Imagine Our Special Place by Kelly Louise Jarris

Today it is my pleasure to review a beautiful new picture book Imagine Our Special Place written by Kelly Louise Jarris and illustrated by Sandunika Dissanayake. This post is part of a Books on Tour promotion.

About author Kelly Louise Jarris

As a mother of four boys, Kelly Jarris has been lucky enough to see the diversity in each child, which is how the characters came about for her first book, Wonderful Wishes. Kelly also writes and appreciates stories from life experiences, with her recently released picture book, Imagine Our Special Place. Her sister’s journey with terminal cancer inspired Kelly to write a book that touches on sibling bonds, imagination and feelings of the unknown. The story has been described, “Their imagination takes them out of their reality into other happy places”.

Kelly has a background in veterinary nursing and was once an Australian wildlife rescuer.

Visit Kelly at her website: Kelly Louise Jarris Books | Australian Children’s Book Author (kljbooks.com)

 About Imagine Our Special Place

The Blurb

Sophie is unwell and has to go to the hospital a lot. This enchanting story is about two sisters that go on a magical journey. It touches on celebrating life and all its precious moments. Imagine being able to bounce off white fluffy clouds, meet the Queen of all the Rainbows and sip tea from a golden cup made from the sun! Sophie has a beautiful imagination.

What I like about Imagine Our Special Place

Many children have siblings who are ill and have to spend time in hospital. Many children are themselves ill and have to spend time in hospital. Illness and hospitals can be cold, scary places. Imagine Our Special Place with its bright, colourful and hope-filled pages lifts us out of the cold reality into the world of imagination where anything is possible.

Children will love the idea of sliding down a rainbow ‘like going down a waterslide’; of relaxing in ‘a warm, cosy, pink bath full of glitter and gold’; of throwing star balls that ‘get brighter and brighter until they burst into hundreds and thousands of tiny sprinkles’.

Children will also be encouraged to use their own imaginations to create images that are meaningful to them. The subtle message of finding joy no matter how difficult the situation and its promise of connection ‘no matter what happens’, is comforting and reassuring.

When Kelly explained that her inspiration for writing the book was her sister, a young mother of four, who had terminal cancer, I was quite moved. Many years ago, I lost my sister, also a young mother of three young children, to cancer. I would have loved to take her away from her illness to a land of rainbows where we could laugh and play, eat fairy bread and meet the Queen of all the Rainbows. As Kelly said, “Parents can read this book knowing the deeper meaning and children can channel their creative thinking throughout the story.”

I think this book is a wonderful story for siblings to read, or be read to, together. If it encourages them to create their special places filled with comforts and joy, so much the better.

Purchase your own copy of Imagine Our Special Place from Kelly’s Shop, Amazon and other local and independent book stores.

Wonderful Wishes is also available from Kelly’s Shop, Amazon and other local and independent book stores.

Find out more about Kelly from her website

Kelly Louise Jarris Books | Australian Children’s Book Author (kljbooks.com)

Or connect with her on social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkellylouisejarris/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authorkellylouise

 Please follow https://www.justkidslit.com/blog/, the links listed below and Books On Tour PR & Marketing for more information.

While you are here, remember to check out the complete readilearn collection of

over 500 teaching resources for the first three years of school

Resources beyond worksheets – lessons for teachers made by teachers.

Let readilearn lighten your workload.

 

Browse resources now

If you haven’t already, follow @readilearn on Twitter and readilearnteachingresources on Instagram and like the readilearnteachingresources Facebook page.

I appreciate your feedback and comments. Please share your thoughts below.