Spirit
Age 5+
Picture Books
A beautiful book for young readers about hope.
A small girl is building her own little boat out of bits and pieces. She sails it on a puddle - it's a disaster. She modifies the design. She sails it on a pond - another disaster, but it gets a little bit further. She sails it in a stream and then out to sea. This book is about resilience, resourcefulness, imagination and hope. It's about creativity and not being perfect at something the first time you do it. This is a lovely, gentle story.
Creators
Cherri Ryan is an author who is inspired by the children and families she cared for as a family doctor in Australia for almost twenty years. When she is not writing, Cherri works in medical education, and enjoys helping organisations that help others. In 2016, one of Cherri’s stories was animated and projected onto Brisbane City Hall as the Christmas Lights Spectacular. She lives in Queensland, Australia, with her family, one cat, two guinea pigs and many visiting birds and possums. Cherri believes in hope, joy, perseverance and the power of stories. Her first picture book, Spirit, follows a young girl with creativity, courage and sailing dreams.
Award-winning author–illustrator Christina Booth works from her bush studio surrounded by amazing native animals, colourful birds, her chickens, a failed elderly guide dog and studio cat. She considered being an Olympic athlete, a hairdresser or an archaeologist when she grew up, but she didn’t. She wasn’t as good at them as she was at drawing and writing stories. Christina was awarded a CBCA Honour Book Award for her book, Kip, and has won numerous awards including the Environment Award for Children’s Literature for her story, Welcome Home. Spirit (written by Cherri Ryan) is her first picture book with Black Dog Books.
Reviews
Powerful and deeply moving, Cherri Ryan’s Spirit is a story of hope and optimism…This is a treasure to be owned and gifted.
Kids Book Review
[Christina] Booth’s sensitive depiction of Spirit’s creator is both timely and thought-provoking. Her heart-warming illustrations add another dimension of lucidity and movement to this tale, which nurtures the notion of never giving up and remaining true to your spirit.
Boomerang Books
Spirit is a deceptively simple story about a boat being mended after each foray into the world but as the title indicates Spirit is also a parable for everyone who has ever set out into the perilous unknown seeking their destiny and as such is a positive message to children to persevere and believe in themselves and their dreams.
StoryLinks
Spirit has a dreamy quality, with evocative illustrations and simple, undemanding text that leaves the message in plain sight.
The Golden Adventures
Spirit is a powerful story about courage, persistence and resilience.
Blog of Dad
The pivotal theme is never giving up. This is presented without a shadow to dull the positive energy and tenderness that fills each page. This is a treasure to be owned and gifted; a book that says a lot within the limitations of a picture book’s word count.
Kids' Book Review
