Arcadia

I brought this book for my niece and she LOVED IT!She was fully engaged in each and every page, the narrative tells a tale that is more relevant now than ever before, this beautiful message is lifted from the page with the amazingly detailed illustration.I have read the book to children over 5 times now and I am still finding new hidden gems!

Arcadia utilises its form to deliver a stunning book for children. There is a rhythm to Odiri Ighamre-Aiken’s writing that is perfect for reading aloud, to deliver its message of protecting the environment while inviting children to join in the reading process. There is a curiosity and faith in this story that are in tandem with one another that empowers the reader to ask their own questions and express their own thoughts on the story as it unfolds. Paired with Judith Elliot’s illustrations that are rich with colour and life, the child reader can easily pore over each image and name everything they can see, to ask questions and embed the message with more ease. I could feel the true hurt of the environment, it’s impossible not to respond with empathy as the spirits sing of both the beauty and the wounds within nature.