A delightful, quiet story of a girl learning and growing in humble and kind ways. Beyond befriending a tree in her neighborhood, there is a sense of “Rhythm” to life and a pattern to its joys and lulls, its winters and springs. This book builds empathy skills, as the main character sees herself in the world around her. This book also has representation for job loss and accepting help from the community. Throughout the story there is an emphasis given to the joys that life provides that are not derived from money or consumerism: making gifts, sharing nature, worn clothing, handmade costumes, sharing Thanksgiving dinner at a community center, playing with hand-me-down toys. All showing consistence that is brought through community and connections with nature, even through life’s changing seasons and moments of uncertainty. Nature and community are always there, kindness is always possible. This book is a beautiful reminder to take the time to find ways to make the world around you better, and to appreciate the moment. The little girl that we follow through the story works towards protecting her friends in nature, and in turn volunteers to help her community plant trees. There is a symmetry here that is lovely, and the art is vibrant and inviting.

Beautifully written and illustrated. Sensitive topics are sometimes hard to write about for children without being too damaging, but this book carefully talked about the topics while giving hope to those who might be experiencing the same thing. I would adopt this for my third grade classroom.

It books like these that bring a beautiful feeling to table (or bedtime) and you walk away feeling at peace and centered that everything is right with the world....and right within yourself. This book is a wonderful addition to any library. I loved the illustrations, as for me, if done well it makes the book sing. This one sings....the story, the characters, the whole concept from start to finish–is just lovely. I thought about this book for a long time just because it resonates through the seasons. A wonderful gift that will keep on giving...it will make good warm happy memories to share! Loved its gentleness and strength-just adored it.

The illustrations in this book were absolutely gorgeous, but I'm afraid there was something a bit disjointed about the text and added elements in the pictures that make it hard to follow - especially for the intended audience of young readers. I like the idea of the girl seeing the changing seasons in the big tree in her neighborhood, and how life has it's ups and downs just like the tree, but the underlying (often not spelled out) story of her unemployed father and dying town would need much more explanation from parents for their children to really get this book.

A very colourful and pretty book. Sadly the illustrations cannot make up for the awkward transitions at times. For a story set around the cycle of life and the seasons of nature' it's odd that the transitions from each season to the next felt so abrupt at times. I'd have preferred maybe a page or at least a line that helped transition us from winter to spring; instead of just having winter suddenly be spring. I think it would help the reader/listener to process time passing as things transition in nature but also for the life of the child portrayed. The family copes with the loss of the job and the decline of their town, whilst eventually moving into a rhythm of improvement and the refreshing feeling spring can bring.

That's not to say that this isn't a lovely book, as it is. It's gorgeous in it's layout and art. The wording is lovely on most of the pages, and it certainly discusses the idea of time ever moving forward at a rhythm and appreciating the changing seasons, nature, and life in general (even when it's difficult). It's just not the best of recent children's book reads and I found reading it out loud a bit awkward at times. It just doesn't flow the way you want a children's story to, especially if being read at bedtime. It's ironic that the rhythm of the wording is maybe what is missing most from a book called 'Rhythm'.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Beautifully written by Jackie Azúa Kramer and illustrated by Taia Morley, this picture book relates the story of a young girl in a poverty-stricken town where it seems the economy has taken a downward turn. Businesses are closed, people are out of work, and money is tight. Following a tree over the seasons and the comfort of stability it brings her, and we watch as the family manages through holidays and celebrations with little to go around. Over the years, the girl saves her nickels and dimes and watches over the tree - always grateful for the signs of growth and life it provides. Along the way, readers are at once uplifted by the girl's ability to find joy in simple pleasures while at the same time constantly being aware of the underlying tension caused by the poverty her family faces and how that impacts their day-to-day lives.

This is a story that needs to be told and one that needs to be in every school library. The issue of poverty is often invisible, yet educators shy away from discussing it as openly as they do many other social justice issues. In Canada, as of 2020, 1 in 4 children were living in poverty* (and that number is expected to rise after COVID-19); we cannot afford to ignore these facts.

