Unwrapping...
Author: Michele Toland
Illustrator: Marianella Aguirre
Ages: 3-8
Unwrapping the adorable pictures..
This is Michele's second book in the French Toast Adventure series. The book is heartwarming and tugs at your heart strings. Emily (Em for short) lives in the town of Little River. She waits each day for her dad to come home from work and then runs full steam into his open arms and receives a huge, squeezy hug from her beloved daddy. One day he announces that work will take him away for a while and he will only be able to come home and see her on weekends. Em is very sad to hear his news but dad offers her a gift, a new friend to love, to hug, and snuggle with in his absence.
He presents to her a cuddly, adorable baby duckling to which Em gives the name, Daisy. From that point on, she and Daisy are fast friends and inseparable. They sleep, eat, and play together. They delight in each other's company. Daisy consistently sneezes on Em and tickles her cheek making her giggle and laugh and laugh and giggle.
Time passes and as cute little fluffy bundles do...they start to grow up. Daisy turns into a beautiful white duck and is getting too big for her bed and needs to be moved outside into the backyard. Dad finally returns home and both he and Em make a spectacular home for Daisy outback complete with her own swimming pool. But Daisy grows on....
Finally the family comes to the realization that Daisy needs a home of her own where she can mature and have her own duck friends and freedom. Sadly she is packed up and Em and her dad take her to the neighbouring park and release her with the other ducks that live there. She swims off into her new life.
Is that the end of the friendship with Em? Will Em survive without her duck BFF? Will the story have a happy ending or will Em continue being sad? Well Michele masterfully weaves all of those queries into her charming tale and I know you will like how it all turns out.
This is a wonderful book emphasizing the love of family and the importance of nurturing and loving a pet, in fact loving the pet enough to think outside of your own needs and releasing it. Giving it freedom gives it a greater quality of life than what you can provide despite your feelings of wanting to hold to it forever. I highly recommend this book.
When Michele wrote her first book, "For the Love of French Toast" she had no intention of starting a children's book series. However, Em started down the path of adventure, and Michele decided to write on. She says that life is short and meant to be experienced and there are many new experiences in store for little Em. She tells us, "Should your future bring you little ones to love, I hope these adventures inspire simple joy for you all." "Our biggest smiles are best shared with those we cherish."
Read on and read always!
It's a wrap.
Contact me: storywrapsblog@gmail.com
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