"Some days it is cloudy
and heavy with rain.
Some days it is tiny,
but tiny can grow ...
and grow ...
and grow."
Corinna Luyken captured my heart in her first book for young children, The Book of Mistakes (Dial, 2017), and then again in Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse (Dial, 2018). Today, she has done it again.
What better day for talking about the power your heart holds than Valentine's Day? The heart the author describes belongs to a child. There are many wonderful things that heart can do. It is at the discretion of the heart's owner to keep it open, or to close it; it can be a window to the world or a door to its impact. While there are days when it protects from darkness, it can also open a child to the beauty of a wider world.
Readers are encouraged to look to their own heart, and face the world's many possibilities. The language has a gentle rhythm, and a concern for finding better days among the dark ones. There is always hope when care is given to keeping the heart whole and strong.
In tones of black and gray with gorgeous sunny yellow, Ms. Luyken shows emotion at every turn, and offers an opportunity for discussion concerning the many emotions felt by children. Sensitive and ultimately uplifting, children are sure to find themselves within its pages. They will be intrigued in a search for the many hearts displayed as well.
"My heart is a shadow,
a light, and a guide.
Closed or open ...
I get to decide."
Such power in beautifully chosen words!
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