We'll Be Together Again - Lucy Menzies - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR: Lucy Menzies
ILLUSTRATOR: Maddy Vian
GENRE: Children's Picture Book.
PUBLICATION DATE: November 9, 2021
RATING: 4.5 stars.

Such a cute book this one turned out to be! You can read it as two separate stories or in a combined narrative. That is the biggest USP of the book, though by no means is it the only good point of this gem.

The pages on the left show the story of little Belle, who lives with her parents in the city. She adores her grandpa Jack and misses him terribly. But he can’t come to meet her for some unspecified reason. When he sends her a teddy bear as a gift to remember him by, she carries it around everywhere. But when will they meet?

The pages on the right show the story of Grandpa Jack, who lives alone in the mountains. He loves his cute little granddaughter and is waiting patiently for the day when he can meet her again. Will his wish come true soon?

I simply loved the dual story setup. I read both the tales simultaneously, and that didn’t hinder my comprehension in any way. It was fun to see both the storylines unfolding simultaneously. At the same time, I can see how reading only Belle’s narrative or Jack’s narrative turn by turn can add to the anticipation.

I liked how the reason for Grandpa Jack’s inability to travel wasn’t explained outright. This provides the story with a blank page and parents/guardians reading this story to youngsters can fill in any appropriate reason they feel like to explain the issue. It could be a covid-related lockdown, it could be ill-health, it could be some travel-related issues… But the book helps little ones receive hope that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, that all problems eventually come to an end, and that we must make the best of what we have in the meantime.

The vocabulary level is suitable for early readers. The book is mainly in prose and only Grandpa Jack’s letters to Belle and her letters to him are in rhyming format. This works wonderfully as it is like getting the best of both worlds. (I always love kiddie books that don’t force rhymes into their text.)

The illustrations are charming and take the story to an even greater level. (Grandpa Jack’s cat steals the show in the sketches!)

This would be a beautiful story for families to read together as it reinforces so many lovely values such as regular communication, respect for elders, parental and grandparental bonding and positive thinking. Heartily recommended.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of “We'll Be Together Again”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

For those who find the idea of “One Book, Two Stories” appealing, please also check out “A New Friend” by the same author and also published by Quarto. Both books are equally amazing.

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