The Suitcase

When a little boy is left at his grandparent’s for the summer holidays, he expects to be completely bored as nothing ever happens there and there is nothing to do. However, when searching the attic, he finds a suitcase, full of mysterious things and photos of people having incredible adventures and doing exciting things. Determined to find out who they are, he starts to investigate…

The Suitcase is such a lovely story, perfect for helping children to appreciate their grandparents - and perhaps their parents - as 'real' people who have lived interesting and varied lives in their own right as well as being the 'boring' people they see day after day. Readers will love spotting all the clues hidden in plain sight and piecing together the solution whilst the young lad puzzles over the evidence.  There is plenty here to amuse adults as well as children - a tape of 'Dark Side of the Moon' is labelled as possibly being some sort of spying equipment, for example!

The story would make an excellent starting point for developing children's interest in their own family history, encouraging them to talk to relations and learn more about their lives and perhaps discovering new interests which they can share. For some families, looking at the past might not be possible, but the story could lead to creating their own 'suitcase' of memorabilia of a holiday or day spent together (whether at home or away!), forging new memories and strengthening bonds across generations.

I could wax lyrical for hours about the fabulous illustrations - the antics of the cat, the 'before' and 'after' photos on the end papers, the links between the grandparents' past and present lives; there is so much to notice and enjoy!

Heart-warming and joyful, The Suitcase helps readers understand that other people might be more interesting that we give them credit for!

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+