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The Tale that Time Sews by Sita Brahmachari ill. Jane Ray

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Sep 2026

Publisher: Templar 
ISBN: 9781800789654

“At its heart, this is a tender story about migration, heritage, family and the ways we carry the past into the future. The quilt becomes a powerful metaphor for rebuilding after loss: each patch represents a memory and every new stitch a reminder that identity can be lovingly remade without losing what came before.
The story’s message about displacement is gentle but profound, offering children an accessible way to understand courage, belonging and the importance of remembering where we come from.
Jane Ray’s illustrations beautifully complement the storytelling, filling each page with rich patterns and a sense of magic. The textured cover is particularly effective, echoing the tactile world of sewing and quilting and inviting readers to imagine the warmth of Nana’s handmade creation.” BookTrust

 

 
 
 
 
 
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While a young girl awaits the arrival of a new sibling, her Nana works on a special story quilt. As she sews, mends, and adds new patches, Nana shares the story of her own journey – of fleeing her homeland, finding love in a new country, and stitching together a new beginning from fragile threads.

With every new and restored patch, the girl begins to understand her place in the world. Patterns burst with stories, threads shimmer with spirits passed and new patches wait to be brought to life. Each careful mend and every stitch carries the hope of what’s to come.

Now, as a new life enters the world, Nana’s quilt wraps around her grandchildren in the warmth of the past and the promise of what’s to come.

The Tale that Time Sews is a heartfelt tribute to love, resilience and the generations forever woven together.

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SOUTH by Rob Biddulph

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Sep 2026

Publisher: HarperCollins 
ISBN: 9780008627751

See also:
My First Draw With Rob: Vehicles [ACHUKA Book of the Day 4 Feb 2025]
I Follow The Fox [ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Oct 2024]
The Blue-Footed Booby [ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Aug 2022]
Draw With Rob 3 [ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Mar 2021]

One of the highlights of the Autumn – a new picture book from Rob Biddulph…

When Pip’s family fly south for the winter, they forget one thing: Pip. At first he’s delighted at the freedom to do as he pleases, but soon realises that being alone isn’t quite the adventure he imagined…

Filled with loveable characters, emotive storytelling and truly glorious artwork, Rob returns with another unforgettable tale about the bigness of the world, the adventures in store, and the love that guides us home.

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Epic Animal Journeys: Migration and navigation by air, land and sea by Ed J. Brown

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All the branches of the animal kingdom – birds, fish, crustaceans, reptiles, mammals, insects, and even slime moulds undertake great journeys across water land or air. This is a glorious celebration of the mysteries and marvels of migration.

Migration is one of the great mysteries of the natural world. With no compass or GPS devices, birds fly thousands of miles from Europe to their African feeding grounds, salmon cross oceans so that they may return to the rivers in which they were born and monarch butterflies spend their entire adult lives traveling from the grasslands of the Midwest to the forests of Mexico.

This book takes a close look at how and why different animals migrate. The science of migration is broken down into clearly understood texts, and then brought to life in case studies of individual species.

Simple text packed with fascinating facts and details are accompanied by eye-catching illustrations that illuminate the fragility and wonders of our extraordinary planet and the species that inhabit it.

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Feathers Together by Caron Levis ill. Charles Santoso

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An uplifting story of animal friendship, inspired by a real-life pair of storks whose bond overcame great distance.

Best friends, Malena and Klepetan, always adventure together. The two excitedly prepare to fly thousands of miles for the flock’s annual migration to a warm winter. But when Malena is injured, she stays in Croatia while Klepetan goes to South Africa, and the pair must navigate the turbulent winds of separation for the first time. Being apart is hard. Malena and Klepetan miss each other but even over the vast distance, the two brave explorers discover ways to enjoy their separate seasons while keeping their hearts connected and their hopes aloft that spring will bring them back together.

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Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Migration by George Butler

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Apr 2021

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“George’s work gets to the essence of war and the experiences of the human beings caught up in it.” Jeremy Bowen

“The Paul Nash of our era.” Michael Morpurgo

“While photography is good in what it can reveal; drawing has that ability to have a considered approach of a different kind – simply because it is less instant and more reflective. Stories emerge from such drawings. George Butler is keeping reportage drawing alive.”   John Vernon Lord

“It is an unusual feeling to walk into a place that everyone is leaving. I have been stared at as if I am lost or mad, and sometimes I have felt as if I am both. However, by resisting the temptation to turn around and walk away I have made these drawings. I made them in refugee camps, war zones and on the move, and as I drew, people told me their stories.” George Butler

In striking and intimate illustrations, award-winning artist George Butler introduces us to the people behind the headlines. Drawings made on front lines, in refugee camps and on the move vividly capture stories of leaving home, travelling into the unknown and trying to make a new life. These powerful portraits of migration are a timely reminder of the humanity we all share and our universal need to seek safety and a better life.

While the illustrations themselves are at the heart of the book, I also want to praise Butler for the quality of his commentary. Older children and teenagers will surely appreciate the direct and unpatronising tone of his writing.

This is a very special publication. It is selected as ACHUKA Book of the Day on the day the UK’s bookshops re-open their doors after the long winter lockdown. Please look out for it.

Any young person inspired to take up location sketching may find the following title in the Urban Sketching series helpful:
The Urban Sketching Handbook Techniques for Beginners: How to Build a Practice for Sketching on Location – Urban Sketching Handbooks 11 by Suhita Shirodkar

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Monarch Butterflies: Explore the Life Journey of One of the Winged Wonders of the World by Ann Hobbie ill. Olga Baumert

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“Baumert’s precise and exquisite illustrations flawlessly support and enhance the text. Her vibrant color palette slowly evolves from the bright greens of spring and monarch caterpillars to the oranges of fall and migrating butterflies. ” KIRKUS

Monarchs are a favorite and familiar  butterfly, and their incredible annual migration has captured the popular imagination for generations. Through accessible text and colourful, engaging illustrations, Monarch Butterflies presents rich, detailed information about the monarchs’ life cycle, anatomy, and the wonders of their signature migration, as well as how to raise monarchs at home and the cultural significance of monarchs in Day of the Dead celebrations.

Ann Hobbie is the chair of the board of directors at the Monarch Joint Venture, a US partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organisations, businesses, and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. She has more than 20 years of experience teaching children, training teachers, and writing curriculum related to monarchs, schoolyard ecology, and schoolyard gardening.

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olgabaumert/
Olga Baumert, originally from Poland,  studied Fine Art and Jewellery before moving to the UK where she received her degree in Graphic Design and Illustration at De Montfort University.

We Travel So Far by Laura Knowles ill. Chris Madden

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Beautifully informative non-fiction book for young children introducing them to the migration stories of different creatures. Rhythmic repetition in the  writing, and stylish full-colour page illustrations combine to create a really pleasing title. Just occasionally I felt the designers might have dealt with dark print on dark backgrounds a little better

Waterstones