Quiet Time with My Seeya (Dinalie Dabarera, A&U Children’s)

Quiet Time with My Seeya is the debut solo picture book by Dinalie Dabarera, whose previous illustrations in The Cat With The Coloured Tail were nominated for the CBCA Award for new illustrator, among other industry prizes. This endearing new story shows the special days a young child spends with her beloved Sinhalese grandfather, her seeya. Although they speak different languages, and their time together is mostly quiet, they cherish every moment in each other’s company. They tease each other mischievously, go on adventures and create their own worlds through games and dress-ups. Dabarera proves that sometimes we don’t need words to show love. Sometimes just quietly making pittu together (and laughing over the mess on the floor) is enough. This mutual love and tenderness that spans generations is felt on every page, and is brought to life by the delightful illustrations that convey plenty of movement and joy. The note at the end of the book by Dabarera draws on the author’s own family life to tell the reader explicitly that they have just read a story about love—the kind that is communicated in time and attention. The message to young readers and their families is a profound one: that love exists across languages and cultures and that being together is the most precious thing.

Read Karys McEwen’s interview with Dinalie Dabarera about Quiet Time with My Seeya here. 

Books+Publishing reviewer: Karys McEwen is the library manager at Prahran High School, a middle-grade author, and the vice president of CBCA VIC Branch. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Junior Reviews Think Australian top reviews