Satin by Sophie Masson and Lorena Carrington

Satin has been collecting broken pieces of blue porcelain in the early hours of the morning when no one is about. He finds pieces everywhere he visits and fills his cloak pockets before melting back into the forest where he adds to his growing blue collection, and his contentment.

However, he begins to feel something is missing and he cannot find quite enough blue. He visits a new street where he overhears the word ‘blue’ in a conversation between a child and a teddy bear. The child’s mother is feeling blue, and Satin leaves a piece of his blue porcelain to offer some joy. He then spreads his own precious blue collection all around the neighbourhood providing great delight and colour to the children and their families. His final delivery of blue is to a young woman “with blue in her hair and blue at her throat” who invites him in. One of the final double pages shows Satin with his own family searching for blue together with the last double page showing a breathtaking montage of birds and colourful pieces.

Illustrator Lorena Carrington has used “photography and digital montage techniques to form richly layered images” in all shades of blues. The striking endpapers, full of shattered pieces, will bring memories of intricate porcelain from the past. This beautiful new picture book by Sophie Masson, will leave the reader enthralled by the words, the intent behind the story and the stunning images. A very special read.

Themes: Being alone, Collections, Broken pieces, Porcelain, Mosaics, Colour blue, Feeling Blue, Families, Well-being.

Kathryn Beilby