Our village in the sky by Janeen Brian
Ill. by Anne Spudvilas. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743318140.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Poetry. Himalayas. Village life. With short
poems reflecting the lifestyle of those who live in the village and
its setting in the Himalayas, this book is a treat. Each poem shows
another aspect of the children's lives, all contrasting with the
lives of our students, while some show unexpected
similarities. The watercolour illustrations of these children are
absorbing as Spudvilas manages to get so much detail into a wash
drawing, entreating the eye to look at the pots and pans, clothing,
footwear and housing of these villagers, all the while surrounded by
the mountains.
Each poem and illustration shows a different aspect of life in this
remote village. The opening double page shows a young girl sitting
with her village and the mountains in the background, just losing
their wintry white cover of snow. The opening pages introduces the
reader to a place not well known, and through the book, it becomes
more tangible. Then we see the child using the water tub as a drum
on the way to the pipe, then struggling to bring the full tub home.
And over the pages small children are helping their parents build
their house. They must dig mud out of the ground and take it to
their father who moulds it with clay and straw and dung before
putting it into moulds to make bricks. On another page the young
girl is cleaning her brother's clothes, and on another, they mind
the goats or wash the dishes, or use a ladder as a seesaw, all with
smiling faces, all using the experience to draw some fun out of the
work.
Janeen's poems are delightful, adding nuances to the children's play
which is poignant and affecting. Her imagery is controlled, and
reflects a deep understanding of village life. As a read-aloud or a
class story, as a model for their own writing, this book will have a
multitude of uses in the classroom, where looking at other
countries, particularly in the Asia Pacific region is part of the
increased emphasis on geography in the curriculum.
Fran Knight