The Joy Bringers

This beautifully illustrated fable tells us how sparks of joy from summer fun are collected and hidden by woodland animals to leap out for us at just the right moment. Taking inspiration from ancient customs that celebrate the summer, Karin Celestine has woven a tale that reminds us of the joy that can be found in the smallest things, if we only take the time to notice them. In late summer, the foxes collect “all the sparks full of inspiration, stories and summer joy” (p.20) in their newly-woven baskets and, when they are full, pass the sparks to their friends who “scatter them across the lands” (p.24) for us to find. Meanwhile, Grandmother Badger “watches, stitching and sewing all she sees” (p.40) in a lovely embroidered quilt. Great creativity and skill have been used in fashioning all the characters in the photos, as well as their settings and the choices of when and where to photograph them. The attention to detail is extraordinary – each one has its flower, basket, headdress or (fox) gloves, whether they are enjoying tea with a friend or a delicious picnic with all the neighbours. These are pictures to go back to time and again, as you will always find something new in them, from the smallest bee and tricksiest pine marten to the happiest badger. Grandmother Badger’s finished quilt captures many of the images you will see in the story, and Kathy Anderson thoroughly deserves the thanks given for embroidering it. After the story, Pamela Thom-Rowe provides a brief overview of Midsummer customs through the centuries, such as Morris dancing and lighting bonfires, with suggestions about why people celebrated in these ways. She points out that many traditions were lost due to suppression in the 16th and 17th centuries, but reminds us that there are still places where people take part in Midsummer revels today. It would be lovely to read this book with a young child – have fun marvelling at all the detail, spotting new things in the pictures and finding everything on Grandmother Badger’s quilt elsewhere in the book – as well as talking about what joy is and where it comes from. An older child or confident reader could enjoy the book alone. I suspect many teens will not be interested in it, but plenty of adults will appreciate its message of joyfulness and taking time to find pleasure in small things. -- Catherine Shaw @ www.gwales.com