Imagine a time by Penny Harrison and Jennifer Goldsmith

A stunningly illustrated book shows what can happen if everything stops, promotes the idea of being slow, of slowing down, of not taking things for granted. The Slow Movement grew out of the Slow Food Movement as well as a battle in Rome in 1986 to stop a MacDonald’s opening.

This book epitomises the Slow Movement as it prompts children’s imaginations to think about what could be achieved when things slow down.

The first double page shows a very crowded street of people with quizzical looks on their faces as things just stop. We are asked to imagine if the world’s maps begin to fade, and all the ships sail into the harbours the trains and buses stop running and return to their stations. All the people now will be forced to slow down and forget hurrying, and bustling, and forget all about fast.

When everything slows down, things happen. Nature unfurls, calmly, sending its green tendrils over the buildings, having flowers bloom in the most unexpected of places.

An idyllic world where animals go safely through the empty streets, where once shy sea animals return to the shore, where honey drips from hives in the trees, fewer people crowd the beaches, shows the children what a slow world means.

Changes have occurred but with their new knowledge, a slower world is there for all to enjoy. Beautiful pencil and watercolour images fill the pages, showing things we may have missed in our efforts to keep ahead of everyone else. Ethereal images of forests and creatures, the moon and the fields show readers what they are missing.`

Themes: Slow movement, Environment.

Fran Knight