FArTHER

A young boy, bewitched by his father's unrelenting passion to fly; a desperate craving that absorbs his every waking minute, finds himself entranced by the dream. When his father goes to war and does not return it seems the spell is broken. Much later, the boy, now a young man finds himself drawn once more to his father's drawings and failed experiments. Finally able to make his father's dream a reality, he flies. Will his own son be visited by this unrelenting passion?

Review: The worthy winner of the Kate Greenaway Award, announced yesterday, is this stunning and highly imaginative picture book ... Full of magical imagery and big themes, it's a delight through and through. * The Daily Mail *
'A sumptuous and eye-catching book from the outside, which doesn't disappoint when opened to reveal a stunningly illustrated and very touching story.' * Autumn Highlights, Bookseller Children's Buyers Guide *
'G B-S is an award-winning British illustrator and author who has a passion for collage ... he combines photoshopped images, artwork and photography to create whimsical and detailed illustrations ... they are multi-layered and stunning. Deserves a place on any bookshelf.' * M Arts and Culture *
'Highly recommended. A wonderful and memorable book that could become a future classic. This is a picture book that deserves a place on the shelves of all libraries.' * Readplus, Australian blog *
'With just one glance at this cover I was hooked. It's illustrations are pure and magical, an intriguing mix of realism and fantasy. Words are stunning - a tale that will touch all hearts.' * Kids Book Review, Australian blog *
'This is a multi-layered magical picture book that will be read and looked over again and again. There is so much to think about. This intelligent picture book has an abundance of spirituality and imagination. It has very wide appeal in terms of age-range. Grahame Baker-Smith has given us a stunning book that soars high.' * Write Away *
'Cleverly symbolic, underscoring immediately the conflict between reality and fantasy - a beautiful book... we are drawn into a world of impossible dreams, dreams that while beautifully described and hauntingly evocative are tinged with a deep despair.' * Books for Keeps *
'The style of illustration in this book, a mix of artwork, photographs in a collage come together to create a most unusual picture book which explores the relationship between father and son in a particularly poetic and elegant way' * Librarymice.com *
'a beautiful, lyrical book which will make you think ... A very powerful read' * Librarymice.com *
'This is a clever picture book with a dream-like quality. It is beautifully designed with a wealth of detail, conveying dark emotions, storms of war and weather, and a powerful sense of loss and bereavement.' * The CILIP Kate Greenway Medal Shortlist 2011: Judges' Comments *
'Not only are the illustrations whimsical and creative and beautiful, the story is wonderfully touching' * Myfavouritebooks.blogspot *
'unusual, thought provoking, moving and beautifully illustrated' * Angels and Urchins *
'Graham's clever use of photographs, collage and illustration make his style completely original and unique. A picture book to treasure' * Lovereading4Kids *
'This is a stunning book which we've read time and time again' * Clover Hill Book Reviews *
'Illustrations create a surreal and sophisticated landscape that complements the measured cadence of the first-person narration.' * Kirkus Reviews *
FArTHER is a simple yet huge tale, beautifully told. It touches upon the bonds between father and son, the tensions between freedom and responsibility, between reality and dreams. It also briefly, and powerfully, touches upon loss and legacies of unexpected kinds. In essence, it's a visually and thematically rich book, with echoes of, and references to classic Greek mythology. It warrants several readings and close observation as the imagery is layered and there is much to be gained from poring over its carefully built details. -- Martin Galway * Teaching English Magazine *