"This is the place I know and love, for everyone's at ease."
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Believe by Rhonda Garcia Trafford Publishing
book review by Cynthia Collins
This beautifully illustrated book is written in rhyme for very young children. Set in a valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, four children from toddler to approximately eight years old are spending the day with their grandparents. The full color illustrations show a meadow with flowers and grass and the two older brothers running. They look like they are hurrying to see the moose walking near a mountain lake. Rabbits hide in a field of daisies, and butterflies and birds entertain the two younger children who are sitting on a blanket.
While the grandmother is watching the children, the grandfather is in a hammock sound asleep. The family dog is curled up on the ground, also asleep. The smaller dogs are scampering in the meadow. Finally, the day winds down and everyone is ready to go home. That night, the children are in bed and Grandpa reads them a story. Soon, the toddlers are sound asleep, but the two older boys are wide awake looking at the stars through the window thinking about the day they had.
The rich, bright colors will appeal to young children. Deep greens for the forest, dark blues for lakes, brown tree trunks, and bright colored flowers will get and keep children's attention even if they can't read all the words yet. It is a good bedtime story and leaves both the reader and listener with pleasant thoughts and a feeling of being safe. The author is a native of Colorado and has captured the mountains, pine trees, and other natural surroundings. The story is simple yet well-crafted and is one that will be read over and over again to help little ones go to sleep.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review