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Without a Blink by Jackie Adams Speranza Publishing
book review by Wendy Thomas
"'We mustn't panic, Frebbhe. Remember what Vedc told us,' said Smeken. 'Stay calm and confident. There has to be a way out of this.'"
This is the charming story of two friends, Frebbhe and Smeken, who set out to discover why people who have sailed away from their island to the mainland would never return home.
One night after they had made it to the mainland, they met Vedc, a stranger with eyes the color of blue hydrangeas and a black knit cape covered with sparkles who warns the traveling pair about Abatson, the wicked force behind all the misfortune. She teaches the pair a poem which when recited will direct their energy toward beauty, truth, and goodness. The poem would then let them know if their reasons for wanting to do something are fair.
Without a blink
We will think,
Do and say,
On that day,
The next right thing.
In their nonstop adventures, the travelers come across mighty sea storms, imprisonment, and snow blizzards. By working together and utilizing their individual skills, the pair manages to stay safe during turmoil. By staying calm and keeping their wits, they are able to overcome adversity eventually teaching others the invaluable lesson that people are more alike than they are different and that if you can work together with a positive attitude anything can be accomplished.
Throughout it all, the friends learn that when you use creativity, ingenuity, and positive thinking you can overcome any hardship.
Jacqueline Petrulio Adams is a registered nurse who has written several mini plays for her grandchildren to perform for the family. She wrote Without a Blink in the belief that children's fiction should be encouraging.