There was some good news this month, as the Welsh Government and the Books Council of Wales announced a new scheme to support the health and wellbeing of children. A pack of 41 books, selected by experts, has been funded which helps teachers to better discuss health and wellbeing issues. The books will be available in Welsh and English with resources to accompany. Great!
Read the press release here:
The book was more intense than I’d first imagined from seeing the cover. Although this book discusses a difficult subject, I really enjoyed this powerful and moving book.
To put it simply, a boy and his father start building a pond in the garden, but the father dies before they get a chance to finish it, literally leaving an empty hole in the family’s lives.
I wasn’t expecting that. Heavy stuff. Children’s books often approach the subject of death indirectly or go round the houses, but I appreciated the way the author discusses the father’s death very directly.
I’ve read comments from some teachers who say that they wouldn’t read the book with their class because of the themes. I feel differently – I think the book offers a valuable opportunity to discuss this important topic with the smallest children (a subject that is often avoided). What I would say is, that you need to be aware of individual children’s circumstances, and use discretion – you know your children at the end of the day.
Soon after the narrator fills the pond with water, it breaks and the water flows into the house, causing the mother to threaten to get rid of it. Clearly a source of tension between the family, the narrator becomes very angry with his father for leaving – a very natural response. The raw emotion of the boy’s pain is conveyed through the chaos and darkness of Cathy Fisher’s haunting illustrations.
Although the pond is initially bare and lifeless, over time, something remarkable happens. The pond comes to life and is soon teeming with wildlife, insects and water flowers.
Throughout the book, the pond is the family’s connection with their father – somewhere they can go to reflect, talk to him and remember him. At the same time, the pool is a reflection of their grief as they move from the dark and bleak place after the initial loss, to the glimmer of hope at the end.
Towards the end, it is as if the family have started to come to terms with their grief, and although they are saying goodbye to the old house and the bittersweet memories, they carry their father’s ‘dream’ with them, stating that they would create a new pond. Just like the seasons, where the warmth of spring follows a bleak winter, the story ends on a positive note.