The Seasons Within Me - Hardcover

Pozzi, Bianca

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593522915 ISBN 13: 9780593522912

Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2023

Synopsis

A girl takes a journey through the good and not-so-good seasons in life.

A little girl starts her day feeling gray and alone, with everyone around her oblivious to her mood. On her way home from school, she meets a small dog in need of help, and the interaction turns her world a little brighter. Through their newfound friendship, she learns that deep bonds have the power to transform feelings and bring a vital sense of belonging. This debut picture book from Brazilian author-illustrator Bianca Pozzi creates a poignant and rich portrayal of childhood emotions with delicate text, gentle illustrations, and resounding empathy.

About this title

About the Author

Bianca Pozzi is an artist and designer from Brazil, with a degree in Social Communication & Fashion Design. Her work is inspired by the wonders of childhood, fairy tales, and the natural world. She believes that children should be surrounded by love, nature, creative play, and books. Bianca lives with her husband and daughter in Brazil. This is her first picture book.

Reviews

K-Gr 3—As the title implies, this book uses the seasons as a metaphor for emotion. However, the seasonal element is brief. Represented by the rain a young girl feels inside of herself, which is separate from any specific season, depression is the focus of the story. The young girl feels like it is raining only on her. No one else notices. She turns to her mom for help, but her mom says it will pass. It doesn't. The young girl tries and fails to shake the rain, until one day she finds a puppy. Caring for the puppy makes the rain pass and the seasons change. Pozzi's artwork uses an appropriately muted palette. The young girl, who has light skin, wears a brown coat and exists in a world filled with earth tones. The rain and other weather patterns within her are depicted phantasmagorically. Rain falls from inside her umbrella; fish swim through the air; the girl and her puppy fly on a leaf. Happier seasons use muted pops of pastel colors. The spread in which spring blooms within the girl and her dog lovingly depicts an assortment of pink and gold flowers. While the book frames the story as depicting the positive power of friendship, the impetus for the story is that the young girl turns to a grown-up for help and is told her depression will pass. Lacking emotional support, she instead finds purpose in caring for another creature. Their friendship is sweet; however, the girl's emotional well-being is dependent on this responsibility. VERDICT There are better books about socio-emotional awareness for this age group and for their parents. —Chance Lee Joyner

Edition details

• Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593522915
• ISBN 13: 9780593522912
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Pozzi Bianca
• Number of pages: 48