2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
All About a Boy Who Was Afraid of the Dark is a children’s story written by Ann Marie Hannon. Just before Patrick turns two years old, he wakes up one night and realizes that he is afraid of the dark. This is the first time that he has woken up in the middle of the night without his nightlight on. It’s an even scarier experience because it is the first time he has been afraid without his parents. Usually, they fix it for him; this time he is alone. When he starts to cry, his sister shows up. Will she be able to save the night?
This was a cute idea for a children’s book. I really enjoyed the story that was told and the message that was portrayed. I think the book would be a great way to introduce teamwork to children. The characters in the story were five and two, so children could definitely relate to them. I also thought that Patrick’s fear of the dark was a fear that many young children share, which is a great way to get them into the story. It would be a great teaching book for preschool-aged kids.
While I liked the story, I didn’t like the writing. For one, the sentences were overly complex for a kid’s book. A little bit of complexity is good, and it can be a great teaching tool for kids. However, this book went too far with it. The sentences dragged on, and they would be difficult for children to read. On top of the complexity, many of the sentences weren’t properly punctuated. I believe that it is essential that children’s books don’t contain errors, so the incorrect punctuation really bothered me. The wording was also repetitive. For example, one sentence used “then” at both the beginning and end of the sentence when it really only needed to be used once. There were also other words and phrases that were unnecessarily repeated.
One of the biggest disappointments with the book was that it would go several pages without any pictures. As an adult, I don’t mind the lack of pictures. Children, however, are going to be wondering where all the pictures are. I read to my God-children all the time, and they are constantly asking to see the pictures. I really enjoyed the illustrations that were there, but I would have liked to see more of them.
I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I did like the story, which is why I didn’t give it one star. However, the writing really brought the book down for me. It is important that children see proper grammar and good writing when they are reading. They are very impressionable, and the literature they read is a huge influence on their academic development. I just can’t give the book more than 2 stars because I would not want my God-children to read it on their own as it is currently written. I might recommend it to parents who are willing to read the book out loud, but I wouldn’t recommend it to kids who want to read it alone due to the writing and errors.
******
All About A Boy Who Was Afraid of the Dark
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like anneloretrujillo's review? Post a comment saying so!