Molly Morningstar Molly On Ice
Andrea Coke
Adventures In Reverie Publishing (2022)
ISBN: 9781777832728
Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views for Reader Views (11/2022)
“Molly Morningstar Molly On Ice” is a dainty and empowering children’s picture book that follows little Molly and her desire to take part in a skating competition.
Molly wants to participate in the Winter Ice Show but she worries that lack of practice and little know-how of ice skating will stand in her way. Her father takes her to the frozen pond in the park the following day to practice, but every time she tries to leap and spin around hoping to land on one foot like her experienced friend Sarah, she fails terribly.
Constant encouragement from her father lightens up her disheartened attitude and even causes her to train harder by having a skating routine at home with her friends. Along the way, she faces various challenges but does not give up. She finally arrives at the arena with her Papa, scared at first but delivers a phenomenal show much to the excitement of the audience in the hall.
Young children need a constant flow of encouragement in their development from parents and guardians and require lots of patience, understanding, kindness, and love. Little Molly’s father offers little and gentle nudges of encouragement to his young daughter and his presence in the arena in which the girl performs is a constant form of solace as she performs.
Young readers will see themselves in Molly’s unfaltering and hopeful spirit and will see their own experiences and mistakes in a new light. The author tenderly reassures her target audience that it’s okay to make mistakes, dust yourself and start all over again. Only then do mountains crumble to create light in these situations. The illustrations by Fernanda Orozco are colorful and detailed and complement the accessible, enthusiastic prose to create curiosity and excitement in growing measure. Again, these images, all-inclusive and diverse, are filled with stimulating elements, imaginative and vivid, such as a cheering crowd, skating ice, and a snowman, among others.
Tender yet informative, this sprightly ode aptly conveys themes of friendship and determination in equal measure. Its clever and easy-to-understand language will appeal to its target audience, children aged between 3-8 years. “Molly Morningstar Molly On Ice: A Fun Story About Building Self-Esteem, a Growth Mindset, and the Power of Yet” also serves as a fantastic springboard to learn more about ice skating. The storyline too has an elegant playfulness in it and radiates an ebullience of a day outdoors.
Altogether, little children are bound to have a collective sigh of relief in a read-out-loud setting upon finishing this five-star gem. Its heartwarming lessons will stay in their minds even when the reading is done.
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