Friday 26 August 2022

Our Big Day by Bob Johnston and Michael Emberly


Uncle David and Simon are going to get married! There's lots to do, from making the invitations to arranging the decorations, but when the wedding rings go missing just before the ceremony, Bear the dog has to use all of his special skills to help save the day!

This fun and engaging picture book is a celebration of love, family and weddings and is a gentle introduction for children to the idea of same-sex partnerships and marriage equality.

Bob Johnston's story is wonderful, but the real star here is Michael Emberley's colourful, cheerful, slightly cartoony illustrations. All the characters, including Bear the dog, are wonderfully distinct and very real. The lightly sketched in background adds a real sense of place.

The story is fantastic. I love that the fact that it's a gay wedding doesn't particularly matter - the main problem, the missing rings, could happen any time at any wedding, and no one makes an issue of the wedding. It's exactly as it should be, of course, but it's sadly still rare in our books, and this is a wonderful step on the path.

I've mentioned the illustrations, but I really do love them - they're so bright and lovely. Although they are quite simple, there's a lot to look at and pick up, and I'm looking forward to studying them again and again and noticing new things each time.

A brilliant read that I hope does really well.


Our Big Day is available now. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

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