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Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara

Book Summary

Reviewed by Matt Berman

Darcy is the youngest of seven children (and the only girl), growing up in Ireland in the 1840s. When she's born, her grandmother predicts that "One day this child shall hold the very heart of our family in the palm of her hand." Though the family's farming life is hard, it's filled with joy as well, and Darcy is a noticer of little things, sometimes to her parents' exasperation.

But then the Irish Potato Blight begins, and the family has little to eat and no way to pay the rent. When they lose their house, they're forced to emigrate to America, leaving behind Darcy's grandparents, who are too old to make the voyage. But Darcy is about to make her grandmother's prediction come true in a most unexpected way.

Includes map and author's note.

Is It Any Good?

5

Sometimes it all just works. Elvira Woodruff's lyrical text, with just the hint of an Irish lilt, and Adam Rex's loving, luminous illustrations combine to lift SMALL BEAUTIES: THE JOURNEY OF DARCY HEART O'HARA -- a tale of sorrow and heartache -- into a gorgeous, moving, uplifting experience that can inspire children.

This focus on the little, seemingly insignificant things and their ultimate effect on the family (a theme illuminatingly continued in the author's note) gives the story unusual impact. How many children have their own hidden box of treasures -- stones, feathers, bits of broken things, etc? Kids who haven't spent their lives in front of a screen can relate to Darcy's openhearted embrace of her world and her collecting of meaningful objects, and will rejoice to see how much they come to mean to her family as well.

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