When the Mountain Wakes

When the Mountain Wakes by Matt Shanks offers a blend of picture book and graphic novel. Almost like a wordless picture book, the story follows a mountain who has been asleep for many years, only to wake to the sound of silence. The mountain ventures out to find a song to lull it back to a peaceful slumber. After stumbling across a plant, the mountain finds the song it was looking for, returning it to sleep. 

The book’s comic form allows it to tell a story that spans a great expanse of time, making for a reflective and calming story. The illustrations, with a muted colour scheme and simplistic yet evocative style, add to the calming message. This picture book explores the popular theme of nature and rewilding the environment as a way to offer hope and healing. For ages 6+.