SuitabookWhat We’ll Build
Oliver Jeffers
- Reading
- Pause at the symbolic building scenes and invite the child to interpret them before explaining. Notice the rhymes and pictures together; if the abstract language feels distant, connect one image to something the family values.
- Themes
- Care and interdependence: An adult and child gather tools and imagine building their future together, with each promising to build the other’s future. The relationship is presented affectionately and as the book’s thematic focus; mutual care is treated as valuable.
- Protection and reconciliation: The pair build a fortress to repel “enemies”, then invite former foes in for tea and apologies. Protection is depicted alongside a movement towards hospitality and reconciliation, though the balance between defence and forgiveness is symbolic.
- Imagination and symbolism: Practical constructions sit beside a road to the moon, symbolic objects and abstract ideas such as love, warmth and future-building. The book uses imaginative images to explore emotional and relational ideas rather than presenting a conventional plot.
- Worth knowing
- Some images involve a fortress built against “enemies”, later followed by invitations for tea and apologies.