The Dragonfly Secret Reviews

The Dragonfly Secret — 

When people experience the loss of a loved one, comfort and reassurance are often the most important responses they can receive. After time has passed, it is also nice to relive memories from the person who is no longer with us and often an action or object can trigger an important memory about the lost family member or friend. This is the basis of The Dragonfly Secret, a book about a family and a fast- flying insect.

Book Commentary:

The Dragonfly Secret is a children's book about Lea; a dragonfly who is sent on an important mission from a young boy. He also has a puzzle to solve, but he cannot reveal what the puzzle is about. He provides Lea with some clues and sends her on way. Lea ends up encountering other people and is told to concentrate on specific objects. Finally, Lea finds a middle- aged couple with two special objects next to them. It is then that Lea finally understands what the mystery was all about. She has made everyone immensely happy, and a grateful boy and his grandparents thank her for her efforts.

The Dragonfly Secret is an excellent children's book that is intended to help young people and their parents and grandparents when they are faced with dealing with the passing of a loved one. Like many parents, I have read many different children's books and most of them are similar. They are short, to the point, and offer lessons on learning something new, helping others, being truthful, or possessing virtue. The Dragonfly Secret is different. It certainly presents something important, but it is more complex than other children's books. Its words get your attention, and it offers a degree of suspense not often found in books of this genre. Most people- including most adults- won't even realize the important message until they reach the very end of the book.

The Dragonfly Secret is unpredictable and, unlike most children's books, this book could even be considered a tear- jerker, especially to those who have experienced the loss of someone close to them. I have experienced such a loss myself, and this book certainly succeeds at getting the reader to reflect on that loss and to look for signs/symbols that are messages or reminders of the lost friend or family member. Most children's books are more lightened up and cute. But this is a more serious book, even though it certainly has a joyous ending.

This book is very nicely illustrated by Barbara Gibson. The paintings of the people in the book take on an old- fashioned feel and the colors are very bright and vivid. All of the pages depict the people and Lea the dragonfly in a natural setting complete with trees, grass, flowers, and blue sky. The colors are rich and vibrant, and they add tremendously to the story. 

One other thing worth noting about The Dragonfly Secret is the writing. Like I said, I have read plenty of children's books- probably more than one hundred- and one thing I have noticed is that many of them are poorly written. I can only surmise that some authors feel that grammar and proper English are not that important in a children's book because the young readers don't know what is proper in the first place. But the authors of The Dragonfly Secret obviously care about the writing and it is a refreshing change to read a children's book that is soundly written, without grammatical errors, typos, and other issues. These authors took special care to edit the book and make sure that the words are spelled correctly, the sentences are complete, and the punctuation is in its proper place.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

I read several children's books every week and I can honestly say that The Dragonfly Secret is one of the best children's books I have read in a long time. It aims to comfort and reassure, and its message is strong and clear. It isn't every day that you read a children's book that is thoughtful, flawlessly written, inspirational, and suspenseful. The Dragonfly Secret is certainly one such book and it's a short story that every family should share.