Children’s Book Week Review – City of Light

City of Light by Julia Lawrinson, Illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson is nominated for Picture Book of the Year 2024 (Children’s Book Council of Australia).

On the evening of February 20, 1962 Perth Western Australia made its way into the history books. Our city, the most isolated in the world, lit up the night sky so astronaut John Glenn could see it from his orbit around the earth. Not bad for a little city on the edge of Australia!

City of Light tells the story of that night from the perspective of two children, trying to understand their place on the earth, and the enormity of the universe. What will the astronaut see from his window as he circles the earth? Will he see them?

This is a beautiful book that captures a magical moment in time, when space travel was new and exciting. It encourages the reader to remember that no matter how small we feel, and no matter how far away we are, we can make a difference. Especially we when work together.