Oh the trauma

  Last night our internet went down!  It went down for four whole hours and our family was traumatized.  We re-booted, called the cable company, waited and then.....we relaxed and had a great time talking and reading our books together, rather than being separated and doing individual things!  What a great evening.

 I have been sitting on this book for a little while and now and it is THE perfect time to bring it to you.  It is entitled "Blackout" by John Rocco.   It won the prestigious 2012 Caldecott Medal for  it's illustrations and creativity and I highly recommend it.

"Blackout" by John Rocco is a book about a Summer night where a drastic change has a advantageous effect. Suggested for ages 4-8, this book boasts beautiful glossy illustrations and a comic like setup.

In a modern city where everyone is engaged in their own activities, the lights go out. The city instantly went from bustling to nothing working at all. The city was suddenly silent and calm. A young boy finds this the opportune time to spend some time with his busy family. As the family lights candles and gathers flashlights, they realize it's too hot to stay inside. They venture out on their rooftop and realize all of their neighbors had the same idea. The sky was lit beautifully with stars and their neighbors were all enjoying themselves, "it was a block party on the sky". Even on the streets people were singing and eating ice cream, enjoying themselves and reconnecting. As the power returned to the city, it seemed as if everyone would return to how things were. But the boy didn't want everything to be back to normal, he turned the lights out and his family turned off their various devices and came together to play a board game.

Blackout book trailer

This story though very simple has a meaningful message. We often get caught up in our hectic and busy lives and we don't make time to just shut it down and be together. The message shows how it is important to sometimes unplug and unwind with the people who mean the most to you. I recommend this book, especially as a bedtime story.Children will enjoy the saturated and rich illustrations along with the positive message.

Thank you to the Kirkus book reviewers for the review and on you-tube there is a book trailer you can watch to get the vibe of the book.  Excellent.

I could fully identify with the content of the story today after last night's blackout in our own home.   Lots of withdrawal symptoms going on here.  It is an excellent story to read at bedtime to your child.  Enjoy, blessings and read on.