Growing and Changing

Welcome to a brand-new year! We hope it brings you peace and joy and limitless new possibilities!

It’s traditional to think of this time as one for grand resolutions – but why should we only focus on change in January? Surely it would be better if we would keep changing and growing all year round? If you think about it, we should always try to become a better and truer version of ourselves!

As it happens, the January issue is full of stories about characters who are improving themselves in different ways.

 

Elizabeth Dale contributed this month’s enchanting cover story, Max’s Magic Socks. Little Max wants to take part in a roller-skating show with his big brother and sister – but he keeps falling over! A pair of magical skates help him to keep his balance and do cool tricks… or do they? Perhaps practice and hard work are the real secret to success? We’re sure you will love this hilarious and inspirational tale, which features vibrant art courtesy of Werllen Holanda…

 

 

The Keeper of the Ball has a similar theme! It’s about a real-life boy called Edson (no, that’s not a typo!) who loves football and uses ingenuity and hard work to start a team and get uniforms and a ball.  The talented illustrator Patrick Camelo  transports us back to 1950s Brazil, where you will discover the origin story of one of the greatest footballers of all time. Can you guess who it is?

 

 

 

Another way that we can make a change in our lives is by changing our look to express who we really are. That’s what a bird does in The Crow’s Necklace, a fun story from the Philippines that is livened up by the colourful pictures by Olga Sall.

 

Goldilocks’ Hoodie has a similar theme – Jessica Maltezo illustrates a bedtime story about what happens when the Three Bears take their blonde-haired friend clothes shopping. But will she give up on her favourite old top? You’ll have to read it to find out!

 

Education is another way to evolve as people. In the charming story of Pete Bull, a farmer and his wife love their little calf, so they decide to get him lessons in reading, writing and maths! This is a charming story with a surprising ending, and you’re sure to love the gorgeous art by Giovanni Abeille!

 

None of us like making mistakes … but if you think about it, isn’t this how we learn some really important lessons in our lives? That’s certainly what happens in this month’s fable. In The Two Goats, an arrogant little kid (brought to life by the wonderful artist Chiara Chiesa) refuses to back down in a clash with her brother… and they both suffer the consequences. Let’s hope they both learn from the experience!

 

The main character in the Native American legend of The Girl Who Helped the Thunder is called ‘Pretty Face’, so it’s not surprising that that she is very proud of her looks! She’s also easily flattered, which is why she is persuaded to leave her family by a handsome stranger. As you might have guessed, she learns the hard way that not everything is as it seems, and looks are not the most important thing! The pictures Rut Llerena Carmona created for this tale are stunning!

 

The last story for this month is The Snowman, a lovely story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen and illustrated by the talented Sviatlana Shkil. The title character is created by a group of kids on a winter’s day and learns about life from a gruff dog… but as the sun gets warmer, he finds himself transforming in a slightly worrying way. Perhaps the message of this story is that nothing lasts forever… not even an amazing talking snowman?

 

We hope you are inspired by these stories and grow and flourish in the coming year!