May 2017, Createspace, 48 pages, Ebook, Review copy,
Book summary
When an accident made Martha's coat blue, her world turned upside down.
She was no longer like the rest of the flock. She stood out and she
didn't like it. She wanted to fit in. But a series of surprising events
and the help of an unexpected friend showed Martha that being different
could be a blessing, not a curse
Nayu's thoughts
The moment I
saw Martha I fell in love with her because she is cute. I was captivated by the illustrations, which are by two Cambodian artists who Gabrielle met while staying there.
Thanks to
reading Martha's story I learnt Martha is very kind. I felt sad when she
ended up blue, as she was desperate to fit in with everyone else. Yet
that's why I love her, because most people at some point in their
lives, sometimes their whole lives, has something that is a bit
different to other people. Martha encourages readers to see
differences in a positive light-without her being bright blue the
happy ending would have been more tragic.
Martha learns not to judge
others by their appearance or reputation, you should discover what
people are like for yourself (unless they are a known criminal). I'm
going to be rereading this any time I need a pick me up-the
determination in Martha's face made me a little teary when she saves
the day. I love this style of illustration, with the further away
animals and objects being less detailed. Some of the distant sheep
made me laugh because they looked like Japanese onigiri (rice balsl)
with a touch of seaweed in the centre!
Discover more about Gabrielle's Cambodian adventures on her website.
Suggested read
Another character who learns to be proud of their differences is Teddy in Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton and Dougal MacPherson (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)
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