Hearts by Thereza Rowe

Hearts by Thereza Rowe is designed as a first comic for brand new readers, so it's actually a bit different than the picture book I expected when I picked it up, because it's meant to be read by the child, not to them. As a result, there are very few words in Hearts, and the story is mainly told through the illustrations, with words here but mainly ones that add description about what is happening on the page. For example, as Penelope the Fox struggles to catch up to the dolphin holding her heart, she says "Wait!" and the dolphin goes "Whoosh!"

I think the biggest issue with Hearts is when I spent too much time trying to make sense of the story instead of just enjoying the dream-like journey Penelope takes. Sometimes the illustrations are difficult to follow, but they are all very beautiful and detailed so there is a lot for a younger reader to look at. It also leaves a lot of opportunity for a child to discuss what could be happening in each scenario, so I think Rowe's book makes a fun learning tool rather than a standalone book, but that's exactly what it's intended for. That said, I would worry that younger children might have the same difficulty following that I did and might become confused or frustrated, so that will depend on the child.

Release Date: January 7th 2014 Pages: 32  Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Toon Books  Buy It: Book Depository