Outstanding! I hope this becomes a children’s classic!

Matthew is a child who dreams of travelling to the North Pole. He is very much loved by his parents - but their love is suffocating him and stopping him from just being a boy. He’s lonely, finding it hard to connect with other children, his nose always in a book.

Then one day, a talking crow named Lewis Carmichael knocks on his window and changes his world. They share an adventure in a hot-air balloon; travelling to the North Pole where they encounter polar bears and arctic wolves, and see the northern lights. Through Lewis’s belief in him, Matthew discovers that he is, indeed, able to find his own way.

…he liked the bird’s words. Strong. Brave. You held your ground. The words made him want to keep going. He hadn’t known that words could be so powerful.

The text and illustrations are all printed in a soft blue which is very soothing and easy on the eyes. The illustrations by Marc McBride (Sofie Laguna’s husband) are gorgeous. I only wished the book was larger so I could pour over the details more thoroughly.

Altogether this is an enchanting and moving story that will appeal to primary school aged readers and their parents. I’m sure it will become a firm favourite, to be reread and treasured.

Highly recommended.