What is this thing, the Thing? What is true is that I’m not really any closer to answering that question after finally laying my hands on a copy of this beautiful picture book. Truthfully, I think the inexplicable quality is the best thing of all the many things of which this deceptively sparse tale comprises. This is one of those truly great author/illustrator pairings where there is a whole world of conversation happening between the page and the reader that remains unspoken. It is a balm in a world increasingly unsettled by the unknown; unnerved by not having the answers to everything to hand. It doesn’t really matter what the Thing is, so much as its effect on the four strangers who are drawn together because of it. The huddle page is perhaps my favourite of them all. Collaboration, compassion, and friendship are key takeaways for me, and the dangers of ‘othering’, too. This Thing will be many Things to many readers, though, and for that, I would say that it is an absolute must for every child’s library.

My little one is utterly taken with this and so am I. I love that it raises so many questions – some immediate and others more abstract or philosophical; I love the way it leaves questions unanswered; I love the way this works on so many different levels; I love the way it looks at society, the way people behave and the fact that we won’t always agree but in a utterly understated and impartial way; I love the characters and the tale of friendship this tells. So clever and perfect for a picture book that crosses age-ranges.