Every Child A Song

Every Child A Song

By Author / Illustrator

Nicola Davies, Marc Martin

Genre

Representation & Inclusion

Age range(s)

5+

Publisher

Hachette Children's Group

ISBN

9781526361431

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

19-03-2020

Synopsis

When you were born, a song began...  So begins this lyrical and unique non-fiction picture book by award-winning children's author Nicola Davies. With tenderness and a good deal of heart, Nicola introduces young readers to the universal rights that every child is entitled to under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Using the metaphor of song, the book opens with the arrival of a newborn and its unique 'song', then pans out to explore all the essential things that every song needs to thrive - love, protection, a home, a name, the chance to explore and learn. In the latter half of the book, the issues of child labour, exploitation and war are sensitively introduced to emphasise that we all must play our part in championing children's rights and offering support to those who need it most.

With beautiful and deeply moving watercolour illustrations by award-winning artist Marc Martin, this is a book that encourages children, and the adults in their lives, to speak up for young people all around the world, and to treat one another with compassion and kindness.

Reviews

Nikki

A beautiful and cleverly written story by Nicola Davies to celebrate the 30th birthday of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Every Child a Song begins with a foreword from Davies about the United Nations; what it is and the work that it does. This in itself is great as it has been written in child-friendly text, easily accessible for the primary age reader to digest. The information here has been kept short and very specific to its target audience; the children.

Prior to reading I did find it hard to imagine how the 54 rights of the child listed in the UNCRC could be explored in story. Without going into too much detail - and if you are not already familiar with them - they are short yet strong statements that when read alone don't evoke quite the same compassion, celebration and joy as this story manages to.

Davies has used the metaphor of each child being a song, a new melody the world has never heard before, to explore some (not all) of the rights. Rights such as 'Freedom of expression', the right to 'Protection from violence, abuse and neglect', and the 'Right to education'. She uses short, lyrical sentences of text to provide us with a heartfelt reminder to all play our part in fostering and protecting the rights of the child, just like a song that has the right to be heard.

The rich watercolour illustrations on each and every page, although simple, are deeply moving. I should say that I teach in a Gold Awarded Rights Respecting School (RRS), which was granted to us after an evaluation that we have fully embedded the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into both our ethos and curriculum.  Books like this are a vital resource in our school, used in keeping the RRS message and values engaging for the children and high profile in a way that is new and fresh yet poignant. This story gives the children fresh eyes on the articles of the UNCRC and their importance in the well being of children around the world.

This is a truly unique book. A must read for both adults and children alike. The story reminds us all to reflect, be grateful and to be kind.

32 pages / Reviewed by Nikki Stiles, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+

 

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