embarrassed/silly about it. Like I'm taking advantage of their age and impressionability to start a brainwashing campaign. Anyway, these are the books that have Important Values that the parents are anxious to impart on their kids, but that are probably just waaay over the kids' heads and I almost feel bad dragging them into the shitty parts of society (prejudice, etc), especially when it's clumsily written. Don't get me started on the anti-racist baby book: "point to policies, not people" - right. I'll tell that to my toddler. :

A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work, building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe, and love to keep them warm. In rhymes, Jeffers also shows us the family they create together, a dad and girl curled up at night by a fire, a pair using their imaginations to ‘play’ games where they visit the moon. |I read Here We Are years, a letter from a parent to his child. Another of Jeffers’ heartfelt picture books (he does regularly manage to elicit tears) and stir emotions. And so elegantly as well. Without effort it seems. Now that I am swimming in kid culture all day, every day, I have been slowly forming opinions - as and when my limited remaining cognitive energy allows. One of these slowly-forming opinions is on children's books. I've noticed something. There are several "types" of children's books: