Written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Brizida Magro (published Alison Green Books, imprint of Scholastic, 2024)
There are things you can carry
that don’t weigh so much…
Some things that we carry
aren’t things you can touch.
So this wonderful picture book by Helen Docherty and Brizida Magro reminds us!
We were invited to take part in the All The Things We Carry Instagram book tour, and we’re pleased we did because this book is an absolute delight – thank you to Kiran at Scholastic for the invite, and for our copy of the book.
All The Things We Carry is a charming book written in rhyme, taking us through the various physical things you can carry; for example, a pebble, a toy bear, or a watering can to water some flowers.
But then it takes us into the invisible things, both the happy and sad things that live in our minds, such as hope, memories, worries. And just like with the physical things, they are much easier to carry when we don’t do it alone.
Written partly in response to the anxiety Docherty’s eldest daughter felt at the beginning of lockdown, Scholastic describes it as a “warm hug of a book” and they’re not wrong. Docherty’s rhymes are light and playful, and made me feel like I was bobbing along on a gentle breeze.
Magro’s pictures throughout are large, taking up whole pages, but with soft outlines and warm colours that feel cheerful and welcoming. I loved the way certain images like the sunflowers or the tune spread across to the next page, and the delightful imagery used for the non-physical things such as doves for hope.
We’ve always enjoyed Docherty’s books, especially The Screen Thief; she has a way of sharing important messages about kindness and empathy with a light touch, never feeling heavy-handed. Conversely, this is our first time with Magro’s illustrations, and we look forward to seeing more of them in the future!
All The Things We Carry is a beautiful reminder that the most important things are the things that are so intangible, we wouldn’t think about the fact that we’re “carrying” them at all. And that, whether big things or small, we’re all here together to help carry them – and each other.
All The Things We Carry has just come out; you can grab a copy at the link below.
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