Picture books are great for children - of all ages - who are early readers, still learning to read or having some difficulties mastering the skill. Picture books have a low overall word count of between 500 to 1000 words, spread over 26-32 pages. This makes it possible for even beginners to work their way through the entire book in one sitting, which great for boosting their confidence in reading. Willow the Wonderer picture books are especially helpful for learning to read

Wondering what are the best ways to help young children who are learning to read? You need to take note of this article from the ABC on Structured Literacy - An evidence-based approach to teaching reading that involves a combination of phonics (sounding out words) and explicit teacher-led instruction. It is based on a " landmark international study that examined 10,000 pieces of research going back to 1966 to distill six big ideas behind the science of reading . Reading th

Willow the Wonderer, a story about a child's innocent search for happiness, had been incubating in my head for well over two decades. I would think about it mostly when I was looking up at clouds, forms would appear in them and then disappear as the wind reformed the shapes. I wanted to create a picture book that would not only look good and engage children but would incorporate this idea. What was most important to me, however, was that the book plant a seed of wisdom in a