Book Review: Really and Truly

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a review copy of Really and Truly. Written by Emilie Rivard, illustrated by Anne-Claire Delisle and published by Owlkids.

It's a complex story of a boy and his grandfather. The grandfather spins imaginative yarns which the boy uses to bring him back from the fog of dementia mid-way through the book.

The heavy subject matter isn't glossed over or magicked away. The illustrator uses black and white linework to magically combine the real and imagined stories beautifully. It can be scary as a parent to introduce serious subject matter - but what I like about the overall story is that the boy is empowered by his storytelling. He can help his grandfather. He doesn't fix the problem, but he relieves it. It's so easy for little ones to feel helpless about so much in life, I love stories where children conquer and solve dilemmas of all sizes.