BOOK REVIEW: Ryan – The Rock By ArtInCrochet S.J. – Manic Sylph Writes… Poetry & Thoughts by Mona Soorma

Title: Ryan – The Rock

Author: ArtInCrochet S.J.

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About The Author

ArtInCrochet is a crochet artist who makes wide variety of crochet paraphernalia. Making crochet toys and stories for children are her favorite appurtenances. Besides writing blogs, ArtInCrochet sells handmade crochet items to raise funds for kids in need.

Book Blurb

A story on how ultimately the choices made at our own discretion of free-will that decide the course of our life rather than the circumstances we find ourselves fenced in.

Ryan stays steadfast like a rock in spite of the adversities in his life and also after a loss of a childhood friend. He comes out unscathed in his life and becomes a robust example of strength for his struggling son.

The Review

Ryan – The Rock is a story of a child who battles with adversity and emerges a winner. It is a story about hope that can help us through all kinds of trying circumstances.

Sarika invokes an emotional response in the reader from the word go by her reference to the storytelling enjoyed by all kids, especially at bedtime. It brings alive the magic of those days long ago and makes us receptive and eager to hear the story of Ryan.

The story is told in an autobiographical manner and is split into parts based on the narrator’s age at that point in the story.

Apart from the wonderful story of hope and courage, it is full of little wise gems for the young readers to learn from. I also love the pictures that are, and should always be, a part of any story for children. They are a visual treat for the little ones and make unknown scenes easy to imagine.

The imagery in the story is delightful, almost poetic. My favourite is the way the story opens to poetic images of the sky at sunset.

Another precious thing about the book is the Ryan toy that children can own and works as a reminder of the lessons from the story.

What doesn’t work for me is the difficulty level of the story. There is no mention of the age-group for which the story is meant. I assume the toy means that it is meant for pre-adolescents and the words in the story might be too difficult for them at times, especially those whose first language is not English. The upside is that they would learn new words, which appeals to the teacher in me.

The epilogue is another fabulous addition to the book and a very beautiful and imaginative ending.

If you have a child who you read stories to, I definitely recommend this book. Buy it for yourself or as a gift. And be sure to tell the little ones that the book is helping to alleviate the financial struggles of someone their age. That is another lovely lesson that I am sure they will carry with them into adulthood.