Through the Gate

Through the Gate tells the story of a child who has just moved house and is struggling to cope with all the changes in her life. She relates to the dilapidated house she has moved to, as she sits sad and forlorn upon its broken front step. But, as the story unfolds, the house is gradually repaired paralleling how the child’s perception of her new situation improves. Each time the child passes `through the gate’, into the world beyond, she notices more of her surroundings and discovers that her new life has some wonderful things in it. The messages delivered through this story can be understood at different levels — literal and metaphorical. Nothing stays the same and difficult times will pass. A little effort in maintenance can improve our physical surroundings, yet our perceptions also colour our world. These messages are relevant to both children and adults, as we all experience many changes throughout our lives and draw on our resilience as we adapt to them. Within the illustrations is a `spot the difference’ game that encourages interaction with the story and develops observation skills. Younger children can be involved in spotting the more obvious changes and older children will be challenged with the more subtle transformations.

About the Author :
Sally Fawcett is a primary school teacher and mother with a passion for art, creative writing and education. Her goal is for her books to engage adults and children in a shared experience that fosters a life-long love of reading, creativity and tapping into the power of the imagination.

Review :
"The story of change told through the eyes of a child who has moved house and struggling to cope...Ideal for playing the spot the difference...We loved the illustrations as well as the story." "This is a story about nothing staying the same; about even the most dismal day waking to a sunrise soon; about how our moods and feelings can colour our world…This is a familiar story for many children who are uprooted from their comfort zone that has been told on so many different levels that it is quite brilliant." "...a window to our hearts...Through the Gate is a must-have for any family preparing to move house or school. It's the perfect diving board for sharing thoughts, fears and feelings about the future but it also offers a seed of hope that happiness can grow somewhere else. "They thoroughly enjoyed the story we read it twice to see if we could find all the changes throughout the story. Sometimes change can turn out to be wonderful thing." "One of my favourite things about this story is the illustrations. I love how Sally Fawcett has used colour to reflect the feelings and perceptions of the young girl. ..If you have a child that is going through changes, whether it be preparing to begin school, gaining a sibling, or moving home, then this book would be ideal for them." "Children’s author Sally Fawcett will show off her second book, Through the Gate, at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival. The book was released this month and tells the story of a girl learning to adapt to a new house and to appreciate change and beauty in life, using colour and spot-the-difference elements.” "Through the Gate is a visually striking and emotionally memorable look at affecting and accepting change.” "A very cleverly handled and beautifully illustrated story, Through the Gate will be a great way to ease children’s uncertainty and unease over changes happening in their lives. It is a message of hope and encouragement ... " “When I was reading, It felt like I was putting a puzzle together … This relaxing but not boring book is really fun to read, and I enjoyed the drawings.” "a beautiful, visually poetic story of change, perspective and resilience." "Great fun, emotionally acute – a good, involving read."