04/01/2024
A young boy learns the power of compassion—for himself and others—in this fanciful tale by Harbour (author of Darya the Droplet). Corazinda lives in his parents’ bed and breakfast on the Welsh coast, in a small village named Aberdoethus, once known for its fishing trade but now relegated mainly to tourism. On a morning when Corazinda senses unsettled emotions between himself and his father, he chances upon a sage, Ddraigddyn, who gifts him a magic shell, a “vessel of revelation,” and encourages Corazinda to pay close attention to his dreams that night, as the shell will reveal the “true essence of heart.”
As predicted, Corazinda’s “shell of wonder” opens his eyes to a new world. His dream features the townspeople dragging crates of rocks behind them, which Ddraigddyn promptly informs him are “metaphor for the trials and tribulations of life,” with “each rock represent a burden, a hardship, or a challenge that one must face.” Corazinda is in awe, and, with Ddraigddyn’s help, learns how to ease the burdens the villagers are carrying by channeling empathy and kindness. His awakening leads to real life results, too, as he discovers how to assist the local sweet shop owner, who’s burdened by the loss of her husband while trying to keep their store running.
Malygina’s delicate watercolor illustrations are a stunning backdrop for this tender, big-hearted tale, as they showcase the village’s rolling hills and cerulean water. Harbour embeds the story with cultural ambience as well, sharing Welsh foods like warm, sugar-sparkled cakes and the meaning behind Welsh names (“Ddraigddyn” means human dragon, a fitting name for Corazinda’s wise—and mystical—companion). Harbour’s lesson that “people forget they can have compassion for themselves and not just others” is a timely reminder of the impact grace can have on the world around us.
Takeaway: Visionary tale that teaches how compassion can ease life’s burdens.
Comparable Titles: Trudy Ludwig’s The Power of One, Kobi Yamada’s Noticing.
Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: A Editing: A Marketing copy: B+
2023-12-01
A mysterious sage empowers a young boy to spread kindness throughout his village in Harbour’s middle-grade chapter book.
In the coastal Welsh village of Aberdoethus lives a young boy named Corazinda, whose summers are marked by the influx of seasonal tourists traveling to his hometown and staying in his family’s bed and breakfast. Corazinda has a loving relationship with his parents, but one morning, his father isn’t as kind to him as he usually is. Upset, Corazinda wanders off to his favorite spot—under an apple tree with a view of the ocean—and tries to understand his parents’ occasional anger and sadness. There, Corazinda is approached by a mysterious sage named Ddraigddyn. After Corazinda confides in them about the morning’s strife, Ddraigddyn gives him a magic seashell, instructing him to put it under his pillow and to find them the next morning to discuss the dreams that the shell brings. The next day, Corazinda recounts his dream, in which his friends and neighbors are tethered to crates filled with rocks. Ddraigddyn explains that each rock symbolizes the burdens that people carry. They teach Corazinda how to see these “rocks” when he’s awake and also that kindness can lighten someone’s load. This is an imaginative and whimsical story that promotes kindness and helps to explain the concept of empathy to young readers. Harbour’s writing is descriptive and detailed, although perhaps redundant in some areas (“Focused on the mysterious sound, he didn’t notice the approach of a wise old sage, a figure whose presence seemed to radiate ancient wisdom and serenity. ‘You appear lost in contemplation, dear child,’ the wise sage spoke...In front of Corazinda stood a sage”). The use of gender-neutral pronouns for Ddraigddyn is a nice touch, but is muddled when Corazinda describes them to his father as “a woman wizard.” These issues, however, do not diminish the story’s positive message. The text is enhanced by Malygina’s beautiful watercolor illustrations.
A warm and fantastical tale about empathy and kindness.
