The moon had always been there but today I listened to its meaningful melody
Not too far from my back door by Tania Louise Smith is a wonderful story that has been written to help young children to realise that feelings are wonderful but they can be overwhelming.
Through repetition and description, Tania Louise Smith shows the reader that just by getting in touch with Mother Nature can help us to slow down and to see how the nature around us can sooth our worries.
The illustrations are intriguing and really play on emotion. Space and colour are used to evoke different emotions and incite readers to wonder how the character is feeling.
Different parts of nature – trees, the soil and the wind are personified. Each part shows care for the child who is worried by reassuring them that they have always been there and to now take the time to slow down and feel their presence.
The tree asks the child to slumber in its shade, rest and recover, the ocean shows the child that water isn’t just liquid but something to delight in whilst the soil speaks of its strength and support.
All these parts of nature are right there for us and links into the people around us too.
Sometimes we just need to slow down and see what we have to see beyond our heightened emotions.
There are many times in our lives, and especially in children’s lives at the moment where they need to know the beauty of slowing down, of stopping and listening and to draw breath.
Tania Louise-Smith’s book, Not Too Far from my Back Door is a great book to have in your collection especially in our current world, to help them see, feel and hear that life can be great, we just need to slow down to see it.
