Sparkie:
A Star Afraid Of The Dark
Written and Illustrated by: Susann Batson
Review by A. E. Jaskiewicz
Sparkie is
a little star who is afraid of the
dark. It just doesn’t seem that the sky
is bright enough for him, and his glow is not strong enough to help
that
much. If only there was some way that he
could overcome this fear. Soon, many
stars come by and offer help to Sparkie to try and help him overcome
his
fear. This includes two little stars who
offer Sparkie cuddly objects that might ease his fears, a falling star
that
offers Sparkie a wish, and a star who has a way of making everything
brighter. Is this enough to make Sparkie
overcome his fear of the dark?
The characters in the story are
characters that most
children can relate to in one way or another.
Some kids are like Sparkie, and afraid of something. Others will relate to Sparkie’s friends
throughout the book, and want to offer help to someone who might be
afraid, or
who might need help with something else.
Either way, the characters come across as likeable, and good
role models
for kids. They all speak in a positive,
respectful and helpful manner. They
never criticize Sparkie for the way he feels.
The story of Sparkie offers a good message to
kids. You can overcome your fears with
the love and support of your family and friends. As
the stars show Sparkie, there are many
ways that you con possibly overcome things, you just need to find the
right one
for you. Plus, it may just take one
little touch that someone can offer you to help you overcome something
that
seems impossible, especially if you are afraid of it.
The illustrations in the book have a soft and
dream-like feel to them. Yet, the colors
are still vibrant and seem to jump off the page. The
colors really do seem like the colors of
a night sky, especially right at or just after sunset, when the sky is
turning
from pink to a soft purple. Kids are
sure to enjoy seeing Sparkie and his friends, as the pictures strongly
accompany the text and offer a visual experience that kids will enjoy.
Sparkie: A Star Afraid Of The Dark is a good book for
kids, with a strong, positive message.
It does a good job of showing kids that, with just a little bit
of love,
encouragement, and support, they can overcome even the most daunting
fears, or
even help others overcome a fear. And,
the pictures will keep the kids wanting to come back to Sparkie over
and over
again.