Review by Bianka Walter -- I Can See Peace

[Bianka Walter]

[Following is a volunteer review of "I Can See Peace" by Julie Penshorn.]
[rbc=4]id311329-125[/rbc]I Can See Peace is a children’s book written by Julie D. Penshorn. With one simple sentence per page, this book explains where peace can be found in the world. Aimed primarily at children, there are colourful illustrations to support the uncomplicated text and make it easier to read and understand. The unpretentious narrative is a tool for children to use when they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they are unsure of how to deal with it. This is as much a book for children to read as it is for parents to learn. There are some strategies in the back of the book for parents or caregivers to gain insight into how to help their children find peace. In this conclusion, the author gives counsel in order to enhance the journey of the story. It’s a fantastic way to build the relationship between parent and child.

Finding peace is an adult notion. For a child, finding peace is not something that can be easily understood, especially if taken literally. The message of the book is a beautiful one, and at its core, it is a tool meant to be used as a calming method. It touches on how it is possible to lose one’s peace, and it explains which approaches to take to get it back. The author finds ways to explain that something as simple as a smile can calm us.

I appreciate that there is a huge diversity of people represented in the book. A vast array of individuals of different colour and age are portrayed, which helps solidify the concept of peace. Other than that, the illustrations are bright, and the colours make the book cheerful. The bleak pages where the book becomes gloomy are strewn with dark colours, reinforcing the subjects being touched on. The illustrations fortify the narrative perfectly.

There was one thing in this book that I wasn’t too pleased with. The narrative is set in rhyming sentences. This is fine in a children’s book, but when it makes the sentences strained because they are attempting to rhyme, it becomes noticeable. One such sentence is, “I see peace most when I’m happy of course.” This sentence needs a comma before “of course”, but because the line needs to rhyme with the previous one, I think it was purposefully left out. This is the only error I found in the book, which leads me to believe that this comma was intentionally omitted. The rest of the book was very obviously professionally edited.

I think this book has a lot to offer to both parent and child. It can be used as a teaching tool for both. For parents, they can learn how their children can be calmed by the basic splendours of everyday life. For children, the simple sentences and illustrations are an excellent way to learn to read. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Apart from the unnecessary rhyming, I couldn’t find anything about this book that I didn’t like. I would recommend it to teachers who will gain valuable ways to teach children the subtle beauties of the world. I would also recommend it to parents. There are some great exercises that can be done with your own child to ensure that they can find peace – they just need to know where to look.

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I Can See Peace
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