Stitching together 1930s Carlton with Chongming Island in China, Gabrielle Wang weaves a lushly realised tale about Moonie and Little Dipper, who both strive to live up to their own expectations, half a world apart. These two resilient kids both face the seemingly insurmountable challenges of loss, communication, financial uncertainty and discrimination. But with a little bit of magic, as well as a lot of friendship, hard work and creativity, they learn how to tap into their own strengths, and also that much more challenging lesson: accepting help from others.

This magical tale weaves a vivid picture of Depression-era Australia and China through the eyes of two protagonists whose tenacity and friendship are the beating heart of the story. Charmingly illustrated by the author herself, this book will whet your appetite for more – lucky then that this is one of many by the 2022–2023 Australian Children’s Laureate! For ages 9+.