Here Comes Mr Postmouse

Here Comes Mr Postmouse by Marianne Dubuc (Book Island) Translated by Greet Pauwelijn HB RRP $26.95 ISBN 978 09941282 1 8

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

A label on this book’s cover says that the originating publisher (from Canada) won the title of ‘Children’s Publisher of the Year’ in the Bologna Oceania Awards. By the creator of the picture book, The Lion and the Bird, this is a picture book which won the 2015 Best Picture Book of 2015. Thus one comes to the book with high expectations.

The artwork, in muted watercolours, has a child-like quality about it, but it extends the written text in ways that any child would find fascinating and would spend many hours pouring over. This is because there are many elements to each page, both pictures and cut-aways of places such as a house, underground, even in branches of trees.

On Monday Mr Postmouse loads his parcels onto his cart and sets off to deliver them. His first delivery is to Mr Bear’s house where we see Bear eating breakfast with a small girl (maybe Goldilocks?) Here is the first cut-away: we see into a room of Bear’s house with its hive on the roof with a pipe running into a tap that drips honey, as well as Bear’s library and his furnishings. At the next stop, the Rabbit family, there’s an illustration of the house with its underground warren of rooms (with two seven layer bunk beds for all the rabbit children.)

Mr Postmouse delivers to numerous birds, to a squirrel, and a dragon (with whom he lunches), and on to a mole, and then a nest of ants (with queen ant on her throne). When he delivers to Mrs Turtle, we can even see into her house which she carries, of course, on her back. There are many more deliveries to many more types of animals until finally the over-worked mouse arrives home at the end of the day to be greeted at his own home by his wife who has organised a birthday party for him.

There is no doubt that small children will love this book and will spend many hours ‘reading’ the illustrations. My only quibble with this book is that the text typeface is far too small for small eyes (even for adult ones!) Suitable for ages 3+ year.s

Fox and Goldfish

Fox and Goldfish by Nils Pieters (Book Island) HB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9780994128218

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Originally published in Belgium, this picture book for ages 3+ years is about pets, friendship and loss and is said to be created to help children understand the loss of a pet.

The cover shows Fox holding up Goldfish in his bowl so that the friend can view the world from high on a mountain. In the first page Fox, in only one of a few places where he speaks, says that he fears that Goldfish’s ‘time has come’ and that he ‘can’t just let (him) you go like this.’ Thus he starts off on a quest to show his friend the world before death descends.

The Fox and Goldfish venture to many places which are shown in double-page spreads – through meadows, into the ocean (Goldfish frolicking in the water, no longer in his bowl), through deserts, near volcanoes, through jungles and even suburban streets. How a goldfish can survive in ocean waves and even in a puddle defies nature, let along in the snowfields, but would a child be concerned? Probably not.

Fox even holds up Goldfish so that his friend in his bowl is also at the end of a rainbow. In the last illustration, before Fox finally says, ‘Okay, my friend, now you can go,’ the two of them are seen on the moon in chairs looking back at planet Earth. 

In the final double-page spread fox is seated in front of a gravestone with reads, ‘Here lies Goldfish. He saw the entire world.’

The illustrations in Fox and Goldfish are very bright, rendered in coloured pencil and pencil with broad – and sometimes garish – strokes.

Fox and Goldfish

Fox and Goldfish by Nils Pieters (Book Island) HB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9780994128218

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Originally published in Belgium, this picture book for ages 3+ years is about pets, friendship and loss and is said to be created to help children understand the loss of a pet.

The cover shows Fox holding up Goldfish in his bowl so that the friend can view the world from high on a mountain. In the first page Fox, in only one of a few places where he speaks, says that he fears that Goldfish’s ‘time has come’ and that he ‘can’t just let (him) you go like this.’ Thus he starts off on a quest to show his friend the world before death descends.

The Fox and Goldfish venture to many places which are shown in double-page spreads – through meadows, into the ocean (Goldfish frolicking in the water, no longer in his bowl), through deserts, near volcanoes, through jungles and even suburban streets. How a goldfish can survive in ocean waves and even in a puddle defies nature, let along in the snowfields, but would a child be concerned? Probably not.

