A book about becoming independent for the first time. This stylish book with a relatable story is a joy for children and adults alike. The beautiful illustrations use muted tones with pops of neon orange, mixing gentle watercolour and bold strokes' -- Book Trust 'A charming and well-crafted picture book story.' -- School Reading List A young kangaroo called Alexander lives in his mum, Nancys pocket. Alexander loves his mum, but theres one thing she does that really drives him nuts. She is always putting stuff in her pocket. Alexander tries to keep things neat, but the more he tidies, the more stuff she shoves in there. When he complains, his sister calls him a baby its time to leave the pouch anyway. But Alexander loves it in there its warm and cosy and smells of mum.Then one day, it gets really bad. Twelve bobby pins, a tube of toothpaste, a bottle of water, a packet of chewing gum, two bus tickets, some keys, a toy car and a cookbook all find their way into Nancys pouch. And thats just for starters. Finally Alexanders had enough. I cant take it any more! he shouts. Im moving out! So Alexander moves into the room next to his sisters. They make it all cosy, with a furry blanket and shelves for all his stuff. So its just like his mums pouch. Almost. The penultimate spread is Alexander sleeping with all his stuff strewn around him. The final spread is Nancy clearing out her pocket with a wink. It was time for Alexander to go.This is a heartwarming tale about a connection between a son and mother and a journey towards independence, beautifully brought to life.

 

 

This book has been graded for interest at 3-6 years.

There are 32 pages in this book.

This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).

This book was published in 2020 by Cicada Books Limited .

Daniel Gray-Barnett is an illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. Self-taught, he studied Medical Science at the University of Sydney before swapping his microscope for pencils when he realised illustration had a much lower patient mortality rate. His illustrations have been commissioned by clients such as The New York Times, Sydney Opera House, The Boston Globe, Warner Music, and The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. His work has been shown internationally and has been awarded by the Society of Illustrators NY, Communication Arts and 3x3 magazine. He has three grandmothers and Grandma Z is his first book.