Author: Ann Bonwill
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publication Date: 1st June 2022
Book Description:
When a little girl learns about her parents’ divorce on a Thursday, it ruins her favorite day of the week. But her stuffed-unicorn friend steps in to help, taking her on adventures to cheer her up and staying by her side to comfort her when feelings are hard. Then, slowly, the little girl and her unicorn friend awaken to the natural world that surrounds them as life continues to shift and change…until the day that Thursday can become just Thursday again. Told with great sensitivity and beauty, this is a book of healing and hope for children experiencing divorce and a testament to the power of friendship in helping us to overcome life’s biggest obstacles.
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MY REVIEW
This was a very moving story indeed. A young girl gets devastating news on her favourite day of the week, Thursday, that her parents are getting a divorce. This shattering news causes the young girl to withdrew as she tries to accept her new reality. Her stuffed unicorn comes to her rescue, showing her how to cope with change and how to adapt to her new reality.
I saw this book on Amazon First Reads and the cover just won me over, so I thought I'd give it try, and I'm glad I did as it won me over right from the get-go. It's very magical in parts but it's also a very serious book with an important subject matter, which I think the author handled with care.
WHAT I LIKED
I loved the colourful illustrations and the varying emotions expressed throughout, showing children who have to deal with these situations that they will go through ups and downs and how to deal with those moments as they come. I also liked that it showed progress and transition of the young girl's state of mind and her transformation from start to end. Although it was a short read, I felt as though we were taken on a long journey. It was well executed in terms of giving us a beginning, middle and end. It didn't feel rushed or incomplete. It matched the theme of the struggles of coping with divorce. You can't rush these things. The healing process takes time, and that's exactly what this book expressed. It's an important lesson to learn surrounding this subject matter. It's necessary to get it across to the readers that getting back to a semblance of normality after divorce is a climb, and that's exactly what the author shows us.
WHAT I DISLIKED
I don't know if it was just on my end but the text was so small and I couldn't zoom in. It would have been nice to have bigger text, something easier to read considering the target audience.
I'm not sure how effective using a stuffed animal will be compared to using actual people as support, but the stuffed unicorn as the girl's aid and guide just made the story feel a little surreal at times. I appreciated the metaphor behind it all and the need to express the young girl sinking into a disillusioned state, but I just felt the use of a stuffed animal was a little impractical for such a heavy subject matter.
I also didn't like that the parents appeared distant, or at least they didn't feel prominent in the process of helping the little girl through her struggles. Given the role they play in family breaking apart, it would have been nice to have them engage a little more with the little girl, to acknowledge her struggle. Perhaps it was the author's way of showcasing that parents often disregard the level of pain caused to their children when they divorce, or at least perhaps they aren't aware of the extent of help some children need following divorce. Perhaps that's why there was a lack of interaction between the little girl and her parents throughout the book? I just didn't like the lack of comfort and support she received from her parents.
VERDICT
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that is very relevant and much needed. I would definitely recommend it for the entire family as going through issues such as divorce and family separation requires unity and a lot of support.
RATING
Source: Amazon First Reads
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