Recent Reads: The Great Realization by Tomos Roberts

Source: From SparkPress for review consideration, this in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Great Realization by Tomos Roberts
Publisher: HarperCollins Children
Publication Date:  September 1, 2020

 

Format: ebook
Rating:







Synopsis: 

We now call it The Great Realization
and, yes, since then there have been many.
But that’s the story of how it started . . .
and why hindsight’s 2020. 

We all need hope. Humans have an extraordinary capacity to battle through adversity, but only if they have something to cling onto: a belief or hope that maybe, one day, things will be better.

This idea sparked The Great Realization. Sharing the truths we may find hard to tell but also celebrating the things—from simple acts of kindness and finding joy in everyday activities, to the creativity within us all—that have brought us together during lockdown, it gives us hope in this time of global crisis.

Written for his younger brother and sister in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem is as timely as it is timeless. Its message of hope and resilience, of rebirth and renewal, has captured the hearts of children and adults all over the globe—and the glimpse it offers of a fairer, kinder, more sustainable world continues to inspire thousands every day. 

With Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Nomoco, The Great Realization is a profound work, at once striking and reassuring, reminding readers young and old that in the face of adversity there are still dreams to be dreamt and kindnesses to be shared and hope. There is still hope. 

Review: 

The Great Realization is told from a time after 2020 and a vaccine for the virus we are all living trough right now. It is a poetic children's book that talks about how we were damaging the earth and living connected to our phones. Once the virus hit we all changed our priorities and habits as we hunkered down during stay home orders. With people staying home the planet was able to breathe again and we saw some drastic changes for good.

This book was beautifully written with a sense of wonder about the past and admiration about how we can change from this experience. It was also beautifully illustrated with vibrant watercolor images that matched the feel of the text throughout. I would have loved to give this book the full five stars, but since we are still living in this new normal I can't. It is a very optimistic view of how things are going and it does not really shed any light on the other things that have happened due to the virus, yes, we found new hobbies and stayed home, and yes we helped the planet and ourselves by doing so BUT we are living through so much sadness, frustration, anxiety and death that this look back on the past does not account for and it is also a piece of the puzzle.

I really enjoyed this book, it is my wish that this hope progresses and we do stay on this course of planet regeneration and still taking the time to do the hobbies we have adapted to in quarantine.