This week, we finally managed to install our new (not new ) item of furniture - a mid-18th Century grandfather clock. It's not bright and shiny like more modern ones, but a dark oak with a warm patina which the beeswax polish is drawing out. In order to set it up, we had to do a certain amount of research - how to hang the pendulum, where the weight went on the endless chain - and it got me thinking... where and when did certain divisions of time come from? The time periods which I have written either had household clocks or didn't, I have not written novels from the time of their invention. Clocks have been around for a long time, and the obsession with measuring time in an ordered fashion dates back to at least the ancient Sumerians. It was they who established a circular reading of time and, I imagine, the sixty seconds/minutes came about as much because it was an easy way to divide a circle as anything else. But it wasn't until much later that the precision of seconds ...
Excerpt:
I play outside and breathe sweet air.
There are flowers and animals around me everywhere.
Just like the wiggly worm, the curious cat, and the giant trees,
My life has a special purpose; I am on a unique journey.
This is what it means to be me.
Review:
"What It Means to Be Me" is a book with a great message - helping children to make sense of what makes them special and unique, but also what they have in common with others.
As a teacher, it made me think of the requirement in the Curriculum for Excellence for pupils to: "I recognise that we have similarities and differences but are all unique." This book totally has that outcome covered!
The book starts with a very lengthy opening, which I did feel may have been more audience-appropriate if it had been split over a few pages. The rest of the book carries on at a really good pace, mixing short snippets of advice and guidance with dazzling and/or dreamy illustrations. The book is written in a gentle rhyme, but there are just one or two of the words which may be too tricky for younger children.
All in all, a very sweet picture book with a really good message for children.
Meet the Author:
Danielle Dawn Falk
Danielle Dawn Falk has a lifelong passion for writing. Growing up, she often struggled with feelings of being unaccepted, as well as not fitting in with her peers. When she became a mother, some of her goals were to help her son and daughter realize how unique and special they are, while at the same time, teaching them to show acceptance and compassion toward everyone else. She hopes that through her writing, she will inspire her children, as well as many others, to do just that. Danielle lives with her family on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
WEBSITE - https://danielledawnfalk.com/
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/Danielle-Falk-Author-101871652226480
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/daniellefalkauthor/
Where to buy the book:
Giveaway!
Danielle Dawn Falk will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter here!
Thank you so much for your kind and honest review of my book! ❤
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover and the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat It Means to be Me, sounds like a great children's book and I like the excerpt and the cover! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful holiday season!
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