Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
- The Facts: Smarty Locks and the Unforgettable Zoo, written by Marilyn Harary, Illustrated by Janette Louden, published in the USA 2016, 28 pages, ISBN: 13: 978-0-9980506-0-7
- The Review: Smarty Locks and the Unforgettable Zoo is a beautifully illustrated and classically written book that appeals to elementary students of all ages. You the reader are able to experience the range of emotions the main character experiences as the book transports you into Smarty Locks’ world with ease. This is a book with an important life lesson that you can return to time and again even with older children when they are experiencing things that didn’t quite turn out as they’d hoped.
- This book is aimed at a younger elementary audience (ages 5 and up) and explores themes of overcoming disappointment, creating opportunities, being inventive and creative, turning a “tragedy” into a triumph, friendship, imagination, and turning visions into reality. I read this book with my children who loved the pictures and could relate to the themes of overcoming disappointment, or as we say in our family “turning the lemons life hands you into lemonade”. My children loved the class room scenes and the animals the kids imagined. If you are looking for a book to help your child overcome frustration or disappointment or to learn better how to cope when things don’t quite go their way, then this is the book for you.