The Map of Me
When a little girl moves home, everything feels strange and unfamiliar. With her mother’s help, she creates a map of the new area, but some important things are still missing so she makes the map bigger. Soon, her new friends get involved, making everyone feel closer and more connected and, even when bad things happen, mapping things out helps her find her place in the world.
Some stories are so beautifully told that they speak directly to you- and ‘The Map of Me’ is one of them. It is so gently and carefully told, making it perfect to share simply as a lovely story, but something which could be used to support children (or indeed adults) in a number of different situations.
Creating a map helps the little girl to feel she has taken control of her space- made sense of her world- allowing her to not only familiarise herself with her new environment, but to connect with those who are no longer near to her. Her friends, in turn, make their own connections and broaden the map to include people, places and things which are important to them. The story is sure to encourage children to create their own maps with family or friends, developing their sense of the world around them and those in it.
Using maps to create a picture of the past and, in this case, helping the little girl to cope with feelings of grief and loss is so sensitively and thoughtfully presented. It also enables children to develop their sense of the lives of others, expanding their view beyond the ‘lens of self’ stage and developing empathy and understanding. Creating these ‘life maps’ is a lovely idea and something which might develop cross generational bonds. The little girl and her friends also use this as inspiration for investigating the history of their local area.
The idea of ‘mapping the future’ is also explored, helping children to envisage what might change as well as their aspirations and hopes. Some ideas for creating these are included at the end of the book. The illustrations throughout are delightful, offering plenty of ideas for presenting and developing different types of maps and making connections.
I could waffle on and on about the many things I love about this one and the many ways in which I think it could be used and enjoyed, but will stop and simply recommend that everyone gets themselves a copy! It’s very special.
The Map of Me
Nicola Davies, illustrated by Olga Shtonda
Templar ISBN: 978-1835871782