Today I’m doing something a little different!
I am reviewing and recommending a children’s book to you. This is The Girl Who Grew a Gallery by Tifainé Hedgecock (click here to purchase and click here to learn more about the author)!
I think everyone knows a child, whether that’s your child, a friend’s child, your sibling, or your niece or nephew. This would be the perfect book to purchase for that little girl or boy in your life!
The Girl Who Grew a Gallery is about combatting loneliness and sadness in isolation. It sends a positive message about community and friendship to children at a time when they might seriously be struggling.
The book promotes reaching out to friends and neighbours, rather than staying completely isolated. It explains the coronavirus situation, and verbalises all kinds of emotions felt by children, helping them feel less confused and alone.
Children struggle with understanding the world, especially when big changes take place. The Girl Who Grew a Gallery is a sweet story that successfully helps them cope with this specific change: understanding it and living through it.
The effects of lockdown, and the fear and anxiety surrounding the coronavirus are not only adult concerns. Children contact Childline every day with concerns about the coronavirus, as their schools shut, their family members get sick, they watch their parents get stressed, and they lose contact with grandparents.
This book has a message relevant for a child of any age, in the format of a picture book aimed at younger children, encouraging them against loneliness, and explaining lockdown to them.
I would strongly recommend that if you’re a parent or a sibling, you buy The Girl Who Grew A Gallery. If you’re a teacher, buy it for your class or for your school library. Its available as an e-book and in hard copy on amazon.
Follow Tifainé on Instagram here.
Find Tifainé’s website here.
You can watch my interview with my 10 year-old sister about the coronavirus, and my video review of The Girl Who Grew A Gallery here: