Book Giveaway: The Girl Who Swallowed The Sun

Book Giveaway!

For a chance to win this heartfelt story all you have to do is follow, share and leave a comment with your name and email. Offer expires 11/18/14.

Title: The Girl Who Swallowed The Sun
Author: Zetta Elliott
Illustrations: Bek Millhouse
Publisher: Rosetta Press
ISBN: 9781499606089


Review:


Zoe and her father have a very special relationship. On cloudy days they would play a game where Zoe pretended to swallow the sun. He would tickle her and hug her in order for her to return the sun back to the sky. One day Zoe was picked up from school by her Nana. It was a quiet walk home. She noticed her Nana just sitting, watching television and holding the phone. The next morning her mother was home but not her father. Zoe sensed something was wrong and that something terrible had happened. Out back in the yard:

“She pulled herself up on the tips of her toes and threw back her head. Zoe opened her mouth as wide as she could, and then she swallowed the sun. “I'll put it back when Daddy comes home,” she promised. Nobody heard her but the wind.”

Things had changed in Zoe's neighborhood. No one seemed to notice that she had swallowed the sun. The days had come and gone and Zoe missed her father. One day at the park Zoe fell and hurt herself. She felt comfort with her mother and shared her secret of the sun. Will Zoe release the sun into the sky or will she carry her secret alone?

Author Zetta Elliot has put together a story of love and loss. Colorful illustrations bring the story to life. The subtle metaphors reflect love and something shared and the release of the sun is representing letting go but remembering something special. Children don't always understand when someone passes away. Parents and teachers can use this tool to help discuss the loss of a loved one with a child in the hopes to bring about clarity and a better understanding.