Due to war, Cartwheel and her auntie move to a different country. Now everything is strange—people, food, animals, plants, even wind. Nobody spoke like Cartwheel did, and that made her feel cold. At home she spoke her own words, and that felt like a warm blanket. A girl in the park began bringing Cartwheel new words, which felt like a new blanket. Now Cartwheel had two warm blankets of words. The background of Cartwheel's original country is depicted in oranges and other warm colors, while the new country is primarily shown in blues and greys, then yellows and oranges as she develops her new language.

2016 USBBY Outstanding International Books.

Author and illustrator live in Australia.

Published in the United States by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2015.

Cartwheel moves to a new country with her auntie, and everything is strange: the animals, the plants—even the wind. An old blanket gives Cartwheel comfort when she’s sad—and a new blanket just might change her world.

This multicultural story of friendship is about leaving home, moving to a foreign and strange place, and finding a new friend. It's a story for all who have experienced change. Irena Kobald’s poetic text, paired with Kate Greenaway medalist Freya Blackwood's powerful paintings, renders an emotional and heart-warming story about two children from diverse backgrounds coming together to become new friends.