Can You See It? - Susan Verde - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR: Susan Verde

ILLUSTRATOR: Juliana Perdomo
GENRE: Children's Picture Book.
RATING: 4.5 stars.


In a Nutshell: A soothing book about being more mindful of the world around us, using our eyes.


This book belongs to a new series exploring the five senses through a mindfulness perspective. This first book focusses on the sense of sight.

Narrated from the first person perspective of a young child, the book tells us how the child ‘looks’ at a thing, and ‘sees’ a lot more. It highlights how we have a tendency to use our ability to look without registering the sight in front of us. There are plenty of examples provided such that the tricky difference between the concepts of ‘looking’ and ‘seeing’ become amply clear. The text also makes the process interactive, by asking the reader on a regular basis: “What can you see?”

I couldn’t help but remember W.H. Davies’ parting words in his poem ‘Leisure’:
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
This book reminds us to ‘stand and stare’. (Not in a creepy way! 😉)

I love how the plot stresses upon finding the beauty in everyday moments in this rushed world. It doesn’t suggest travel to remote or quiet places to experience a oneness with nature. Rather, it shows how much beauty already exists around us even in cities, if only we take the time to look at it… oh, sorry… to ‘see’ it.

The vocabulary level is quite simple, making this perfect for 4-8 year olds.

The illustrations are the cherry on top of this soul-satisfying read. They are vibrant and inclusive.

There is an author’s note at the end about how we can experience the world through our senses more meaningfully. This section might work better for children if read with a guardian as it has some difficult words.

So many picture books speak to kids about going out there and giving their best. Talk more, gain more, win more! This one reminds them to relax, calm down, and relish the simpler joys around us. After all, both aspects are important to live a balanced life.

This would work beautifully in homes as well as schools.

My thanks to Abrams Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Can You See It?”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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