#blogbookaday: Walk With Me

Summary:  “A very simple, imaginative story depicting the complex emotional reality of a girl whose father no longer lives at home.
The girl conjures up an imaginary companion, a lion, who will come with her on the long walk home from school. He will help her to pick up her baby brother from daycare and shop at the store (which has cut off the family’s credit), and he’ll keep her company all along the way until she is safe at home. He will always come back when she needs him, unlike the father whom she sees only in a photograph — a photograph in which he clearly resembles a lion.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review: A young girl imagines a lion who could help make her life just a little easier – walking home from school, picking up groceries and her baby brother and waiting for mom to get home from work. What you learn from the story is that the little girl knows far more about the real world than most kids her own age and is expected to help her family in ways most kids can’t even dream about. Originally written in Spanish and translated into English, this book will allow many kids to see themselves in a book and as hard as this story is to read, many kids in our own neighborhoods are dealing with issues like this on a day-to-day basis.

Personal Reaction: This story broke my heart, a little girl forced to grow up too quickly and do very adult things because if she didn’t her family would fall apart. I don’t see anything this severe in my workplace, but we have a number of kids who translate every conversation for mom and dad – they have to explain how to get a library card, answer questions about programs and try to explain fines and fees, all while being under the age of 12 and still being very much a child, but having to act like an adult at the same time.

Title: Walk With Me
Author: Jairo Buitrago
Illustrator: Rafael Yockteng
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2017

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!