Publisher's synopsis
From two of our most talented picture-book creators comes this celebration of things that can’t be destroyed by bombs or fire. A haunting and beautiful tale of the power of words, the importance of stories and the resilience of the human spirit.
When the enemy bombed the library, everything burned.
As war rages, Peter and his father flee their home, taking with them a treasure box that holds something more precious than jewels. They journey through mud and rain and long cold nights, and soon their survival becomes more important than any possessions they carry.
But as the years go by, Peter never forgets the treasure box, and one day he returns to find it…
Awards
- Short-listed in 2013 Queensland Literary Awards (Children’s Book Award)
- Notable Book in 2014 CBC Book of the Year (Picture Book)
- Short-listed in 2014 CBC Book of the Year (Picture Book)
Illustrator
Click here to read more about Freya Blackwood.
Complementary content
STORY BOX LIBRARY
Margaret Wild is one of Australia’s most-loved picture book authors.
She has written over twenty books, many of which have appeared in foreign editions. All have been highly acclaimed. Jenny Angel (which was inspired by her brother’s death at the age of seven), illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, Fox, illustrated by Ron Brooks and The Very Best of Friends, illustrated by Julie Vivas are all winners of the CBC Picture Book of the Year Award. Her most recent picture book with Penguin is The Treasure Box.
Margaret was born in Eshowe, a small town in South Africa. She now lives in Sydney.
Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia
Freya Blackwood is a multi-award-winning illustrator and writer. Her picture books are beloved for her warm and perceptive drawings. Since publishing her first picture book in 2003, Freya has worked with writers such as Libby Gleeson, Margaret Wild, Jan Ormerod, Nick Bland and Danny Parker.
In 2010, Freya won the UK’s most prestigious prize for illustrators, the Kate Greenaway Medal, for her book Harry and Hopper. And in 2015 she did what no other creator has ever done, taking out three CBCA Book of the Year awards in a single year. The Unwilling Twin was shortlisted for Picture Book of the Year in the 2021 CBCA Awards.
Freya lives in Orange, New South Wales, with her daughter, Ivy.
Photo courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers Australia
