NZ Booklovers Review

Finding Grace by Emma Hinton

A child adventures into their backyard, collecting treasure and connecting with nature. The images reveal a girl finding her way of being with place. Finding her own meaning of grace.

This is a beautiful bilingual poem that explores movement, meaning and connections. The poem has been translated in to te reo Māori by Lois McIver, and having both on the page is a nice touch. The simple structure means even those with no knowledge of te reo Māori can understand it.

The illustrations, a collaboration between children and artist Nicky Hartley, add to the playful world. Children added textures and marks before Hartley added her touches. The results are breathtaking and beautiful.

I can see this book being used as a great starting point in schools, especially within art, literacy and science. I loved reading it aloud, it has a nice pace and flow effortlessly.

Readers are invited to make their own meaning of Grace, examining how the translation and illustrations contribute to the sense of the story. It's an interesting and refreshing concept, as each reader will bring their own experiences, realities and understandings to it.

Finding Grace is a beautiful, gentle book in which readers are invited to make their own meaning.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

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