Delightful Big Blue and Little Blue are back, showcasing another important aspect of wellbeing. This time around the three simply illustrated stories in this graphic novel introduce the importance of sometimes just doing nothing and taking time out to relax. One story also shows how active relaxers may struggle with the concept and that everyone is different.
Each of the three stories is connected by the wellbeing theme, designed to offer children coping strategies for different aspects of their lives.
In the first story, called Something, Bigsies is laying down doing nothing. Littles is upset because he feels that they should be doing something, however Bigsies assures Littles that sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do and encourages Littles to give it a go.
In the second, Nothing, the concept of active relaxing is explored, reminding readers to focus their mind on one thing.
The third story, called Bubba Lubba, readers are introduced to a singing pirate seal who enjoys sunning himself on a rock searching for his one true love. As Littles points out, laying on a rock is hardly searching and Littles encourages him to be proactive.
The two penguins are as delightful as ever, each with their own personality, likes and dislikes. Bubbla Lubba is a fun addition to the cast, and his personality adds a spark of excitement to the book.
The second book in the series is as beautifully executed as the first. The graphic novel style will appeal to younger readers taking their first steps into this genre and design. McGrath uses lots of white space and well-placed text to guide readers around the page. His illustrations are simple and fresh, with a limited colour palette.
Big Little Blue: Rockybottoms is a fun, funny and thoughtful graphic novel that will help our younger readers navigate some of life's tricky spots.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Scholastic