Anchored by Debra Tidball. Illus. by Arielle Li

Down on the harbour it is Tug's job to work around the big ships as they are manoeuvred this way and that so they can load and unload their cargo for and from faraway destinations. Some ships she sees often and there is one that she has a special bond with, missing it mightily when it sails out over the horizon. And while she still goes about her daily tasks as best she can, she wonders whether Ship misses her as much as she misses Ship.

But her questions are answered and her worries allayed when Ship returns and the bond is renewed as they share their connection with each other.

Written for our youngest readers to reassure them that even though they might be separated from a parent for a time, out of sight does not mean out of mind and that they are always anchored in the heart of the absent one regardless. At a time when there are many reasons that separation might happen, stories like this help alleviate anxiety and confirm that the parent will return. This would be a good one to share whenever there is the prospect of parent and child being apart enabling the child to become the tough little tug with a job to do that is as important as that of the Ship who is away.

Barbara Braxton