When I have been to Austria lately I spent hours in the children´s departement of my favourite book store. And there I found this sweet new title „The Girl with the Parrot on her Head“ by British writer and illustrator Daisy Hirst. It is about a little girl called Isabel who has to say goodbye to her best friend Simon because he is moving away. A truly frustrating experience for her, making her angry and lonely at the same time. She tries to cope by organizing her stuff in boxes and embracing loneliness – but nothing helps. Until she steps outside her little world and finds a new friend. The story that seems to be so simple is actually full of metaphors. The parrot represents her boundless imagination, her loneliness is embodied by an imaginary wolf, which she banishes with the support of her new friend. Daisy Hirst captures all these deep underlying themes in simple language and whimsical illustrations. If you want to know more about how she developed the story and artwork, please …