Glitter Everywhere! - Chris Barton - ★★★★★

-
AUTHOR: Chris Barton
ILLUSTRATOR: Chaaya Prabhat
GENRE: Children's Nonfiction.
RATING: 5 stars

In a Nutshell: Sparkly + Humorous + Informative = Shiny Awesomeness. PSA – It is not just for glitter lovers! I am not one and I still loved it!


When I was a child, I was awed by glitter. Its shimmery sparkle was mesmerising. But when I became a mother, I began to avoid glitter with equal fervour – do you know what a tiresome task it is to clean up after a child plays with craft glitter? When I learned about the environmental hazards of glitter, I simply banned craft glitter from my house. But like it or not, glitter is everywhere, whether through glitter pens or shoes or shiny artificial nails or cosmetics or clothes,…

So, when I detest glitter so much, why did I pick this book up? Simple. I realised that while I know my feelings about glitter, I know nothing about glitter itself. Who invented it and why? What makes it so… errrrm… “glittery”? (It was disappointing to learn that glitter isn’t unicorn dandruff! 😂) Can we have a safer, planet-friendly version of glitter? The book answers all of these questions, and a lot more.

From the title and cover, I had anticipated this to be a quick and light-hearted read, *shining* a spotlight on this material that enthrals kids the world over. The book met this expectation easily, with the author’s tongue-in-cheek humour adding loads of fun to the experience. His habit of breaking the fourth wall and explaining his writing choices to the reader adds to the enjoyment.

At the same time, I hadn’t expected the book to delve into the scientific technicalities behind why glitter behaves the way it does or how light waves bend and create shimmer on certain materials. This technical angle, combined with a few difficult terms such as ‘iridescence’, make the book a great option for slightly older children - maybe aged 6-10 years.

Basically, the book covers every single thing you can think of with respect to glitter, and then some more. As the blurb says, it “covers the good, the bad, and shiny of all things glitter.” I was fascinated by each page and the plethora of information it contained. To my pleasure, the book also highlighted the environmental hazards of using glitter, and mentioned how scientists are thinking of possible bio-friendly alternatives.

The backmatter includes the author’s note (brilliant!; don’t miss it), the illustrator’s note (super sweet!; also loved that she’s based in Chennai!) and a selected bibliography in case you are hungry for more glitter.

What’s a picture book without memorable illustrations, right? The artwork on every page is dazzling and vivid. The central characters who explore glitter along with us are three kids from three distinct ethnicities. Every page is an explosion of colour and has touches of (digital) glitter. The cover page seems to have the title in glitter as well. (As traditional glitter is bad for the planet, the cover uses a glitter lookalike – thank you, dear author and publisher for the decision!) I would recommend you opt for the physical copy of this book than the digital one – it is sure to be a delight!

All in all, though this is quite a niche title, it has much to offer. Loved it and recommend it to every reader, child or adult. After all, whether you love or hate glitter, you can’t escape it, so you might as well learn more about it.

Five flittery-glittery stars!

My thanks to Charlesbridge and NetGalley for the DRC of “Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

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»

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»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
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»