Three friends go to the park, where it seems like nothing is happening—but something is.
The wind is stirring the trees and sending maple keys spiralling down through the air, inspiring the children to whirl and spin...which makes a baby laugh and clap, and a man tap a rhythm with his cane. Soon, the kids and those around them are part of a domino effect of creativity from painting and building castle forts to having daring adventures and sailing the imaginary seas, and finally staging a colorful parade and watching stories unfurl in the clouds.
The kids follow this path of creativity, until finally it's nighttime and they think nothing more could possibly happen. But something does: their minds continue to create fantastical possibilities in their dreams.
“Hughes’ lively, poetic lines are nicely enhanced by Rooney’s luminous mixed-media illustrations, which lend a whimsical, fanciful sense of enchantment to the scenes with colorful swirls of imagery and details dancing across the pages. With its inviting, playful presentation, this is a charming ode to imagination and wonder and a celebration of the way nature can connect and delight.”
“This is an uplifting, beautifully written story about possibilities and letting creative ideas play out freely. It demonstrates that inspiration is everywhere, even in small things and moments; we need only look for it to unlock our own creative potential. An inspired story about letting the creative spirit freely move you.”
“[A] joyous tribute to imagination-fueled play. Hughes’s spare lyricism proves a ready partner for Rooney’s mixed-media artwork. The result is a friendly communal examination of making’s magic.”
“Uplifting. Quirky. Colourful…What Inspires is a charming flight of fancy, likely to inspire action in its young readers.”
“Focuses on the positives that can come from being open to inspiration for creativity that can come from a falling seed, a tree, or a playground set. There is no formula for inspiration. It only requires a receptivity to the possibility in the everyday...Alison Hughes allows her characters to play how they wish and to imagine what they are and can do.”
“Each turn of the page adds to the joy that the children are finding in being outside and using their creative spirits…Mixed-media artwork is filled with movement and joy. Nature acts as a backdrop while the park inhabitants use every element to create a world that is exciting, true to their imaginations, and really quite magical.”