*https://cwp-csp.ca/poverty/just-the-facts/

+A digital advanced reader copy was provided, and I am leaving this review of my own accord. +

"Rhythm" follows a young girl and the difficulties that her community experiences over the course of a year. The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant. However, I found the story itself lacking and had a difficult time fully grasping the main message of this book. I had to stop and reread pages numerous times in order to figure out what the narrator was trying to convey. I am not sure the targeted audience would be able to pick up on the plot on their own.


I received a temporary digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'Rhythm' by Jackie Azúa Kramer is beautifully illustrated but the prose is not there. It does not feel like a story written for children. It is about a family having financial troubles and I cannot think of a single child, even one in that situation, that would connect with the story or ask to read it again. For a book titled 'Rhythm' it sadly does not have much.

The rhythm of the seasons, and the changes they bring to one particular tree provide comfort and stability to a little girl growing up in an economically distressed town. This sweet tale about finding joy in simple routines is made even lovelier by Taia Morley's beautiful illustrations.

This was definitely a story a lot of our students can relate to. It may help them to not feel so alone or embarrassed that they have or are receiving second hand items or that they have to go to a food bank or community centre for meals. To help reiterate the idea that nothing lasts forever and life, just like the seasons, are ever changing and to find joy in the small, day to day things.

The story of nature’s changing rhythms through the seasons. I liked the info presented in this story, but I don’t think the font matched the whimsy of the pictures! Something minor but if it could fixed, I think it would benefit the story.

Everything about this book is beautiful: the story of a family struggling, but pausing to appreciate what they have and the nature around them, the bright and hopeful illustrations, the feeling of hope and love you'll be left with when you're done reading. A true gem that all kids and adults will love!

*Thank you NetGalley and Magination Press for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own,*

Phew. I have to say that I've read very few picture books as messy as this one. Although the artwork is pleasing to the eye, the storytelling feels very robotic and quite all over the place. Every page seems disconnected from the previous one making it really difficult to become fully immersed in the plot.

It pains me to be this harsh but this one truly wasn't it :(

Rhythm is a picture book about a community during hard times. The narrator hopes that her father will find work again. The family spends Thanksgiving eating at a community food kitchen.
Illustrations show closed signs on businesses, and there is a mention of families who have moved to find work. The narrator's life is centered around family and her friendly tree. The book's back cover contains the sentence, "The hard winter finally melts into spring." I think that is the story's message – that the rhythm of nature and life always returns to new things. Taia Morley's illustrations are rich, colorful, and detailed. While they may enjoy the pictures, I am not sure the target audience will understand the story without an explanation from their parents or teacher. Even so, I think the story is a good one.
Thank you to NetGalley and American Psychological Association Magination Press. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Magination Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was expecting the book to be more direct in presenting an image of what it might mean to be housing insecure or unemployed. While there are mentions, such as eating at the Community Meal Center, saving money by using homemade costumes, and people moving for work, I wish there had been even more explicit mention of what it means to navigate this type of uncertainty. However, this is an uplifting book with gorgeous illustrations.

This had more potential than it lived up to. There was some disjointed textual layout and I had trouble following the storyline. This was not only due to the physical placement of the narrative, but the odd pseudo-centricity of the tree as a side character: evidently its presence was intended to anchor the story but it felt like a school assignment in which thematic criteria were hastily and sloppily incorporated.

Wow! What a beautifully written book. Love the connection to seasons, just as life is a season. Think this would be a special find in a library for a kid who’s sees their story reflected back on the pages.

Love the beauty of the seasons, and how resilient nature (and people) can be.

The illustrations are beautiful and help share the story with pre readers and readers, noticing little details in each page.

What looks like a book about a tree is really so much more than that. Changing seasons, changing lives.

This title had beautiful artwork and a heartwarming story about resilience and persevering through hardship.

As a school counsellor, I’m always looking for new books to read to my students. This book intrigued me by its premise of resilience and hope, however, I felt it missed the mark.

There were a few things discussed that left me hanging.. It starts out by mentioning the fathers loss of a job, but then moved into seasons and through the pictures we see that the hardship of her fathers job is no longer.. I wish there was more about her father’s struggles / family struggles if it was mentioned, otherwise, just the seasons changing and that rhythm that follows.

This won’t be a book I would read with my counselling kiddos, unfortunately! The illustrations were beautiful, however!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.