Like A Gannet
A joyous celebration of summer days at the pool, facing challenges your own way and one little fledgling who wants to be a gannet.
Illustrated by Deb Hudson and published by Windy Hollow Books.
Little Francie feels capable and confident in the water, so when she watches her bigger cousins diving like gannets from the diving boards at the local pool, she wants to do it too. But can she be a gannet if she cannot even dive?
Like A Gannet is a story about aiming high. A fresh take on a first experience story, it depicts the joy of swimming and the universal excitement and apprehension of that first time on the diving board.
This story is inspired by memories of being a child who wasn’t very sporty but who felt capable and graceful in the water. Just like a gannet, whose short legs and webbed feet make them slow, clumsy waddlers on land, but who transform into Queens of the Sea when they dive.
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Reviews
“Little ones often feel they have to get things right the first time, especially if there are older siblings who already can, so this is an excellent book for talking about having a go, practising, seeking support and reassurance, making a plan, and not giving up – whether it’s diving like a gannet, riding a bike, learning to read or any of the other million first-times they are going to encounter as they grow. It’s a story worthy of being shared over and over to reassure our little ones that they can touch the moon, whatever that looks like for them.”
“It is a sweet and wholesome story that has such a positive message and there so many other bonuses such as the conversations around vocabulary and language such as onomatopoeia, science topics such as birds and water, physical activity and, arguably, most important emotional growth and self-belief.
It’s a super title for any collection, whether ECC, library or home and one that will provide much rich and deep learning.”
“Like A Gannet is the most beautiful story about courage, and one girls journey to dive off the board at the local pool. Every time we read it, the suspense grips Milo, and he is so proud of her when she finally jumps!”