WestWords is a publisher dedicated to unique, diverse stories from the Western Sydney community. They are champions of lyrical multicultural storytelling, poetry, fine art illustration styles, youth writing, and other worthy creative endeavours that might not catch the eye of highly commercial publishers. Belong follows that pattern, bringing a debut author and illustrator together in a vibrant exploration of finding friends.
On the half title page we see a nest of eggs, with one on the verge of hatching. Out pops a long legged bird, who seems to be one of a kind. Belong. Be long. Long. Longing to be…To be…like everyone else. The language continues in this sparse style, like a poem across spreads, inviting wordplay and syllable breakdown, and leaving plenty of opportunity for the visual storytelling to carry the narrative.
The bird stumbles through a verdant landscape, observing other birds flocking together, feeling unpopular and invisible. An attempt to blend in sees the bird cover itself in found trinkets – keys, safety pins, bottle caps – which clumsily fall off. These spreads provide engaging opportunities for young readers to talk about both the overarching message of pretense, as well as environmental pollution. Eventually, the bird meets another lost soul and they learn to belong to each other. Befriend. Be kind. Belong.
