Paper Boat, Paper Bird - David Almond (Author), Kirsti Beautyman (Illustrator)

A stunning new story from the bestselling, prize-winning David Almond, unfolding the magic of the everyday. Mina, from the unforgettable Skellig and My Name is Mina, journeys to Japan and discovers the wonders of the world around her.

Kyoto, Japan. Mina is on a bus. Everything is strange and beautiful.

Mina watches as a woman folds a piece of paper into an origami boat, then floats it over to her.

As Mina discovers the magic of origami, her eyes are opened to the wonders of the real city around her.

Unfold the magic of the everyday, on a journey with one of the world's best-loved authors - with stunning illustrations from Kirsti Beautyman in black and orange throughout.

 

What did I think?

David Almond is a local North East author and although I haven’t read Skellig (yet), I wanted to read Paper Boat, Paper Bird.  Mina is a character in Skellig and she gets her own story in Paper Boat, Paper Bird.

The book is beautifully illustrated by another North Easterner, Kirsti Beautyman and I loved the monochrome drawings with a dash of deep orange colour.  The paper quality is excellent as some of the drawings are quite heavily shaded but the pages don’t curl and colours don’t bleed through to the other side.

I love that the story was inspired by something that actually happened to David Almond in Tokyo where a woman on a bus gave David’s daughter an origami paper boat she had made.  In the story, Mina writes her name on the paper boat that she receives and sends it off on a journey.  This lovely story really does make you think about chance, fate and coincidences.

Recommended for 9-11 year olds (I’m a smidgen older), it’s easy to read and it contains a few Japanese words that David Almond breaks down into syllables so you get the pronunciation right.  I think it’s absolutely lovely that anyone reading this book will learn and be able to correctly pronounce the Japanese words for hello, goodbye and thank you.

Simple but charming, Paper Boat, Paper Bird is a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated book.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Phone Box at the Edge of the World - Laura Imai Messina

We all have something to tell those we have lost . . .

On a windy hill in Japan, in a garden overlooking the sea stands a disused phone box. For years, people have travelled to visit the phone box, to pick up the receiver and speak into the wind: to pass their messages to loved ones no longer with us.

When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami, she is plunged into despair and wonders how she will ever carry on. One day she hears of the phone box, and decides to make her own pilgrimage there, to speak once more to the people she loved the most. But when you have lost everything, the right words can be the hardest thing to find . . .

Then she meets Takeshi, a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of their loss. What happens next will warm your heart, even when it feels as though it is breaking . . .

The Phone Box at the Edge of the World is an unforgettable story of the depths of grief, the lightness of love and the human longing to keep the people who are no longer with us close to our hearts.

What did I think?

What an incredibly moving book!  I didn't realise how much it had affected me until I was telling someone about it and I became quite emotional.  This book feels like two sides of the same coin as whilst it's predominantly about loss and grief, it's also about love and hope.  The writing is so beautiful that I highlighted several passages whilst I was reading so I could return to them and re-experience the beauty all over again. 

"Death, in this place, felt like a beautiful thing."

Yui and Takeshi are both grieving and they meet after making the journey to Bell Gardia in search of the wind phone.  Takeshi is comforted by talking on the phone to his wife whereas Yui is happy to sit peacefully in the garden.  Yui and Takeshi make monthly journeys to Bell Gardia where they come into contact with a variety of different characters.  I loved reading all the different stories that showed grief in its many forms and reminded us that everyone grieves differently.

"...everybody's grief looked the same at first but was, ultimately, unique."

The structure of the book is really interesting; there are alternating chapters listing or detailing seemingly mundane things which I found a bit odd at first, but it reminded me that it's the little things that often mean the most.  I used these chapters as an emotional anchor, giving me a chance to order my thoughts after reading some highly emotional stories.

"...when people disappear from our everyday lives, it doesn't mean they vanish completely."

Yui lost her mother and daughter in the devastating tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March 2011, killing more than 18,000 people.  Both the visual and emotional impact of the tsunami is explored in the book and I found it incredibly poignant.  The bodies of Yui's family were found and identified but there are so many more who still remain missing today and I just can't imagine how this must feel for their families.

"And if you didn't see them one last time, the grief had no end."

I find it quite amazing that the 'The Wind Phone' is a true story and throughout the book I was overcome with admiration for the man who welcomes strangers to his garden to use it; strangers who no doubt become friends.  It's such a lovely thing to do and proves that some people are completely selfless and genuinely kind; I'm sure there aren't many of us who would welcome thousands of strangers trampling through our garden.

