Today's blog is a bit of a challenge... Next week, there is an exhibition in Thurso Art Gallery (it's the back room of the library, for any people in the area who are are interested in going along!) entitled Caithness Connections . I've had a little sneak peek on social media and been amazed by the variety of ideas the artists have used to consider the theme. It set me thinking about how differently people see their home, and how greatly it differs to how other people see it. Caithness is not a well-explored area, either in tourism (although this has improved since the NC500 route became popular) or in the arts, as its near neighbour Orkney. This is not always a bad thing - the Orkney which exists now is a far cry from the one I knew as home in my childhood thanks to the insane amount of cruise ship traffic, but when you say Caithness to most people from outwith Northern Scotland, most of them have no idea where it is if they've even heard of it. A few years ago, I wro...
Review
I should begin this review by apologising to Dan Bailes, the author. I had promised to review Marlon's most recent adventure months ago but, after a very busy three or four months, I'm only just getting round to it.
But I am so pleased I did eventually get round to reading Marlon and the Scary Something. It is a charming book, and one which deals with issues of anxiety and fear in childhood in a way that rarely strays into being heavy-handed.
The story follows Marlon, a cat who certainly feels like he's got the cream! He's just lounging around and winding up his brother when suddenly a dog appears! He doesn't even know what a dog is at this point - he just knows that this new arrival makes him feel afraid.
Over the course of the book, Marlon realises that the best thing to do is to face his fear and, eventually, it all ends very well.
This is a personal book for the author, who explains in the afterword that he experienced anxiety as a child. This really shows - I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to discuss fear and anxiety with their child.
Marlon's story would have been an absolute 5* for me, but I just wasn't as convinced by the little bits with the children and their parent discussing the story. By contrast, Marlon is a charming little guy, and his newfound fear (or friend?!) is written brilliantly too.
There aren't very many illustrations but, where there are, the style is really lovely.
I'm looking forward to taking this book into school - I can already think of one or two pupils who will really enjoy and benefit from this book.
In summary, a lovely story which will invite your little ones to start talking about any fears and anxieties.
Blurb
When Marlon stumbles into the Scary Something he freezes, stares at the creature and scurries home to safety. Why is the creature there? What does it want? And why is Marlon so scared?
Oh no! Marlon's caught in a web of worry.
He's nervous, anxious and frets about the creature all day. That Scary Something has Marlon stuck on a Creature-Feature-Merry-Go-Round. What can he do?
Anxiety is thief! It's stealing Marlon's joy!
Can he break free and stop being afraid? Can he learn how to believe in himself, quiet his anxieties and face his fears?
It’s Book 2 of Marlon’s Marvelous Adventures!A cozy cat adventure, perfect for kids 6-9 and cat lovers everywhere! Dog lovers too!
You can find the book on Amazon
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