Spark

by Ani Castillo

With the whimsy of Oliver Jeffers, the accessibility of Todd Parr, and empowerment of Peter Reynolds, this crossover gift book invites readers to ponder and celebrate the magic of being alive.




Beginning with the birth of a baby, the story takes the reader on a journey through life, navigates the ups and downs, and culminates in a deeply satisfying sense of the wonder and awe in being human.




With a charming gift book trim size, a unique and inspiring message delivered in an artful, accessible package, Spark will strike a chord with both children and adults.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 16, 2021

Reviews

[Andrew Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an affirmative, uplifting, and joyful book that creatively expresses how to be truly alive and practice gratitude.

One reviewer believed this book lacks diversity, since that person only saw white characters. I consider this to be silly for 3 reasons.
1. The author/illustrator is from Mexico. One can tell from her name, photo, and biography in the book. In buying or promoting this book, we are supporting a Mexican author.
2. There are 2 pages showing silhouettes of people (in blue and purple) wearing traditional clothing from many different cultures. These humans do not resemble the main characters at all, indicating that these are "sparks". It's similar to how we can visually distinguish people from souls in Pixar's "Soul".
3. The faces of the sparks are pure white, like Polar Bears, and not various light shades of peach, like white people. I have never seen white people who are this white, and if they exist, then we clearly don't give them enough exposure in the media.

This book encourages readers to reflect on and be thankful for the gift of life. It's a celebration of human experiences that can be appreciated by children and shouldn't be oversimplified by adults. It sparks deep and important questions, and themes we might ponder in the twilight of our lives. "Whose hearts will we touch?" Here's one Dad whose heart was touched by this beautiful book.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the message of empowerment and being content simply to be alive is strong in this picture book, the pencil and watercolor illustrations didn't particularly excite me. They are pale, bloblike entities who seem similar to one another. Perhaps adding some variety to those shapes would have helped since the appearances left me with the feeling of sameness, which is not the intention in the book. Maybe they'd appeal more to their intended young audience, but I also wondered how likely those youngsters would be to understand the philosophical undertones. Youngsters are curious about where they were before being born, but I'm not convinced that they wonder about how many others can do the exact same things they do. Or that they'll recognize reasons to feel grateful or to push on through adversity simply because they have the spark and are living, breathing, feeling human beings with the whole world spread out before them.

[Barbra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun book, with an amazing meaning! 10/10 would recommend.

[Elizabeth Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little chicks are my favourite.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred this to Ping and my kid liked the whimsy of it as well.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super cool book.

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focusing on gratitude and the journey of life and existence.