99 steps from the end of your street is the edge of Nowhere in Particular. It might be nowhere, but it is somewhere to the creatures that live there. It’s in fact somewhere special.

This is a land of riotous colour. A land of colourful balloons that swim in the sky. A Sunday family activity is to pop a balloon – but this activity soon becomes a national past time, popping more and more balloons, with bigger, better, stronger machines. No longer is a stick with a pin enough, as the sound of the Pop! is so satisfying.

Before long, the colour leaves the sky, as less, and less, and less balloons float above. Until there is only one.

Can their desire for the Pop! be overcome to allow the last balloon to survive?

When they realise their mistake, instead of joy, there is conflict and blame.

Can they fix their huge mistake?

A sophisticated tale of diversity, threatened by power, control and mistakes made by the masses. The creatures portrayed in a land called Nowhere in Particular might be rabbits, but they are all black with a human eye. They walk on two legs too and use machines to achieve their desires.

They realise almost too late, that they have destroyed the diversity that they cherished in their world. Only one voice is speaking reason among them.

This is a powerful and sobering tale about our environment, working together to take care of it, and taking stock of what we want and what we actually need.

Readers can enjoy the rabbits and colours, or dig deeper in a classroom environment to lead to discussions of diversity and responsibility.

Author / Illustrator – Ian Chapman

All Ages

(2025, OneTree House, NZ Author, Aotearoa, New Zealand, Environment, Diversity loss, Community, Forward thinking, Care, Responsibility, Sophisticated Picture Book)