Fox even holds up Goldfish so that his friend in his bowl is also at the end of a rainbow. In the last illustration, before Fox finally says, ‘Okay, my friend, now you can go,’ the two of them are seen on the moon in chairs looking back at planet Earth. 

In the final double-page spread fox is seated in front of a gravestone with reads, ‘Here lies Goldfish. He saw the entire world.’

The illustrations in Fox and Goldfish are very bright, rendered in coloured pencil and pencil with broad – and sometimes garish – strokes.

The Lion and the Bird

The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc translated by Sarah Ardizzone (Book Island) HB RRP $23.95  ISBN 9780994109873

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Originally published in French, this simply told picture book is written and illustrated by an internationally award-winning Canadian illustrator and author of children’s books. It is a tale of the relationship between a lion wearing dungarees and a lost bird. In the first wordless double page the reader sees Lion on an autumn day working in his sparse garden. Above is a flock of birds but one of them unfortunately falls: it is found by Lion still alive but injured. Lion tends to the bird while the flock disappears.

In very few words, and often in wordless pages, one ‘reads’ the story of how the unlikely pairing of the two main animals becomes a close relationship. There are even blank pages to indicate the long passing of (a snowy) winter, and of of time. Finally, a flower appears on the snow and as does the flock of birds in the sky. The now healed bird returns to his flock and the Lion continues a solitary life – until autumn returns. 

This cyclic tale is very gently told in minimalist text and illustrations which are stark and almost naïve-like. The story doesn’t leap out of the pages but instead has a feeling of seeping into the reader’s pores to become embedded there long after the final page is closed. The themes of friendship, patience, loneliness and change are the hallmarks of this poignant and uplifting story.

The Umbrella

The Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert (Book Island)

HB RRP NZ$26.99

ISBN 9780994109859

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Book Island which published this wordless picture book is a New Zealand-based publishing house with a bold dream of enriching children's and adults' lives in the English- and Dutch-language market. It does this by bringing unique stories from Europe to New Zealand, and then designs (and sometimes translates) and prints beautiful high-quality books.  Buzz Words has previously reviewed three books from Book Island and found all of these books to be of a high standard.

The front fly pages shows a small black dog watched by a cat as it discovers a red umbrella on a windy, autumn day. When the dog opens up the umbrella on the title page, he is pulled along and then (turning the page) he is whirled up into the leaf-filled air, a farm house (and the cat) far below. 

The rest of the story shows the dog high above clouds, flying above the savannah (and watched by African animals), into a desert, across a turbulent sea (the umbrella  as his boat) and into a jungle. Along the way he encounters danger – a half-circle of alligators, sea creatures (including a mammoth whale) and a village of natives who hurl spears at him. Luckily, the dog is rescued by a pelican which deposits him in a polar region. The journey continues as the dog passes seals, polar bears and a sky full of bats.

Eventually the dog and his umbrella are returned to whence they came. There the cat is still waiting; in the final fly page the dog is shuffling off, leaving the umbrella for the cat to find (and perhaps to have its own adventure).

As with all good picture books for young ‘readers’, there is plenty to see and talk about in this book, especially if a parent or other carer is sharing the book. At the end, the question might be ‘where will the cat and umbrella go next?’ The illustrations are colourful and accomplished with lots of energy and details for poring over. Many of the views are taken from above the land, looking down at the landscape (rivers, jungle, ocean and so forth). A wordless book like this allows much scope for a child to invent story and to use his imagination to extend the visual text. This book would likely appeal to children aged one to three years of age.

The Rabbit and the Shadow

The Rabbit and the Shadow by Melanie Rutten, translated by Sarah Ardizzone (Book Island)

HB RRP $32.95
ISBN 9780994109804
Reviewed by Dianne Bates

From the outset, this picture book tells you it is a story of a rabbit, a stag, a soldier, a cat, a book and a shadow. When the story proceeds, the book is broken into sections with headings, such as the Rabbit and the Stag, the Soldier, the Cat, and so on, each section being like a short story within a larger story.

I found this a difficult book to get my head around so it is definitely not for small children except as a work of (illustrative) art. The story is written in simple sentences that are sometimes quite poignant, such as ‘One day, the Rabbit appeared. There was a slight wind. And a shadow perhaps. Little ones sometimes appear like that. Like the wind. Or sometimes like a storm.’

