Once, I was Loved

Written and Illustrated by:  Belinda Landsberry

Illustrated by:

Published by:    EK Books (October 15, 2019)

Ages:    4 -11 years

Theme:   friendship, humanity, love.

Opening Lines:   Hey, it’s me! Tock! Down here in the Charity Box.  I’m headed for the Donations Bin tomorrow.  I guess I’m not wanted anymore.  But it wasn’t always this way. Once, I was loved…

Synopsis:   from amazon… Tock the toy rabbit finds himself in a box of toys being donated to charity. ‘But it wasn’t always this way,’ he sadly reflects, ‘Once, I was loved.’ Tock has seen decades of love and adventure, and as he sits in his box he looks back on all the lives he has touched.

We rewind the clock to 1939 when a girl named Sam receives a toy rabbit for her 5th birthday. Tock sees the outbreak of the second World War from Sam’s arms, and comforts her as she misses her dad. They are inseparable until Sam meets a boy who needs Tock more than she does, and so she lets him go. What follows is an incredible adventure through history and lives.

Join Tock as he celebrates V-Day, boogies in the age of Rock ‘n’ Roll, watches the moon landing while pretending to be an astronaut, finds butterflies with a flower child, sails the Seven Seas in a paddling pool, and rescues a prince trapped in a tower. Children will love seeing how other children played throughout history, and meeting all the people who loved Tock. But how will his story end?

A celebration of the timeless nature of love, set against the backdrop of iconic moments in 20th-century history. Tock’s beautifully told and illustrated life is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever cherished a childhood toy.

 Why I like this:   I love the way how we travel through time in this gorgeous book told in back story (although it didn’t feel like it), this was cleverly told from the unique point of view of the soft toy.  With lyrical flow we are whizzed through icon moments of time dotted with refrain of “once I was loved.” Heartfelt and tugging moments such as the look on Tock’s face when he is left on the launch pad by Toby, brings tears to my eyes.  It is times like these when I am often jealous of the natural vision an author/illustrator has with their story. So perfectly matched! Bringing us back full circle this simply told story will win your heart with resonance and LOVE!   Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.

A classic, which will evoke discussions on important events in history and teach that it’s not only important to love, but also to let go.

Resources:   author’s website…   http://belindalandsberry.com/once-i-was-loved/

Trailer…    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul9agVfa91k

Making a craft bunny…    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zL_EQkqrmg

I’m always happy reviewing Picture Books that come my way and share them with you.  If you would like to see more please pop over to Susanna Leonard Hills Blog where there are hundreds of books reviewed by other like-minded authors and writers.  Thank you for popping in and I hope you return again soon