One Sunday (Pamela Allen, Viking)

Such is the enduring quality of Pamela Allen’s work that, to this day, whenever my bathtub overspills, I picture Mr Archimedes jumping in and out of his animal-filled tub—like many others who have grown up with Allen’s books over the past thirty-odd years, I suspect. Her latest offering, about an elderly couple and their Sunday roast ritual, follows the gentler, more contemplative tone of recent works The Little Old Man Who Looked Up at the Moon and The Toymaker and the Bird. One Sunday, amid a raging storm, an old man calms his fretting wife: it’s Sunday and, no matter what, they will have roast lunch and visitors. And so they set about cooking their meal, until a surprise guest arrives. Very young readers might not grasp this book’s underlying sense of nostalgic longing and loss, but this tale of generosity, hospitality and hope—and the importance of keeping traditions alive—is accessible for readers aged from three years. Allen’s simple yet effective text builds tension, and conveys expectation and surprise in a way that’s ideal for reading out loud. It’s the illustrations, however, that truly captivate here. Surely some of Allen’s best, they capture her characters with empathy, intimacy and warmth.

Meredith Lewin is a Sydney-based freelance reviewer, editor and proofreader