The Ones that Leave Impressions

Sometimes a book leaves an impression so deep that I internalize the emotions. It prompts me to find a new audience of eager children to read it to. Kids or not, I look forward to reading it again myself, knowing that I will once again be in tears, even though I have read it ten times already. MADDI’S FRIDGE by Lois Brandt is one of those books. And even though I first read this book nearly two years ago, it stays with me. My mind wanders to it often.

Of course, child readers stand to benefit big time from this one. But don’t forget the writers. One little picture book can teach a writer so much.

MADDI’S FRIDGE will teach you how to…

• build an unbreakable connection between the reader and the main character.
• foster compassion for those in socioeconomic need.
• elicit action to fight childhood hunger.
• highlight a diverse experience
• create a safe environment for the reader to deal with a serious situation.
• use humor to desist a tense topic.
• craft the perfect story arc, which celebrates the magic of threes through problem solving.

How often does a picture book touch your heart enough to bring you to tears, and then do it all over again every time you reread it? MADDI’S FRIDGE is a compassionate, hopeful, giving, funny picture book about friendship and real world family issues. A rare gem! With so many families living in low-income situations, this book provides the perfect way to teach compassion. I admire the gradual build to a solution and the way that I became the main character, Sofia, while reading. Sofia is thoughtful and her family’s dynamic is realistic. The colorful, cartoon-like illustrations are engaging and convey expression in just the right way. MADDI’S FRIDGE calls ‘reread me’ from the depth of my heart.

Which stories leave lasting impressions on you?