It’s that time of year, when parents dread covering all the school books (i.e. me!) and go about buying uniforms that are three sizes too big. Some of our little people are super excited about starting school, while others may quietly voice their concerns, or not voice them at all. What we do know, is that books are great ‘mirrors and windows’ – a metaphor initially conceived by Rudine Sims Bishop, Professor Emerita of Education at Ohio State University, who specialised in African American children’s literature. Books can be windows, offering new experiences and views of the world that are real, imagined or unfamiliar. They can also be mirrors, where the story is reflection of your own life and experiences.