A Rabbit is befriended by a Stag. A Soldier also befriends Rabbit; these two then meet up with Cat. Next, Book is attacked by Soldier, after which meets Stag. At this point there is a flashback with Rabbit and Stag discussing the nature of their love and the fact that nothing is forever. There is much more, but to be frank, although I loved the simplicity of the writing, I really didn’t fully understand what the story is about. Perhaps, I decided, because Rabbit appears to be the central character, it is about it learning life’s lessons. And perhaps the moral of the story is contained in a sentence on the final page: ‘This is the story of a Stag who doesn’t feel anxious anymore and a Rabbit who has grown up.’

The illustrations – and there are many of them, usually contained within a vignette, although there are full-page illustrations -- appear to be watercolour. They display a distinctive artistic style with ample use of golden yellow and bush green. The cover, showing Stag embracing Rabbit, is quite lovely.

 Trying to make sense of the story, I came to the conclusion that author Rutten uses all of the characters symbolically – the Rabbit as child, the Stag as parent, the Soldier and Shadow as life threats, the Book as one’s search for meaning, the egg as life to come, the Cat... not sure what it represents. It would be interesting to discuss this book and what it’s about with someone else who has read it, too. All I can do is to recommend it to you if you like a book which is out of the box, very different from a mainstream picture book.

The Big Question

The Big Question  by Leen van Den & Kaatje Vermiere, translated by David Colmer (Book Island)
HB RRP $28.00
ISBN9780994109842
Reviewed by Dianne Bates

The illustrations in this picture book are fantastical, like being inside a beautiful dream crowded with animals, people and landscape. You want the dream to go on and on! Some of the pages seem to be created from paper collage, others have painted images; there are wax rubbings and inked drawings – so much to look at and take in. The cover shows a harlequin leaning on top of an elephant’s head, surrounded by all manner of creatures from a French poodle to a pink pig on an armchair to a monkey holding a small windmill. The entire story appears to happen on the landscape of the elephant’s hide.

At the start of the story, elephant has something on her mind, a difficult question, a big question. At the annual meeting (chaired by an anxious ant) all of the creatures gather to find the answer. The question really is a biggie: How do you know you love someone? The mouse declares its love for the elephant, Snow White talks about what loves does to a person. And so it goes on, each creature endeavouring to give his or her answer. Meanwhile, there are gorgeous illustrations – two otters kissing, flamingos beak-to-beak, gibbons reaching out lovingly for one another, and so on.

 This sumptuous book was made possible with financial support of the Flemish Literature Fund; it was first written in Dutch and translated into English, then published in New Zealand. It’s not really a book for young children; its appeal is more to those with a romantic soul. My only quibble with the portrait-shaped book is that it is over-sized; librarians and others will find it difficult to fit onto shelves. Despite this, it is certainly recommended!

Follow the Firefly

Follow the Firefly by Bernardo Carvalho (Book Island)
PB RRP $18.00
ISBN 9780994109828
Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Cute and engaging: these are the two words that came to mind as I turned pages from the front to back of this wordless picture book. The story, Follow the Firefly, starts with a question, ‘Excuse me, have you seen a flashing light?’ and moves onto a scene of a campfire around which sits a variety of animals. On the right-hand side page is what looks like an electric bulb with a golden end. This is the firefly which moves through the book, from different parts of a forest wherein there are different animals (such as gorillas), and on to a town with busy streets. In the final picture, the firefly has discovered – and fallen in love with – an amber traffic light.

But that’s not all, folks! There’s yet another book! Turn the pages from back to front and you follow a rabbit in Run, Rabbit, Run! Doubtless a small child would have noticed what I missed: in every one of the firefly story’s pages, there is a white rabbit. His story can be ‘read’ as well. He leaves the town and returns – pursued by a dog -- to the campfire by the end of his story.

I really liked this book! It’s so much fun and it’s sure to be ‘read’ and ‘re-read’ countless times by children aged 2 to 6 years. The artwork is unique and distinctive with Carvalho using full-page vibrant watercolour washes and paintings. There is a real naivety to his animals and especially to his people that put a smile on my face. The pictures of the town are chaotic, compared to those of the various landscapes, which include forest, jungle and wetlands.

