I love using this book with a little candle art activity. It is so good! ( )

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

A Flicker of Hope is a children's book, although I think the writing is for an older audience. It might be a good teaching book, but it didn't really work reading it one-on-one with my son. I always ask him what he thinks about a book when we finish, and what he enjoyed most about the story. The only thing he could really say about A Flicker of Hope was that he liked the candles, and wanted to know why his birthday candles didn't die when their flames went out.

In the book, one of the candles is feeling sad and having negative thoughts, so her candle is dimmed and dull. Another candle comes along to give her hope, which effectively brightens her light. However, the other candle starts talking about everyone having gifts, and how candles without a light are no longer able to share theirs. It was a good lesson in personification, but the deeper messages were lost on him.

I think A Flicker of Hope addresses important issues about depression and touches on mental illness, encouraging people to ask for help when they feel down, but it doesn't mention someone needing more than a friend. Yes, you should continue to ask for help, but sometimes that's not enough. Maybe the book could have encouraged readers to seek medical help? Also, essentially telling a person not to kill themselves, or let themselves die because they have "gifts to share", might not be the best approach. A person having negative thoughts and feelings is likely unconcerned with what they have to offer the world.

I believe the wording was too wordy at times, and the story wasn't presented in a way that younger children would easily comprehend. I think a few of the pages could have been removed (like when the second candle essentially repeated everything the first candle said at the beginning), and the story could have been simplified for its target audience.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 4, 2019. ( )

This book is one big metaphor for depression. It’s meant for kids to learn that they are not the only ones and that it is okay to ask for help. The metaphor might be a little strong for younger kids, but I think 4 year old and up would understand what is going on. This book would be an asset to classroom libraries, doctors offices, and individuals. As a plus the illustrations are fun and really help convey the message. ( )