Our Dance Circle Yuen

Our Dance Living Apart, Time Together by Circle Yuen

Hardback published by Graffeg 6th June 2025

ISBN 9781917467469

A young girl loves to dance, especially when Daddy and Mummy dance with her, but these dances don’t last that long. One evening, Daddy leaves home and Mummy explains that they are separating and the family won’t be dancing together any more. During the week the young girl lives with her Mummy and on Saturdays she visits Daddy at a child contact centre. The family now have two new dances, each one different but both as valuable as the other. This book highlights the vital role of child contact centres across the UK. The National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) oversees around 300 UK child contact centres, ensuring its accredited centres deliver safe, welcoming and supportive environments where children can maintain crucial connections with parents and family members during time of change and transition. Family breakdown can profoundly impact children and young people, often bringing trauma, heartbreak and a deep sense of loss. During these challenging times, their emotional and developmental needs can be overlooked. In the UK, over a million children lose contact with one of their parents following separation.

MY REVIEW

One minute a little girl happily loves to dance with her Daddy and Mummy. The next minute her world is turned upside down when her Daddy leaves home, making her really sad. Then some changes are made, making the little girl happy again. During the week she lives with her Mummy, and they dance together. On Saturdays she will see her Daddy in a child contact centre, where she dances with her Daddy. Now the little girl is very happy as she gets two new dances with each parent. This book goes to show children how they can see both parents when Mummy and Daddy aren’t together any more.

About author Circle Yuen

Circle Yuen is Hong Kong-born, Uk-based author-illustrator with a MA in children’s book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Her work focuses on themes of family and resilience, often inspired by personal stories and community experiences. This book grew from a deeply personal space and was first developed during the authors MA studies. During her studies, she co-launched Today is Friday, a project that supports families in Asia facing separation. Half the books were donated to families and frontline professionals in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2024, her project The Hiding Kite was named a finalist in the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition. https://www.circleyuenlokling.com/