Rory’s Room of Rectangles
Ian Eagleton and Jessica Knight
Owlet Press

With Father’s Day coming up Rory’s class are making cards but he is feeling conflicted. His Dad no longer lives with him and his Mum, who has a live in new boyfriend Tony. Rory sees his Dad at weekends; the rest of the time is spent at home with Mum and Tony, whom he likes a lot, but inevitably he misses Dad very much.

So who should he send his card to? Anger takes over and at home time the boy tears his card in two and puts it in his coat pocket.

On Father’s Day as he sits with his Mum and Tony, Rory remembers that card still stashed away in his coat. Is Dad feeling lonely, he wonders as the rain falls. Tony is a perceptive man; he notices Rory’s change of mood and suggests the two of them go outside together saying, “I’ve been saving up some money for a rainy day.”

Off the two of them go together, and make their way to an art gallery with wonderful paintings of all kinds. They stop and sit in a room full of rectangles of different colours where Rory feels as though his clashing feelings are being reflected back to him. As the colours wield their power, the boy finds his eyes filling with tears.

The empathetic Tony responds with these words, “ I guess life is like an art gallery … sometimes it’s full of happiness and joy, sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it’s sad But that’s OK. Whatever you feel is OK.”

Outside once more, as the sun sets, Tony has one more surprise for Rory … As the day ends Rory realises, on their walk back beneath a beautiful sky, that there is no need for him to feel torn.

Inspired by author, Ian Eagleton’s own experiences of being a new adoptive father, this powerful heartfelt tale of a blended family is sensitively illustrated by debut book illustrator Jessica Knight, whose portrayal of Rory’s roller coaster of emotions and his supportive adults is in perfect harmony with the telling.