The Great Realization

Selected by Today as a book "to
ease kids’ anxiety about coronavirus.”

We all need hope. Humans have an extraordinary capacity to battle through adversity, but only if they have something to cling onto: a belief or hope that maybe, one day, things will be better.

This idea sparked The Great Realization. Sharing the truths we may find hard to tell but also celebrating the things—from simple acts of kindness and finding joy in everyday activities, to the creativity within us all—that have brought us together during lockdown, it gives us hope in this time of global crisis.

Written for his younger brother and sister in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem is as timely as it is timeless. Its message of hope and resilience, of rebirth and renewal, has captured the hearts of children and adults all over the globe—and the glimpse it offers of a fairer, kinder, more sustainable world continues to inspire thousands every day. 

With Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Nomoco, The Great Realization is a profound work, at once striking and reassuring, reminding readers young and old that in the face of adversity there are still dreams to be dreamt and kindnesses to be shared and hope. There is still hope.

We now call it The Great Realization

and, yes, since then there have been many.

But that’s the story of how it started . . .

and why hindsight’s 2020.

Tomos Roberts (Tomfoolery) is a spoken-word poet and filmmaker, born in New Zealand to Welsh parents. He was inspired to write The Great Realization while homeschooling his seven-year-old brother and sister, and the resulting film includes a cameo from his brother, Cai. Since its release, Tomos’s heartfelt poem has been watched by tens of millions, bringing with it newspaper and TV interviews, high-profile endorsements, and thousands of messages of appreciation from around the world. Tomos lives in London.

Nomoco is a Japanese artist and illustrator whose joyful artwork, created in a range of different media including inks, silkscreen, and lithography, has been published and exhibited all over the globe. Her first children’s picture book was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal, and she has produced artwork for clients including the Royal School of Music, the Guardian, and the New York Times. Nomoco lives in Tokyo.