This exquisite story by David Almond, the bestselling author of Skellig, is beautifully produced in a slim hardcover volume.

One day on a bus in Kyoto, Mina, a young English girl sits next to a Japanese woman who is crafting an origami boat and bird. As she makes these pieces, she gifts them to Mina and a magical world begins to unfold before Mina’s eyes.

In Japan with her mother, Mina learns how everything in the physical world is connected. She feels different and her mother tells her that this is what the experience of travel brings you. Mina writes a message of friendship and her name on the paper boat and bird and sets them on a course. The next day, these are magically found by a small Japanese boy, Miyako.

I loved this magical story of a journey that invites you to open your imagination to the possibilities of life.

Paper Boat, Paper Bird is a book about discovery. Not only do you learn a little Japanese language and culture, but you also learn the many important and unspoken ways we communicate across many cultures. The illustrations are uplifting and complement the quiet ebb and flow of the story.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Karen Williams
Age Guide 8+

Visit David Almond’s website