Title: Rise and Shine, Fire Child
Author: Veronica Red
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 978-1-9845-0433-3
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Pages: 24
Reviewed by: Monica Blake

Read Book Review

In this continuation of Veronica Red’s My Secret Garden, Earth Child is now her latest book titled Rise and Shine, Fire Child. In this illustrated children’s book, we see the little girl preparing herself to be on stage in a show later in the day. She goes through many visualizations of her dancing and spinning in her costume in front of a live audience, in a way to focus her thoughts on her upcoming performance while at the same time minimizing her apprehension and perhaps fear which accompanies stage fright. With confidence and her eagerly anxious desire to be the center of attraction, she proceeds to leave the comfort of her home and garden and do her performance on stage.

Her performance is wonderful, and after taking her bows she retires to her room in her house to look out the window towards her garden, relax on her bed, and relish in her success of having achieve her objectives. Along with the many illustrations by artist Raquel Rodriguez, Veronica Red’s rhythm of rhymes and prose in her book works wonderfully in creating a loving and comforting environment for children to indulge their fancy. With the storyboard progressing into a happy ending, readers will learn it is natural to be concerned about new things, but with the proper attitude and confidence success will be their reward.

After reading through Rise and Shine a few times, I became more impressed with the simplicity of the book, in the sense that “less is more” when it comes to reducing the clutter of details in drawings and overly verbose words into a core message. For this achievement I fell it deserves the STAR for Excellence.

There is a fine balance of images and text which brings Veronica Red’s books into the realm of “Best in Class” in the genre of her choice. Rise and Shine, Fire Child is a wonderful addition to a family’s library or a gift to a young one. Children’s books which convey a lesson are building blocks to forming a balanced, healthy and positive attitude in developing minds; of which this book along with the series of other titles by Veronica Red provide a sound foundation of morals. Although perhaps the reading audience would be best suited for a little girl, at the age level of the book’s messaging it still is ideal for all children to enjoy.