Going Home
Age 4+
Picture Storybooks
A beautifully written and illustrated story of a mouse father and child on a day out, exploring connection and loss.
It’s good to know where things are going … and where other things have gone.
A father and child head out for the day – just what they feel like doing. They see beetles wandering past, snails sliding by, and bees and balloons flying above.
Where are they all going?
Going home, perhaps, says Dad.
A beautiful and quietly meaningful tale of life, loss and love.
Resources
Creators
Simon Howe is an illustrator and author with a broad appetite for children's literature, animation, storytelling and design. He has worked with several notable Australian authors on books for children, and has designed and directed animation for advertising and television. Grounded in themes of childhood, family, hope and home, his work has been nominated for the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Australian Book Design Awards, and his first authored book, Shoosh, has been distributed by the Bounty Bag network to over 60,000 children in Queensland.
Reviews
A beautiful art style that flows across pages, with purposeful pauses to allow for reader interpretation and moments to appreciate the illustrations.
fangtastical_fiction via instagram
The whimsical, fairytale-esque woodland setting. It gave enchanted vibes! The bond between father and child, and the sense of safety and love in their conversation.
idreamofallthebooks via instagram
The illustrations are beautifully textural with a colour palette that is warm, homely and full of love. I was surprised to read on the imprint page that the artwork within is digitally created as they have such a rich painted feel, which speaks to the talent. The different perspectives within the image show a sense of scale and wonder. A beautiful book that will be enjoyed by many readers of all ages.
telarahpslibrary via instagram
It’s a story that reinforces that feeling we all get when we return to the safety and familiarity of home, even when we are adults and there is nothing better than seeing the front door and savouring all that is behind it. Inspired by a real-life occasion with his two-year-old daughter, Howe has captured all those warm fuzzy feelings that being surrounded by the comfort and love that are usually evoked by the word “home” evoke. There is also another old saying about not judging a book by its cover – but this one you definitely can. As soon as I saw it tucked in the parcel of review books, I knew it was going to be one to read straight away because the tenderness and connection of the story is so beautifully portrayed in the soft palette and lines of the cover illustration. Apart from being the ideal bedtime story because of the sense of peace it induces, this may well be a contender for a the CBCA Picture Book of the Year award.
The Bottom Shelf
Told in sparse conversational text and the occasional wordless double page spread, Going Home is heartwarming, subtle, delicate and affectionate… and is sure to be on repeat in family bedtime rituals.
Magpie Magazine
