by Circle Yuen
 
Subtitled, "Living Apart, Time Together". The front cover shows a mum and dad dancing with their child in the middle, her face flush with joy. The inside pages continue this dance, initially with all three in synch but then giving way to something which looks somehow more oppositional and frantic. And then the narrative opens, with a child who tells us she loves to dance. She is illustrated full of self-possession, hands on hips, head thrown back, a crown on her head. She tells us her mummy and daddy also love to dance but then describes a tension in which, she says, “they both want to lead each other”.  Shortly afterwards we see her crouched in her mother’s lap; the house’s furniture is in disarray. The child says, “I heard their dancing, but I didn’t want to see”.  The story soon develops into one of family breakdown, separation and healing as the family comes to learn a new dance. 
 
A strikingly thoughtful book which ends by portraying shared parental contact and -uniquely for a children’s picture book- via a child contact centre. A debut for Circle Yuen and, some would no doubt argue, a ‘brave’ choice for a first picture book outing. From our perspective, we are delighted to see this title. There are very few books dealing with family breakdown for such young readers which do so with such sensitivity and honesty. The narrative truly centres the child, deftly managing the trauma through carefully chosen words and a minimal colour palette which strips the story down to its emotional core. The author’s background in social justice and the personal experience she brings to the book are very evident. Includes a backnote about the UK National Association of Child Contact Centres.
 
‘Wow. What a powerful story of parents separating told from the child’s point of view. The illustrations add to the impact. The first time I have seen a story mentioning contact centres which for some children is a reality’ (Rosalind, Workforce Development Officer, Letterbox Library reviewer). ‘Very clever for showing a young reader a new, very different, way of a family ‘being’ while strongly suggesting a DV background’ (Fen, Letterbox Library staff). Age 4-7, Hardback 29pp
 
Themes: Diverse Families