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First Impression: Full of relatable adjectives, this book speaks of an adventurous family day out.

Elinor's Glad-To Be-Together Family book cover

It was a pleasure to receive a gifted Advanced Reader Copy of Elinor’s Glad-To Be-Together Family for which I am now able to provide an honest response and review of.

Elinor’s Glad-To Be-Together Family is brought to us by author, Susan Layne, and illustrator, Diana Ting Delosh. I was attracted to the cover initially. It reminded me of the much loved, The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. The characters were drawn in a similar style, but Diana Ting Delosh gave us more. More people. More elements. More color. This continued throughout the book, where most of the illustrations are full, vibrant, double-page spreads.

As the dedication alludes to, the story is about families that are located far apart but make the effort to make memories. And so…the story begins with a young Elinor waiting at the ‘when-will-they-get-here window’ for her grandparents that have taken a flight to spend the day with the family. As summer turns to autumn, they cram in as much as possible as they explore the beach, feed the ducks, swing by the lake, and finally travel home exhausted. As she waves her grandparents off the following day, Elinor reflects on the wonderful day that she had with them.

It’s a beautiful story that is a reflection of my children and the days spent with their grandparents, only they drive a great distance rather than fly. It’s a joy to witness the extended family together as it is not necessarily the done thing anymore. People have busy lives, long working hours, and less commitment to family than they used to. This story would be best placed in a home where a parent/primary caregiver reads it to children up to the age of around seven. It would also sit well in a nursery/kindergarten setting and would stimulate discussion about how children spend their weekends, and with whom. With such beautiful, full illustrations, even without the ability to read, children are able to make up their own narratives around the pictures. I did find some of the adjectives to be a bit of a mouthful and that would be my only criticism of the book, which is the main reason for determining it a 4 out of 5.

Quick Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / G Rated

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