Ramone, a shy, ruby-throated hummingbird, is about to leave the nest for the first time. But his anxiety and fear keep him from taking off as he contemplates all that could go wrong. Full of kind words and encouragement, Ramone’s mother gives him room to work through his emotions, building his confidence and letting him set his own pace. Ramone watches as his friends soar through the sky, realizing all he might miss out on if he doesn’t conquer his fear. Ramone’s adventure showcases the emotions, both positive and negative, children experience as they approach new challenges.
Genre: Children / Picture Books
Age appropriate: 8-12 years old
Number of Pages: 32 pages
Date of Publication: 28/08/2020
Author/Illustrator/Publisher:
Written by Hillary Daecher and Soar is her first published children’s book. The book was Illustrated byAngie Hohenadel and published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
Rating: 5/5
Review:
Soar took my breath away from the moment that I held it in my hands. The first thing that came to mind was how stunning and colourful the illustrations are on the cover and throughout the book.
The story is beautiful and easy to follow, written in simple rhyming couplets which makes it fun for a parent to read aloud. Ramone is a small hummingbird who is so scared of flying for the first time and who makes excuses to his mum about why he can’t fly as he doesn’t want to show his fear. He dreams of flying but fear of not being able to do it is making him anxious.
Children can relate to the plot of the story as they also feel fear and anxiety about doing certain activities. We also see in the story how Ramone’s mum gives him space and doesn’t rush him but instead supports him until he is ready to fly. We also see the importance of support and understanding and the great relationship that Ramone has with his mum. Anxiety is an important topic to explore with younger children and it is important to talk about it and for children to understand how they can cope with this feeling.
The book includes Hummingbird facts at the end that are explained in a simply way and which children will find fascinating. The book also contains conversation starters that encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings about the story.
Children of all ages will definitely enjoy this lovely book.
Availability: The book is available in all good bookshops.
Thank you so much for my copy Hillary Daecher and Schiffer
Shelf Life 
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