[DISCLAIMER] I received this book for review. The opinions are entirely my own. I thank the author, the publishers and Reedsy Discovery for this book. Here is my review on Reedsy Discovery.
I love children's books - there is a kind of magic one can only find in children's books and Almondine: The Girl from the Almond Tree by Gabriele Zucchelli definitely reminded me of this type of magic that makes childhood special.
 |
| ★★★★☆ |
Alma is on vacation at her grandparents and while snacking on green almonds, she stumbles upon a stubborn almond that's not opening up - until it does and inside she finds something unexpected: a little baby. Alma names the baby Almondine and takes care of her, even though that sometimes means getting in trouble with her own parents.
Believe in Magic!
This was a sweet little book, with a peculiar story, but full of beautiful lessons about friendship, growing up, freedom and more. I really appreciated how the relationship between Alma and Almondine evolved as Almondine was growing up or always getting Alma in trouble. The two have a special connection - and this is was probably my favourite part of the book.
Where Are the Parents?!
The one thing that bothered me was Alma's parents and how even though they notice some peculiar behaviour on Alma's part, they still don't try harder to get to bottom of it. I think they were worried at times, yet took no action, and that made the reading experience less believable. There's also something that could be said about keeping secrets and I was hoping for a different outcome when it comes to the parents.
Gorgeous Illustrations
But the illustrations were gorgeous and that makes up for everything. I loved the monochrome choice and I think that elevates the illustrations and fit the story better. I loved the cuteness of the girls (and the cat) and all the details in the big full page illustrations. No children's book should be complete without adorable illustrations.
Children will enjoy the magic in this book and will learn a lot about respecting others and their wishes. I think the little ones will really enjoy following Almondine's adventures, especially since there are more books in this series. I also loved that the books comes with a special page that you can cutout and create your own bookmark!
Almondine: The Girls from the Almond Tree by Gabriele Zucchelli was first published in January 2021