Lily is excited about seeing her cousins Tama and Olivia arrive from Australia. Watching a plane arrive, she hopes that it’s theirs. With
excitement, Lily and her Mum welcome their family in a huge hug.
At home, while the adults catch up, the cousins play in the garden, but where is Lily’s dog Woof?
In their search, the cousins discover the special bridge at the end of Lily’s garden. They stare in wonder as she explains it’s a magical bridge. It takes her to Australia whenever she is missing family over there.
‘You could try closing your eyes and imagining a place you want to visit.’
Together they close their eyes…
“Now think of someone you really miss. Imagine if you could just walk straight over a bridge to them right now.”
The cousins see grandparents in England, and enjoy their favourite things to do there. They travel to wonderful places they’ve seen in movies or read about. Germany, Kenya and even further! Castles and cows and coloured chalk too. So many places to visit and experience together, and they find Woof enjoying himself.
A sequel to the popular Kiwis and Koalas, this time Lily takes her cousins with her on her trip to see loved ones. While they’re there they decide to travel even further and around the world.
With so many Kiwis with family in Australia and vice versa, Kiwis and Koalas gave children a way to imagine crossing a bridge and being with family whenever they miss them.
Bridge to Anywhere gives other Kiwi kids a chance to travel to where their loved ones are – even if only in their imaginations.
The joy of cousins reuniting and playing together is clear in the illustrations by Laura Bee, and their return to Lily’s garden is clearly indicated with a Tūī underneath a kowhai tree. Te reo goodbyes are woven into the story as they return home.
The production values are just as good as Kiwis and Koalas, with a softly toned full colour interior and lush hardback cover. Lily also wears a cochlear implant, which isn’t mentioned, but accepted as part of her. This allows children with implants to not only see themselves in a picture book, but as the key character.
Author – Sarah Milne
Illustrated by Laura Bee
Picture Book
(2024, Beatnik Publishing, NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Family, Love, Cousins, Kiwis, Aussies, Coming Home, Missing Loved Ones, A Magical Bridge, Seeing the World, Reuniting, Sequel, Series, Cochlear Implant, Imagination, Journey, Joy, Grandparents)