Book Island is a New Zealand publishing house which describes its company as ‘home to stunning picture books in translation.’ It is wonderful to see books which are so different! Highly recommended.

 

 

The Big Question

The Big Question by Leen van Den & Kaatje Vermiere, translated by David Colmer (Book Island)
HB RRP $28.00
ISBN9780994109842
Reviewed by Dianne Bates

The illustrations in this picture book are fantastical, like being inside a beautiful dream crowded with animals, people and landscape. You want the dream to go on and on! Some of the pages seem to be created from paper collage, others have painted images; there are wax rubbings and inked drawings – so much to look at and take in. The cover shows a harlequin leaning on top of an elephant’s head, surrounded by all manner of creatures from a French poodle to a pink pig on an armchair to a monkey holding a small windmill. The entire story appears to happen on the landscape of the elephant’s hide.

At the start of the story, elephant has something on her mind, a difficult question, a big question. At the annual meeting (chaired by an anxious ant) all of the creatures gather to find the answer. The question really is a biggie: How do you know you love someone? The mouse declares its love for the elephant, Snow White talks about what loves does to a person. And so it goes on, each creature endeavouring to give his or her answer. Meanwhile, there are gorgeous illustrations – two otters kissing, flamingos beak-to-beak, gibbons reaching out lovingly for one another, and so on.

This sumptuous book was made possible with financial support of the Flemish Literature Fund; it was first written in Dutch and translated into English, then published in New Zealand. It’s not really a book for young children; its appeal is more to those with a romantic soul. My only quibble with the portrait-shaped book is that it is over-sized; librarians and others will find it difficult to fit onto shelves. Despite this, it is certainly recommended!

Meet Maia Blog Tour and Giveaway

Image: Magda Bojes                                                                     

Today is the last stop on the Meet Maia Blog Tour and Buzz Words is thrilled to welcome Greet Pauwelijn, founder and publisher of New Zealand children's book publisher Book Island. Anastasia Gonis chats with Greet about Book Island and Maia and What Matters. This is an edited version of the full interview with Greet featured in the 1 November 2013 issue of Buzz Words.

There is also the opportunity to WIN a copy of this outstanding book by answering a simple question at the end of this interview.

Welcome to Buzz Words, Greet. Book Island is a fantastic name. Where did it originate?

It refers to the place where I am when I read an extraordinary book. When I'm on my little island, I don't hear, see or smell anything any more (which has proven to be quite dangerous at times). I'm hoping that reading our books will have the same effect on our readers.

How long have you been in publishing, and where and how did you begin?

I've been in publishing for only a year and a half. I'm originally from Belgium where I used to translate Polish literature into Dutch. We moved from Belgium to New Zealand in 2009 and in February 2012 I decided to become a children's publisher. There was a slight difficulty: I wanted to publish in Dutch, while I was living in New Zealand, and as if that wasn't challenging enough, I decided to publish both in English and Dutch translation. The first book I chose was Mr Miniscule and the Whale, a Polish children's classic from 1939, but while working on this one I've published 6 other children's books! It's been a long but extremely interesting journey.

From which languages are your children’s books translated?

All our English titles so far were originally published in Dutch by Flemish publishing houses, while I've published a French and Polish book in Dutch translation. I've also published our first Book Island title, Azizi and the Little Blue Bird about the Tunisian revolution, written in Dutch by Belgian-Tunisian author Laila Koubaa. The illustrator, Mattias De Leeuw, is one of Belgium's rising stars, releasing about 4-5 titles a year. 

Your latest book Maia and What Matters is a deeply moving book about loss, hope, and coming to terms with ageing, all interwoven within the relationship between a child and her grandparents. It’s different to anything you’ve previously published. How did the book come to you?

Maia and What Matters is a book that is well-known in Europe, because of its remarkable story and stunning illustrations. It belongs to the category of children's books that are rather sophisticated in illustration and story. These are the kind of books that my heart goes out to. The illustrations are so beautiful, that you just can't forget them. 

I'd ultimately like to focus on publishing children's literature of this quality and level. I realise that there is only a limited audience for such titles, and therefore I can only allow myself to publish one of these every now and then. When I started off with Book Island I knew I had to wait before I could pull out this treasure.

