That Morning - Toño Malpica

-

AUTHOR: Toño Malpica

ILLUSTRATOR: Luis San Vicente
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
RATING: 4.25 stars.

A lovely story about the repercussions of conflicts and the power of forgiveness.

This story was first published as ‘Esa mañana’ in Spanish in 2016. This is the English translation.

Mangrufo and Leuklaya are upset in their respective houses. They can’t concentrate on their books nor toys. Even their respective pets can’t make them feel better. The reason is clear: both had a fight the previous day and now both feel guilty and lonely. However, they don’t know what to do. How to take the first step towards a reunion?

The narration comes from the perspectives of both Mangrufo and Leuklaya. We never get to see who was right and who was at fault. Both made mistakes, and both feel guilty. I simply loved this angle. Often, fights in picture books are portrayed as just one-sided with a single guilty party, but in reality, arguments between kids (especially siblings or best friends) are more complex.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about the resolution of the conflict, which is almost instantaneous. There is no verbal or written apology, nor is there any clarification. The two characters just bond over what to do next and reunite. While this sometimes happens in real life too, suppressed arguments can turn out to be more harmful in the long run, and clearing the air is always recommended. That said, the point could also be that a merely uttered ‘sorry’ isn’t as important as a genuine heartfelt attempt to forgive, forget, and move on.

What elevates the book to greater heights are the magnificent illustrations that are ‘out of this world’ in more ways than you would guess. I simply loved the minor detailing such as the quirky art deco pieces in both their houses and the shading style of the natural scenes. I am also impressed at that clever cover art that doesn’t reveal anything about our two main characters. There is a subtle monster theme in the story and it creates a nice play between the characters and their feelings. This story-within-a-story twist is simply brilliant, though I wonder how many kids will understand this layering.

The official target age group is the Pre-K-3 segment. The text is quite minimal, not more than a line per page. The vocabulary level is also quite simple. This makes it a wonderful book for younger kids as well.

Overall, this is a great book that stresses on the unseen side of an argument – its effect on your feelings and how moving on can make the world bright again. Definitely recommended.

My thanks to Windmill Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “That Morning”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Stormy Normy Finds His Forever Home - Leisa Fail - ★★★.½

-
Image
AUTHOR: Leisa Fail SERIES: The Adventures of Stormy Normy, #1 GENRE: Children's Fiction, Animals. PUBLICATION DATE: March 25, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A children’s chapter book about a young brumby horse named Stormy Normy. The author certainly knows horses! Recommended to young animal lovers looking for a sweet and easy-going story. Plot Preview: Outback Queensland, Australia. Young Stormy Normy was born, as his name suggests, on a stormy night. As his mother and he are returning to their herd, Stormy gets distracted and enters a farm with many horses. His mother, realising that he will have a better life there than in the wild pack, leaves him there with a heavy heart. Thus begins Stormy’s life, where he learns to navigate tricky situations, make new friends, and realises whom and how to trust. The story is written in Stormy’s first person perspective, with two brief interludes from his mother’s point of view in third person. I am not really a horse person, being
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»