Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound by Drew Palacio
- Published on June 6, 2022
- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads PR, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Blurb
JULIEN J’s frustrating evening takes an extraordinary turn when
BLUEBULLET, his favorite comic book superhero, pays him a surprise visit.
After a long day filled with school and homework, Julien immerses himself in the latest
adventures of Bluebullet, his favorite comic book.
His evening reading retreat goes awry when the neighborhood crow starts incessantly cackling.
He attempts to drown the noise but finds himself interrupted again.
This time it’s by a group of sneezing, buzzing bees.
Julien’s exasperation balloons inside him.
Determined to finish, he sticks his nose back into his book.
His efforts are finally thwarted by additional creatures, now all simultaneously ruining his day.
This unwelcome commotion unfolds while Bluebullet is at a crucial moment in his battle!
The cacophony of noises derail his experience and sends him into a fit of rage.
Julien screams at the top of his lungs – so loudly, that it summons Bluebullet himself, who swoops down from the sky, ready to help!
Julien’s anger would become the catalyst for a profound learning experience.
Bluebullet is a wise, seasoned hero who imparts pivotal guidance to Julien.
At this moment, Julien learns to maintain his peace of mind even when confronted with adversity.
My Review
What was it all about
Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound was a children’s book that I read out to my niece A, making all the sounds of the crow cawing and the buzzing bees.
The story was all about teaching children how to cope up, when things didn’t go their way.
How it made me feel
A enjoyed the story but didn’t immediately put the book in her bag. On asking, she said it was good.
The concept of coping up with her disappointments made her pause for a moment or two to grasp the method.
I liked reading out the various sections as it allowed me to use different noises for all animals mentioned in the book.
The Good
A liked that the examples given were of animals who disturbed the main character in the book. She just didn’t understand why he would get disturbed while reading the book as crow cawing was normal. They always cawed at her window.
I could understand her point as we lived in a noisy nation so we had learned to ignore the background sounds right from our birth.
The coping method was interesting and could be used for adults and children.
The Bad
I wanted the cover to be brighter and illustrations to be more colorful. A was okay about it and found both good.
The character of the comic that Julien was reading suddenly popped up, A was confused as she didn’t know who Bluebullet was, and it was not clearly explained in the book.
The Conclusion
Overall, a good book, enjoyed by both of us, as it gave us a chance to cuddle up and bond.
Book Links
Book Details
Publication Date: May 2022
I downloaded the digital version of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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