My kids and I talk a lot about their grandfather and great-grandparents who have passed away and what that means. I believe we shouldn't shelter our children from reality but try to prepare them for inevitable losses and challenges that will come their way. Adults often underestimate what children can handle. During the talks that I give at primary schools I'm always surprised at how mature the children of today are and how well they cope with topics we consider too difficult for them. With titles like Maia and What Matters I'm hoping to make a difference.

The text portrays the deep bond that exists between Grandmother and Maia. They don’t need words to communicate. The illustrations are exquisite and delicate, similar to the relationship between them. Please tell us something about the writer Tine Mortier, and illustrator, Kaatje Vermeire.

Tine Mortier is one of those versatile people who seems to be good at everything she does: she's is a writer, playwright, teacher, book reviewer and editor with a wonderful imagination. She writes for children and adults and her books have been translated into multiple languages.

I deeply admire illustrator, Kaatje Vermeire, whose artwork could just as easily sit in a gallery as well as in the pages of a book. Kaatje's techniques are so labour intensive that she can only illustrate one book a year. She definitely belongs to the group of Flemish illustrators that have taken picture book illustrations to a higher level. Her workshops and master classes at this year's Beijing Book Fair were very popular.

Australian David Colmer translated Maia and What Matters. How did this choice come about?

When I had acquired the rights for Maia, the next step was to find a translator for the book. I initially asked Laura Watkinson, the English translator of our first two books. Unfortunately Laura declined the job, because she was still dealing with some personal losses in her life and didn't feel ready to translate Maia. This shows how much a translator can get involved with the book he or she is translating.

Thanks to an Australian-Dutch colleague of mine, I knew that some of the books written by Annie M.G. Schmidt who's regarded as the Astrid Lindgren of the Netherlands, had recently been translated by David Colmer, an Australian living in Amsterdam. I decided to contact David and soon after we had a long chat on Skype. I didn't realise how famous he was until I started following him on Facebook, where I could see him winning award after award. It was a real honour to work with him. 

Book Island is more than a publishing house to you. Tell us about the extra dimension to your children’s books and what is the hoped for outcome with the inclusion of activities that expand on reading.

With Book Island I also organise events based on our books. For the launch of our first 3 titles in New Zealand last year we built a 5 metre tall skyscraper sandwich made out of recyclable items. I'm always looking for partners who could bring our books to life, no matter how small scaled their projects are.  Inspired by the beautiful dresses Maia is wearing in Maia and What Matters one of the local crafters, Joke Gossey, who's also from Belgium, will add a 'Maia' dress to her Hikkepik children's collection. Next year a Belgian performer and two Polish musicians will tour Belgium and the Netherlands with a performance based on the Dutch version of Mr Miniscule and the Whale. I just love how people get inspired by our titles and create something new.

Do you have long term plans for Book Island and can you share them with us?

My plan is to gradually publish more books each year, from the 6 titles I did in the first year to maybe 12 a year by 2016, and build up an exciting backlist. We started distributing our titles in Australia in November 2012, which is the same time as the launch in New Zealand, but as I didn’t have time to invest in marketing, we're not very well known across the Tasman Sea yet. We’re now working with a new distributor, Dennis Jones, who’s managed to sell more copies of Maia and What Matters in ten days then our sales reps in the UK in one month. Seeing these sales figures I’ve got a huge confidence in our new Australian sales and distribution team.

With this interview Book Island wraps up their highly successful Meet Maia Blog Tour. The response has been absolutely overwhelming. Thanks to the fifteen blogs involved Maia is now known across the English-speaking world. Click here to read the other blog posts. Thank you for travelling with us to Book Island!

Read Buzz Word's review of Maia and What Matters in the post below. For a chance to win a copy of this outstanding picture book answer this question in 25 words or fewer: What did you share with your grandparent/s?

Responses must be sent to vicki  {at} stanton {dot} id {dot} au and received by 5pm ADST on 22 November 2013.

Meet Maia Blog Tour

Buzz Words is thrilled to be involved in the Meet Maia Blog Tour to celebrate Kiwi publisher Book Island's release of the amazingly gorgeous picture book Maia and What Matters by Tine Mortier and Kaatje Vermeire.



