‘The Missing Piece’ is a children’s picture book, with illustrations by Beth Suzanna. It is a story inspired by Stephens’s love for his late grandmothers and is an upbeat reminder to us all to enjoy the journey, open our hearts and make friends.
By Jordan Stephens
Illustrated by Beth Suzanna
18th August 2022 (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
A heart-warming, fresh and original story about family and friendship from brand- new picture-book author, writer and performer Jordan Stephens.
Sunny loves jigsaw puzzles – the bigger the better. When she completes one, she gets a warm, happy honeybee buzz. One day, her Gran gives her a ONE-THOUSAND-PIECE puzzle. Piece after piece, all by herself, she puts together the picture, until … DISASTER! The final piece is missing. Sunny may be small, but she is very determined – so she sets off to find it.
As the day whizzes by in a whirl of new places and friends, Sunny discovers that looking for something is every bit as fun as finding it, and that perhaps the missing piece was there all along.
This is a life affirming story inspired by Stephens’s love for his late grandmothers and is an upbeat reminder to us all to enjoy the journey, open our hearts and make friends. The charming text encourages empathy and compassion as well as changing attitudes to emotional health and well-being.
With stunning illustrations by debut talent Beth Suzanna, an advocate for diversity whose work comments on recurrent social issues in modern society and challenging taboos and stereotypes.
Author Biography
Jordan Stephens is a writer and performer best known for being one half of pop duo Rizzle Kicks, achieving fame at only 19. Jordan is now a writer, performer and campaigner. He’s also passionate about books and reading. The Missing Piece is his first picture book.
Having been publicly open about his own struggles surrounding mental health, Jordan has also been very active in creating awareness around the stigma attached to it and helping young people to open up about how they feel. His mental-health campaign #IAMWHOLE reached over 120 million people online and made enough of an impact to be mentioned in the Houses of Parliament.
Beth Suzanna is a Bristol-based illustrator and designer with a love of bold colour and shape. She’s an advocate for diverse representation, and her work often comments on recurrent issues in modern society. The Missing Piece is her first picture book.
@bloomsburychildrens @jordanfstephens @bethsuzanna @wearemediahive #TheMissingPiece
