Review - A Last Goodbye

A Last Goodbye
by Elin Kelsey
illustrated by Soyeon Kim
Date: 2020
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

How do we say goodbye to a loved one after they die? This book broaches a difficult topic in a heartfelt way by exploring the beauty in how animals mourn. From elephants to whales, parrots to bonobos, and lemurs to humans, we all have rituals to commemorate our loved ones and to lift each other up in difficult times.

New from the award-winning team behind You Are Stardust, Wild Ideas, and You Are Never Alone, this book gently recognizes death as a natural part of life for humans and all animals. Written in spare, poetic language and illustrated with stunning dioramas, it draws out our similarities with other animals as it honors the universal experience of mourning. The touching and uplifting book ends on a hopeful note, showing how we live on both in memories and on the planet, our bodies nourishing new life in the Earth and the oceans.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This series of books by Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim is so different and interesting! All of the ones I've read so far have been gentle reminders about our place in this interconnected universe. A Last Goodbye, which shows how various animals love and grieve, is no different. It reminds us that, though we might look different from a whale or a dog, we all share rich emotional lives. We love our friends and family, and we grieve when we have to say goodbye.

I didn't love the pictures here quite as much as I did in You Are Stardust and You Are Never Alone. They're still lovely, but they're not quite as interesting (and they're a lot sadder). However, they complement the gentle rhythm of the text perfectly, and the whole book works as a result.

This would be a nice book for children who have suffered a loss, or for anyone who is interested in how some animals grieve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.67 out of 5

Review - You Are Never Alone

You Are Never Alone
by Elin Kelsey
illustrated by Soyeon Kim
Date: 2019
Publisher: Owlkids
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

From the creators of You Are Stardust and Wild Ideas comes a new informational picture book that explores how humans are inextricably connected to nature. This book draws examples from the clouds and the cosmos, the seafloor and the surface of our skin, to show how we are never alone: we are always surrounded and supported by nature. Whether it's gravity holding us tight; our lungs breathing oxygen synthesized by plants; the countless microorganisms that build our immunity; or the whales whose waste fertilizes the plankton that feed the fish we eat: nature touches every aspect of how we live.

Using lyrical text grounded in current science alongside detailed diorama art, this book presents the idea that we thrive through connections to the land and sea and sky, and togetherness is key to nature. It encourages inquiry-based learning, inviting readers to wonder, ask questions, observe the natural world, and engage with big ideas. An author's note at the end offers more insight into the research behind the text.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I requested this book from NetGalley because I read You Are Stardust years ago and really enjoyed it. You Are Never Alone is actually even better! It's all about interconnectedness, which is a topic I'm seeing more in children's books. I recently read Everything is Connected by Jason Gruhl and thought it was okay... but You Are Never Alone is everything I wish that other book had been. It doesn't just state that we're connected to everything; it actually shows and tells us how, through simple text and beautiful, unique illustrations.

Soyeon Kim's gorgeous illustrations are one of the main reasons I enjoyed You Are Stardust as much as I did, and they're just as wonderful here. Drawings and collage are combined to create cute, fantastical landscapes that show how we're connected to the world around us.

The environmental message doesn't hit readers over the head. At least, it didn't hit me over the head. I was too busy absorbing the interesting factoids and basking in the beauty of the pictures. The author's note at the end gives a little more information about the facts presented in the book, with a link for further information (http://www.owlkidsbooks.com/youareneveralone/).

I would highly recommend this book to kids of all ages, and even to adults who appreciate good-quality picture books with beautiful artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.83 out of 5

Review - You Are Stardust

You Are Stardust
by Elin Kelsey
illustrated by Soyeon Kim
Date: 2011
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

You Are Stardust begins by introducing the idea that every tiny atom in our bodies came from a star that exploded long before we were born. From its opening pages, the book suggests that we are intimately connected to the natural world; it compares the way we learn to speak to the way baby birds learn to sing, and the growth of human bodies to the growth of forests. Award-winning author Elin Kelsey — along with a number of concerned parents and educators around the world — believes children are losing touch with nature. This innovative picture book aims to reintroduce children to their innate relationship with the world around them by sharing many of the surprising ways that we are all connected to the natural world.

Grounded in current science, this extraordinary picture book provides opportunities for children to use their imaginations and wonder about some big ideas. Soyeon Kim’s incredible diorama art enhances the poetic text, and her creative process is explored in full on the reverse side of the book’s jacket, which features comments from the artist. Young readers will want to pore over each page of this book, exploring the detailed artwork and pondering the message of the text, excited to find out just how connected to the Earth they really are.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a very, very cool book.  While it might be better appreciated by older children than toddlers, it would still be a worthwhile addition to a child's library; they'll grow into the text one day (and, in the meantime, there is plenty to look at on the pages).

The message that runs throughout the book is one of interconnectedness.  We are part of nature, and we have so much in common with the world that we live on and the creatures we share it with.  I thought it was a neat message for a kids' book, and the fact that it's all backed up by science makes the message even more powerful.

The illustrations were also like nothing I've ever seen.  It was as if the illustrator drew and built tiny little characters and then placed them into mixed-media settings... and then photographed the whole thing to give selective focus to certain areas of the illustrations.  It's a great effect and gives the book a really unique look.

I really enjoyed You Are Stardust, and I would definitely recommend it!

Quotable moment:

Salt still flows through your
veins, your sweat, and your tears.
The sea within you is as salty
as the ocean.

Recommended to: older children who are starting to become interested in the world and their place in it

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5