Vanilla Ice Cream

This delightful tale begins in a dusty Indian truck stop, where a curious little sparrow watches two children playing by the roadside as he pecks around for crumbs. Settling on the sacks of rice in the back of a truck, he travels past paddy fields and through bustling towns to a port. When the rice is loaded onto a cargo ship, the sparrow follows the food and embarks on a long journey south. After arriving in a vast city, his encounter with a young girl called Edie changes her life in a small but significant way.

The text is sparse, and some pages are wordless, but Bob Graham's trademark gentle pen, ink and watercolour illustrations speak volumes. This endearing picture book about how lives are interconnected is endorsed by Amnesty International UK as 'it reminds us that we should all enjoy life, freedom and safety'. A charming book to be savoured and cherished.