Leyla

Written and Illustrated by:  Galia Bernstein

Published by:   Abrams Books for Young Readers New York 2019

Ages:    4 – 9 years

Theme: exploration, family and individuality.

Opening Lines:   Leyla has a mother and a father… and nine aunts and twenty-three cousins.  That’s too many!

Synopsis:   from Amazon:-  Leyla is sick of her big, loud, overbearing family. They are always chatting, snuggling, and grooming each other (ew!), and—for Leyla—there’s no escape from their attention. So, she decides to run away until she can’t hear (or smell) her baboon troop anymore. In the middle of her desert habitat, she finds a lizard sunning himself. Unlike her family, the lizard loves to sit alone, be quiet, and do absolutely nothing at all. Leyla joins the lizard, and after soaking up some quiet time, she feels recharged and ready to return home to her large, ever-doting family. Now that she knows where she can always find a little peace, Leyla can embrace the chaos and the kisses with open arms.

Why I like this:   The beautiful digital and hand-textured art features comically fluctuating facial expressions amid loose lines and earth tones, just look at that pixie face! Text is sparse with some pages only a few words or a sentence. With rhythm and action this is a rollicking fun read.  Curled up toes and large expressive eyes show a lot of this story is told in the illustrations.  This is a lovely book showing young kids how to take stock and realize the value of family. 

Galia Bernstein born in Israel now lives in Brooklyn New York USA is both an artist and a writer.  

Resources:   

An interview with Galia Bernstein…    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZgU0UmGsqk

Another interview with Galia Bernstein…   https://celebratepicturebooks.com/interview-with-author-illustrator-galia-bernstein/

Check out Gaila’s website – her portfolio and blog…    https://www.dancingkangaroo.com/about

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.