by Jake Hope
illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald
 
“Anything can happen on the long way home”
 
Daddy always does school pick ups and he is the absolute king of shortcuts. Still, Zarah thinks no shortcut is short enough! But then, one day, Uncle Jerome greets them at the school gates with an offer: the LONG way home.  Zarah groans. Her brother, however, seems very on board. And, as it turns out, it seems anything can happen on the Long Way Home: pterodactyls swoop in the woods, crocodiles lurk in the river, Yetis stalk the hills…
 
The journey home from a small town school, across rural landscapes, to a village, is transformed in to a super sprint thanks to an effervescent uncle and an abundance of imagination. A celebration of the great outdoors with all of its inherent storymaking potential- and of the extended family members who are so pivotal to many children’s play times. Fitzgerald’s textured print/pencil illustrations invite the young reader’s own explorations into the imagined worlds. Stacked with child-friendly elements including repetitions and a fun engagement with all of the senses, from the “click clack” sound of crocodile jaws to the sweet taste of “oozy strawberry [ice cream] sauce”– or, is that in fact the blood dripping from the mouths of vampire bats?!   [Mixed race family] Age 4-7, Paperback 29pp
 
Themes: Diverse Families