06/11/2025
Thank you for this amazing review
Book: Sloane Understands
Author: Laini Golden
Illustrated by Lena Fuentes
Review:
Sloane Understands is the story of a young girl who looks forward to a summer at the beach, at her grandma’s home. Everything seems perfect at first. The ocean is sparkling, the sun is warm, and there’s joy in collecting seashells. But Sloane begins to feel things. Confusion creeps in, then anger, worry and sadness. She doesn’t understand why she feels that way. That’s when a gentle wave comes to her side. It listens, it speaks, and it helps Sloane begin to understand how her body responds to situations. With this new friend’s help, she learns not to be afraid of how she feels and to understand the emotions.
There was something quiet and sincere about this book that stayed with me after I finished it. Laini Golden doesn’t try to simplify big emotions for children, but she also doesn’t make them feel heavier than they are. The way she lets Sloane question her own feelings without rushing to solve them felt comforting. I found the idea of a wave offering support beautifully imaginative. It gave the book a calm, almost meditative tone. The illustrations are gentle and beautiful. They’re not perfect and that makes the book perfect. This book is gentle, like the tide. It speaks to children, but it also reminds adults how much better we all are when we pause and truly listen to ourselves. Ideal to introduce different emotional feelings to young children in a friendly way.
🌟5/5
QoTD- On a scale of 1-10, how emotional are you usually?
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