Our Dance is a picture book about separation and the places that help parents and children stay connected.
A young girl loves to dance, especially when Daddy and Mummy dance with her. But one evening Daddy leaves home, and Mummy explains that they are separating. During the week the girl lives with Mummy. On Saturdays she visits Daddy at a child contact centre. Slowly, the family finds two new dances — different, but each one theirs.
The book is the first UK picture book to introduce child contact centres, the roughly 300 accredited spaces across the country where children keep hold of relationships with parents they no longer live with. It was made in partnership with the National Association of Child Contact Centres.
Published by Graffeg, 2025.
Shortlisted for
the Klaus Flugge Prize 2026
Our Dance was shortlisted for the 2026 Klaus Flugge Prize, which celebrates the most promising and exciting newcomers to children’s picture-book illustration.
The judges described the illustrations as having “a rawness that makes them feel very immediate” and said the book would “connect directly with readers.”
Read the full interview with the Klaus Flugge Prize, where Circle discusses the making of Our Dance — from developing its child narrator and visual metaphors to drawing on lived experience and finding a publisher after repeated rejection.
Art in Action: Speaker at NACCC National Conference 2025
Circle was a featured speaker at the NACCC Annual General Meeting, presenting her pioneering book, Our Dance, to over 150 family law and frontline professionals. Described as the "stand-out session of the event," her talk highlighted the vital role of storytelling in supporting children through family separation. The overwhelming reception—with delegates securing copies for schools and centres nationwide—validates Circle’s unique ability to bridge complex social advocacy with healing visual narratives.
Matthew Howard, Publishing Director of Graffeg
‘A mesmeric weaving of illustration and text, Circle’s manuscript haunted us from the minute she sent it in. She treats a difficult subject with compassion and sensitivity, opening the reader up to experiences that are both raw and personal. This is a dance between book covers, and we’re delighted to be the ones chosen to publish it.’
Elizabeth Coe, CEO National Association of Child Contact Centres
"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."
"A reassuring story about being together with both divorced parents at Child Contact Centres. Distinctive, vigorous drawing that conveys both tenderness and the sharpness of loss. "
—Nicolette Jones, Author & Children's Books Editor of the Sunday Times
"Wow. What a powerful story... The narrative truly centres the child, deftly managing the trauma through carefully chosen words and a minimal colour palette."
— Letterbox Library Reviewer
"Very clever for showing a young reader a new, very different, way of a family ‘being’."
— Letterbox Library Staff
A Closer Look
What inspired Our Dance?
The story follows a young girl who loves dancing with her parents — until they separate. She begins living with her mum during the week and visiting her dad on Saturdays at a child contact centre, discovering two new ways of being a family, each different but equally special.
What is a child contact centre?
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 times of change and transition.
Why does this book matter?
Our Dance is the first UK picture book to explicitly introduce the concept of child contact centres. It's shortlisted for the 2026 Klaus Flugge Prize.
Who is it written for?
Children navigating parental separation — and the parents, teachers, and professionals supporting them.
Where can I find a copy?
Available through Graffeg's website.
Circle Yuen’s ‘Our Dance’: A Picture Book Addressing Family Change for UK Kids
By Jun Kit Man 10 June 2025 Resonate
For many children navigating parental separation, the emotional landscape can be disorienting and often isolating. Society, particularly in some cultures, has historically struggled to address these delicate family changes openly.
Circle Yuen, a Hong Kong-born author and illustrator now living in the UK, is aiming to change that conversation with her debut picture book, Our Dance: Living Apart, Time Together, published this month by Graffeg Books. It is the first UK picture book to explicitly introduce the concept of child contact centres – safe, neutral spaces where children can maintain relationships with parents they no longer live with.
Community Impact
Recently, I had the privilege of meeting many wonderful readers and supporters at the Summer Craft Fair. What unfolded was a truly moving experience that reinforced the profound purpose behind my work. Below is a reflection I shared on Instagram about that day.
"I'll buy it. It's for my classroom's children." — Visitor at the Summer Craft Fair
"This book is so important; I will go back to my office and recommend that schools have it." — Professional at the Fair
More about "Why I Create: A Heartfelt Day at the Fair".