Tag: depression

The Rough Patch (Brian Lies)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is The Rough Patch by Brian Lies, a heartbreakingly lovely story about loss and healing.

Evan and his faithful dog did absolutely everything together. They played games, shared treats, went exploring and on long drives, always side-by-side. The thing they loved the most was working in Evan’s beautiful garden, working day in and day out to grow healthy, happy vegetables and plants. That is, until one terrible morning when Evan’s dog is suddenly… gone, and the farmer must lay his friend to rest in a corner of their garden. Heartbroken, Evan shuts himself inside, no longer interested in tending his plants. In desperate grief, he emerges one morning and hacks to garden to pieces, destroying the healthy, fertile plants and letting sharp and stinging weeds take over the soil – since he is bitterly sad, so too will the garden be. That is, until a small pumpkin vine wheedles it’s way in, and begins to change everything.

Powerful. Using the garden as a moving metaphor for emotional and mental state, especially after a traumatic loss, Lies spins a deeply poignant story about overcoming depression, and does it well. Most impressively, the story walks a delicate line that encourages the reader not to let their sadness poison what makes them happy, yet promises that if they do, this is a normal and understandable reaction, and there is still hope. It’s such an important message, and beautifully done: Evan’s vine eventually grows a massive pumpkin, which brings him to the fair, where he reconnects with old friends and activities that made him happy. The compassionate, atmospheric art is pitch perfect, and the attention to detail superb. The length is great for any age, and we loved it – an affecting tale with an important message, and Baby Bookworm approved.

(P.S. – I wish I could introduce Evan to Victoria Turnbull’s Pandora – I think they’d make great friends.)

Life (Cynthia Rylant & Brendan Wenzel)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel, a vivid and stunning meditation on life and what makes it so magnificent.

Life begins small: a sprouting plant, a baby elephant. Everything begins as something smaller, and then? It grows. As days and nights pass, it becomes larger, and different, and more incredible than the day before. Life comes in many forms, from the smallest insect to the biggest whale. And if you ask each animal what they love about life, they will answer differently: a hawk loves the wind, a snake loves the grass, the ancient turtle loves the rain on its shell. But life is hard sometimes, and there can even be times when it’s hard to find the beauty in it. But we must push through, because the morning will bring something new, something unique, something incredible – because life is beautiful, and so are you.

Simply phenomenal. Rylant and Wenzel have crafted something absolutely astonishing in its simple grace and powerful message. At the start, the story is a look at the animal kingdom through a different angle, and the detailed and eye-catching mixed media art sweeps the reader on this journey in a striking style. Then halfway through, the tone shifts, becoming a story about overcoming hardships and finding hope in troubling times. It encourages the reader that the dark and scary times will end, and that life is worth seeing and loving and experiencing. It’s an unexpected and deeply moving sentiment, especially for anyone who is experiencing or has experienced grief or depression. And with suicides and self-harm among young children on the rise, it’s a message that all young readers should hear as much as possible. The length is great, JJ loved the animals, and just… wow. This is a must-read, and we strongly recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder to find hope in the storm. Baby Bookworm approved!

Pandora (Victoria Turnbull)

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Hello, friends! Moving update: we’re out of our old house and into our new one soon, so hopefully we shouldn’t be missing too many reviews in the near future. For today, we’re back! And we’re reviewing a new favorite: Pandora by Victoria Turnbull, a gorgeously illustrated fairytale about the power of kindness and friendship.

Pandora lives all alone in a land of broken things. She uses her cleverness and ingenuity to build a cozy home and fix lost treasures, but she is still lonely. One day, a small bluebird injures itself nearby, and Pandora takes the little bird in. Pandora does her best to mend the broken bird as she does her treasures, giving it lots of love and gentleness to recuperate. In that time, the two grow close, and when the bird is healthy enough to fly away, it always returns with treasures from far-off lands, fixing them into a nest as a gift for Pandora. One day, the bird doesn’t return, and Pandora is broken-hearted. Having lost her only friend, she retreats to her bed and despairs. But when she wakes one sunny morning, she finds that once the seeds of friendship are planted and nourished, they will grow – and that it may take a while, but true friends always find their way back home.

This is a stunning story that uses lovely, soothing art and simple text to cover some surprisingly advanced ideas. It’s a beautiful fable for young ones, but older readers will recognize subtle themes like depression, hope, and healing within the story’s message of friendship and kindness being returned to those who give it. It’s surprisingly powerful, especially with art that conveys these emotions as much as it does the story being told. The length is perfect, and JJ always enjoys her “foxsh and bird.” A moving tale for all ages, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!