Give Me Some Space! (Philip Bunting, Omnibus)
Una is a singular girl on a mission: leave boring old Earth behind for greener pastures—or in this case, planets. Smart, determined and ingenious, she crafts herself a homespun spacesuit and rocket ship, says goodbye to her goldfish and launches into the galaxy. Fascinating facts pepper the pages of Give Me Some Space! as Una revels in her extraordinary new landscape, but when she stops for a picnic on a ring of frozen rocks, she suddenly sees her home planet in a completely new way. Philip Bunting is a consistently excellent picture book creator with a wry sense of humour and a distinctive illustration style. Here, his bold, graphic and modern artwork enriches the book’s world with quirky details and embellishments that will delight older toddlers and early primary schoolers. Give Me Some Space! is one of many environmentally themed picture books to have arrived in bookshops in recent months, and its unique intergalactic approach to the topic sets it apart. Una’s story of self-discovery demonstrates the power of a fresh perspective to generate real change, and her new mission (to take care of Earth!) is one every reader can get behind. Aspiring young space travellers should also take note of this book for another reason. Give Me Some Space! has been selected as the book to be read at the 2021 National Simultaneous Storytime and a real-life astronaut will even be reading the story from real-life space. Mark your calendars for 11am Wednesday, 19 May 2021.
Bronte Coates is the digital content manager and prizes manager at Readings.
