The Dragonfly Secret by Clea and John AdamsIllustrated by Barbara L. Gibson
Copyright 2008
Feather Rock Books - Children's Fiction
29 pages
I no longer have small children in my house, but picture books for youngsters still are a great joy to read. I'm especially fond of beautiful illustrations. The Dragonfly Secret is stunningly colorful, definitely a beautifully illustrated book. You can peek inside the book to see a bit more of the gorgeous color illustrations at Amazon, here.
Warning: The next paragraph contains spoilers because I don't think it serves any purpose to tippy-toe around the subject matter. Please skip the following paragraph if you don't want to know what the book is about.
The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love tells the story of a dragonfly who sends a message of hope to the parents of a child who has passed away. Lea the dragonfly flits from the boy's hat to the bear in his father's pocket; and, by these simple gestures the young boy's parents understand Lea's actions as a message from beyond. It's really quite a sweet, simple story designed to comfort youngsters who have experienced loss.
It's safe, now. You can read, again.
The information at Amazon says this book is for children aged 9-12. I would say it's actually for significantly younger children, but my own children were rather advanced so I may be a tad off. The book is short and simple enough to read to younger children (possibly as young as the age of 4) or easily read by early readers who are on the verge of reading chapter books. It sends a simple message of hope. I believe The Dragonfly's Secret could be a very effective tool for helping children to cope with loss, whether one is related to the child who has experienced loss or works as a counselor.
I don't care if it is meant for 9-12 yr old's :) I know I will still enjoy it :)
ReplyDeleteI am really glad you review such books as well :) it is so interesting :)
Veens,
ReplyDeleteI think it all comes of being a book addict, thanks. I hope you get to read it. I particularly loved the illustrations. :)
Thanks for the review, I just found out about Dewey, it is really sad. I had no idea she was in pain.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like a lovely book. I'm always on the lookout for kids books because one day there will be wee ones around again and there's nothing I love more than fostering the love of reading in them!
ReplyDeletecjh
MyUtopia,
ReplyDeleteI knew she'd mentioned health problems and had a couple of surgeries, but I wasn't aware Dewey was in a great deal of pain, either. I keep going back to make sure it's real. She left a huge hole in our community.
CJ,
Dragonfly is a beautiful book, but I think it's specifically for children who've suffered the loss of a loved one, so bear that in mind. :)
oh! what a great find!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely book. thanks for posting about it:)
ReplyDeleteJessica and Tracy,
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful little book. I adore pretty illustrations and I think a lot of children would love it just for that alone. :)
Hey there...thanks for reviewing this book. I'm putting it in a list of books to get my new nephew some day (I'm determined to make him a reader). This will be great in about 8 years time. :-p
ReplyDeleteIndigo,
ReplyDeleteI think starting young with great illustrations is a terrific way to start a child on the path to being a reader. It worked with mine. Your nephew is lucky to have you. Now, I guess he just has to grow a bit, eh?
My daughter and I read and reviewed this one together here.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a touching story, and the illustrations are gorgeous!
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI'll have to go read your review. Since I don't have little ones, I've been curious what they'd think. Aren't the illustrations wonderful?