Gwen's Gratitude - Marie Zhang - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Marie Zhang
ILLUSTRATOR: Hibah Habibah
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLICATION DATE: February 22, 2022
RATING: 4.25 stars.

A story with a very important lesson for everyone, not just for children.

Gwen has a blessed life but she is not satisfied when things don’t go as per her wishes. But she watches some other children who don’t seem as privileged as she is, she realises that is blessed and she must learn to be happy with what she receives than constantly demanding more.

The book is written in simple rhythmic prose. The rhymes seem a little forced in a couple of cases but are otherwise well-written. The language is also very simple for early readers to understand.

The story is formed of four little incidents, each indicating Gwen’s problematic attitude and then her realisation about how she should change her thinking. I felt a continuity problem in one of the segments but it doesn’t much impact the message. And that is the main reason why the book ought to be picked up. In today’s world, children have become used to asking more and more, and parents go on fulfilling their materialistic demands in the name of love. This is not only a wasteful attitude but also an ungrateful attitude. The book gets kids’ thinking back on the right track. (And will hopefully rectify some adults’ thinking as well.)

The illustrations are bright and sweet and they suit the story perfectly.

This would work well in homes, schools as well as libraries. Definitely recommended.

My thanks to Books to Hook Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Gwen's Gratitude”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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