The word "parent" is not just a noun. It's also a verb.
The sweet story is touching (it made me cry, but I’m an easy mark), the pictures are achingly beautiful, and the ending is foreshadowed throughout in a way that clever readers will enjoy spotting.
As we read through the story, we find that what we see at face value isn’t always the whole picture. We learn that listening to others and validating their feelings is important.
What do you do when your family tree doesn’t quite look like everyone else’s?
A wonderfully “neutral” Easter book, that playfully incorporates not only the Easter Bunny, but also hot cross buns.
So why am I hesitant about recommending this book wholeheartedly? I have a few reasons. First of all, the narrative structure is very slight.
Kanella is a stray dog who lives on the island of Lesvos in Greece. She’s scrawny, afraid of humans, the other dogs, and even the alley cats from whom she can steal away no food. She ekes out a lonely existence, until she finds a home among the camp workers who have arrived to help refugees from the Middle East embark on the next leg of their perilous journey (this is implied by the description of the refugees, and confirmed in the Author’s Notes).
The best teachers a child can have are the adults that are a part of their every day lives. Without even realizing it, the lessons come naturally and are learned so much more easily than those that are planned by professional educators.
This book is a funny and cute lesson on getting to know others before we judge them and not jumping to conclusions about the intentions of others. Which is why I was a tad disappointed that the book ended on the goblin and unicorns agreeing on the fact. . . .
From the witty title, to the delightful endpapers, The Pocket Chaotic is a charming story about becoming independent and growing up.