Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Promise by Nicola Davies - ADVISABLE

Davies, Nicola  The Promise  Illustrated by Laura Carlin. 40 pages. Candlewick Press, 2014. $18. PICTURE BOOK

From the publisher: "On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says the thief can't have it without giving something in return: the promise It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving girl's life--and a chance to change the world, for good."

     Described as a modern allegory, this book grew on me. It is vague on setting with few details and not much plot, and the premise is unrealistic, unlikely. Nevertheless, I found that the illustrations were like walking through a gallery of fine art, and each reading brought new thoughts and questions to my mind. Besides using the story to learn about story elements such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and allegory, the story invites the reader to explore text-to-self connections. This book is quite different than most picture books in the library. It is perfect for an introspective, thoughtful child of any age.

ALL AGES - ADVISABLE     Reviewed by P.K.Foster, teacher-librarian

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