Caramel reviews Blink and Glow by Raven Howell and Ann Pilicer

Today Caramel reviews Blink and Glow, a brand new picture book written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies are delighted to be reviewing this book as part of a Blog Tour for Blink and Glow organized by WOW! Women On Writing.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell me about this book.

Caramel: It’s about a boy named Leo and a girl named Lily. They like animals.

S: That sounds good.

C: Yes, but they like animals, and so they catch a firefly and a salamander, and they want to take them to school the next day for show-and-tell.

S: Hmm.

C: Then they show the animals they caught to their grandma and their grandma helps them realize that they both need to be free. So then they release them.

S: I see. So they learn that the firefly and the salamander need to be free and that they can enjoy and appreciate them better from a distance.

C: Yep. I mean, I’d like to play with a salamander just as much as any other little bunny–

S: I’d say maybe more…

C: Maybe, but so yes, I’d like to play with one too, but if I touch it and put it into a jar like Lily does, the salamander could get hurt. And nobody likes to be put in a jar. I would not like to be put in a jar.

S: Yep. But many young bunnies do not know that immediately. Right? Many young ones like to catch butterflies, capture birds, pull the tails of kitties, and so on.

C: I guess. Oh, do you think maybe that is why the author wrote this book?

S: I think you are on to something Caramel!

C: But I do not know of anyone who would pull the tail of a kitty, Sprinkles. And as a little bunny, I’d think the kitty could hurt me back easily.

S: You are right of course. But there are children who do such things, without thinking of how it might be cruel to the animal. And even those who do try to be nice and love the animals could hurt them unintentionally.

C: Yes, I can see how if you tried to catch a butterfly, for example, you could really hurt it because you have really small paws.

S: Yes, though yours are even smaller!

C: Maybe, but maybe not for long! I am growing, you know!

S: Okay, let us get back to the book. Tell me a bit about the pictures.

C: The pictures are really colorful! And you know what I noticed?

S: Tell me.

C: The children are always smiling! On each page! Okay, there is one page where Lily is not totally smiling, but everywhere else she is!

S: Well, overall the book is a happy book, don’t you think?

C: Yes, that’s true. Hmm, maybe that is why they are smiling! They love animals, and they are excited about them. And then they learn how not to hurt them so they are happy that they won’t hurt them. And at the end, their grandma teaches them how to make salamander and fireflies out of craft stuff. So they have fun with that too.

S: Oh yes, we should probably tell our readers that at the very back of the book, there are two pages of instructions on how to make a firefly suncatcher.

C: Yes! And the way to make the salamander seems very easy too. The book tells us how to make them out of craft sticks.

S: Cool!

C: Yes, definitely.

S: Alright Caramel, so it seems like you enjoyed reading this book.

C: Of course. I like all books about animals, and the children learned something important, about not hurting animals. So that is also good.

S: I agree. So maybe it is time to wrap up our review then.

C: Why not?

S: Okay, what would you like to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!