Official Review: Joy: A Treasure Protector Story

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Joy: A Treasure Protector Story" by Julian T. Nichols.]

This first Treasure Protector book introduces us to Anna, a very normal little girl, on the eve of her ninth birthday. She is very excited as she gets ready for bed, and can't wait for the morning to see whether her birthday wish comes true. That night she has a wonderful dream which is so vivid that it seems real and in which she starts to find out about the sacred treasures and their protectors.

This is the first part of the Treasure Protector series of stories which is aimed at the under-tens and specially written to boost children's self esteem and help them create a confident, positive self image. Children of this age group will relate to the characters of Anna and her family, and will sympathise with poor Anna, who is very self-conscious about her appearance and her crooked, gap-tooth smile. They will share her feelings of excitement and her wish to make her birthday come quicker by going to bed early.

The author uses simple language but is not afraid to introduce words that will probably need explanation and will help expand a child's vocabulary. The illustrations on each page add extra interest and introduce opportunities for discussion along with the sometimes complex concepts represented by the treasure; for example, the superficiality of physical appearance and good looks contrasted with the importance of the inner person.

I found this a charming book; I liked its simplicity and its characters who generally come across as normal people, although occasionally, for me, they can be a bit too good to be true. Its theme about the over-emphasis of personal appearance is very appropriate at the present time, and it is in contrast to traditional fairy tales in which the heroine is generally beautiful, the prince handsome, and the wicked step-mother, goblin or witch is suitably ugly.

What I like best about the book is that it invites interaction between reader and child, which is so important, not just because it involves them in the story and aids their comprehension of the underlying messages, but also because it helps to teach them to dig below the surface of other situations they will come across. I am giving it a rating of four stars and I am sure most children will want to follow Anna on further adventures in her dream world.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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