"Perhaps it doesn't do any harm, she thought, to continue talking to those who are no longer with us."

Beautifully written and completely breathtaking, The Phone Box at the Edge of the World is a stunning novel and one I will return to again and again.  Unforgettable and extraordinary, it's a book that speaks to the heart and soul of anyone who has loved and lost.

Many thanks to Manilla Press for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

Ikigai & Other Japanese Words to Live By - Mari Fujimoto

Introducing and explaining some of the most poignant Japanese words, Ikigai is a lifestyle as well as a language book. From the wistful poetry of mono-no-aware, a word that asks us to recognize the bittersweet transience of all things, to the quiet harmony of wa, which knits together all of society’s structures, this book is an introduction to the intricacies and value of Japanese phrases and concepts. It hopes to inspire you to incorporate these words into your own lifestyle and adopt a more mindful attitude to life’s stresses, seeking meaning beyond materialism. 

In addition to over 40 ‘words to live by’, Ikigai features musings on the place of beauty, community, time and nature in Japanese thought, teaching mindfulness by way of compelling haikus, and illustrated by Michael Kenna’s reflective photography throughout.

What did I think?

When I think of Japanese people, a sea of serene and smiling faces comes to mind.  After reading Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by, I'm not surprised that they appear so happy and calm with such beautiful, meaningful words in their vocabulary.

The book is split into seven chapters: Harmony, Beauty, Nature, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Time and Respect, with a haiku (a 3 line Japanese poem) at the beginning of each chapter.  I've never been a poetry lover so these bite size poems are more my kind of thing and I rather surprisingly found myself lingering over the words and savouring their meaning.  Before we even get to the 'words to live by' there is a little essay on each chapter topic, however, this went completely over my head and I didn't really get it.  It might make more sense on the second reading, as I'm sure I'll be returning to this book for inspiration.

On to the words, which is the essence of the book.  My favourite section has to be 'Time' as I often say that time is something you never get back and particular moments in time cannot be repeated.  There's actually a Japanese phrase for this: 'Ichigo ichie' which means a once-in-a-lifetime encounter; a moment that cannot be repeated.  It's rather fitting for me (being a lifelong tea lover) that this phrase is attributed to renowned tea master Sen-no Rikyū and I'd already made a note to source some 'salty plum tea' that made my mouth water in the essay on gratitude.

I love black and white photography so I was completely spellbound by Michael Kenna's breathtaking images.  The images, coupled with the inspirational words and phrases, project an aura of calm and enlightenment, making Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by a book to savour and return to again and again.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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All This Will Be Lost - Brian Payton

Synopsis:

A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL

April 1943.  In the bloody turmoil of war, John Easley, a journalist mourning his lost brother, is driven to expose a hidden and growing conflict: the Japanese invasion and occupation of Alaska's Aleutian islands.  But when his plane is shot down he is forced to either surrender or struggle to survive in a harsh wilderness.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

Three thousand miles to the south, Helen Easley cannot accept her husband's disappearance - an absence that exposes her sheltered, untested life.  Desperate to find and reunite with him, she sets out on a remarkable journey from the safety of her Seattle home to the war in the north.

A LOVE STORY LIKE NO OTHER

An evocative, richly atmospheric tale of life and death, commitment and sacrifice, All This Will Be Lost is a gripping story of survival than illuminates the fragility of life and the fierce power of love.

What did I think?

This is an incredible story - a story that stayed with me long after I read the final page.  I laughed, I cried and I prayed that Helen and John would find each other again.  John really surprised me at times, and the strength he found to survive against all the odds was inspiring.  I liked the fact that Helen and John weren't painted as a perfect couple - they had their fair share of disagreements but Helen didn't hesitate in setting off across the country to find John.  You could even feel that she was close at one point - they perhaps saw the same eagle and I felt that their meeting was just around the corner but Helen got shipped out of Alaska and I began to despair again.  But like the Easley's, I didn't give up hope.

The beautiful writing paints a vivid picture of a desolate landscape and Brian Payton really gives a voice to the people of the Aleutian Islands, a place I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of.  He also shows a different side to the Japanese soldiers as we're often so quick to think of their brutality in prisoner of war camps.

An amazing story of love, survival and the tragedy of war.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.