Buzz Words will feature an interview with Book Island's founder and publisher Greet Pauwelijn on November 15 and there will be the chance to WIN a copy of Maia and What Matters.

Click to read the Meet Maia full blog tour schedule and discover where to find reviews, interviews and giveaways. You can also follow Book Island on Facebook and sign up for their free newsletter.

Sir Mouse to the Rescue

Sir Mouse to the Rescue by Dirk Nielandt, illustrated by Marjolein Pottie, translated by Laura Watkinson (Book Island)
HB RRP NZ $24.99
ISBN 9780987669629
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Everything about Sir Mouse to the Rescue is delightful and you will not find a better collection of short stories anywhere for young children.

Mouse and Dragon are best friends. With wit and humour, Belgian author Dirk Nielandt treats us to a very human relationship between Mouse and Dragon in all its wonderful complexity. No didactic 'you must act in this way' preaching to children in this book. Instead, children can explore what it means to be a friend through the adventures of these two, and in their interactions with each other and other characters.

Mouse and Dragon are as different as chalk and cheese with Mouse being proud and extrovert and Dragon thoughtful and introvert. Yet this is the strength of their friendship.  Rather than being friends because they are alike, they are friends because they like one another. Each brings their strengths to the friendship and helps the other grow.

Mouse is hilarious. When the two friends, discover a Prince in a tower calling 'help', Mouse calls back 'How do you want me to help you?' She wonders if he needs help with his homework or is on the loo and has run out of paper!

Throughout the five stories, Dragon is generally the one who comes up with solutions to the friends' dilemmas and to smooth things over, even if Mouse is inclined to take the credit. However, the heroic actions of Mouse in the final story in the book 'About War and Friendship' sum up friendship.

Marjolein Pottie's illustrations complement and extend the text perfectly with a combination of collage and paper-cutting techniques, True to her character, Dragon appears particularly loveable with her patchwork appearance and Mouse's determination is evident in every depiction. I particularly loved the pages with the paper cutting art which tell the stories in an unique fashion.

As with Book Island's other two inaugural titles (read my reviews of  Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich and Bernie and Flora), Sir Mouse to the Rescue is beautifully presented: gorgeous endpapers, quality paper and would make a wonderful gift to an emerging reader. I look forward to many more translations into English of Flemish children's literature from Book Island.

Bernie and Flora

Bernie and Flora written and illustrated by Annemie Berebrouckx, translated by Laura Watkinson (Book Island)
PB RRP NZ$19.99 AU$15.99
ISBN 9780987669612
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Bernie Loves Flora is a picture book that will fill your heart with joy. The story of Bernie the bear, Flora the duck and a flower garden is one of sharing and the 'warm glow, deep inside' received from true love and friendship.

Flora and Bernie are best friends and Flora loves nothing more than helping Bernie in his flower garden. So when she arrives one morning to discover his flowers have vanished, and no sign of Bernie, she rushes off to find who has done this dreadful thing. She questions Bernie's friends but to no avail.

With the warm glow inside Flora now gone, she returns to her own home to find Bernie inside, surrounded by masses of flowers from his garden. He declares his love and asks Flora to live with him and 'the two of us together can make a garden full of beautiful flowers'. It is an offer Flora gladly accepts.

The text throughout is beautiful. Lovers of gardens will identify with 'he breathes in the scent of the flowers and feels the joys of spring tickling inside his tummy' and Belgian Annemie Berebrouckx's gorgeous illustrations truly represent this with flowers spilling across the pages. The manner in which Ms Berebrouckx captures the the emotions of Bernie, and particularly Flora as she experiences feelings of joy, outrage, surprise and contentment, is superb. The illustrations are highlighted by plenty of white space so, despite their colour and intensity, they are not overwhelming to younger readers.

Bernie and Flora has been translated into English from the original Dutch and is one of the three inaugural releases of newly established independent New Zealand publisher, Book Island, which focuses on translations of outstanding children's books. (Read my review of another top Book Island release, Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich.) 

Bernie and Flora is the first book in a series and comes with a colouring-in page. An additional nice touch is the inclusion of meanings of the names Bernie and Flora as well as the meanings of particular flowers. I highly recommend Bernie and Flora as a gentle and heart-warming story.