Claire Malone Changes the World…

About the Book:

A new generation of children…

They are not afraid of taking responsibilities any more, but they are rather keen on addressing problems. Claire is one of them. The moment she sees the broken swing and the cracked slide in the children’s park in her neighbourhood, she decides to take action. Not surprisingly, her way of reaching a solution is an interesting and innovative one. You will love the journey of Claire, a strong and ambitious girl, so much that you will want to read this book over and over again.

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My Thoughts:

It’s been a long time between picture books for me, but not so long that I have forgotten the elements that use to draw me towards one. Claire Malone Changes the World is a quaint story about a little girl with the world at her fingertips and a big social conscience in the making.

I liked how Nadia shows both the negative and positive aspects of children having access to the internet. As much as we all might like to limit children’s online access, the fact is, it’s a big part of their world. Even if we limit usage at home, they’re using it at school. But what does all this online news and endless galleries of images from around the world do to children? Is it worrying them? Are they becoming fearful of this world they live in? Are they viewing life without hope or are they developing a social conscience? I feel that all of these questions are explored with depth in this children’s story. Through the character of Claire Malone, Nadia puts a new spin on children’s understanding of global issues and their online access, applying her trademark insight and understanding on what makes young people tick.

For me, a big part of the appeal of a children’s book is the illustrations. Not only do they need to be aesthetically pleasing, they need to also assist with telling the story. Children often pick up a picture book on their own, leafing through and ‘reading’ it to themselves. The more closely aligned to the story the illustrations are, the more a child is able to make sense of the story themselves. I loved the illustrations in this book, not only the style and proliferation of colour, but the way in which they told the story. This is a great match between author and illustrator and it would be lovely to see Claire Malone go on some more adventures of childhood empowerment.

Claire Malone Changes the World is a lovely picture book and I think it would make an ideal addition to many a children’s book case.

☕☕☕☕☕

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Thanks is extended to the author for providing me with a copy of Claire Malone Changes the World for review.

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About the Author:

Australian author, Nadia L King was born in Dublin, Ireland. Nadia is a children’s author and short story writer.
Nadia’s first picture book ‘Claire Malone Changes the World’ is due for release in Europe by Dixi Books in November, 2019.
A second edition of her debut young adult novella, ‘Jenna’s Truth’ is published by WA boutique publisher, Serenity Press. Kirkus Review has described Jenna’s Truth as “a deeply affecting, valuable story and educational tool.”
Her short stories for adults have been published in Australia and internationally.
Nadia lives in Western Australia with her family.
To connect with Nadia, please visit her website.

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About the Illustrator:

Alisa Knatko was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. From her earliest childhood she was passionate about drawing. Having worked in academic art, digital design, advertising and even web design, Alisa found her ideal field in freelance illustration. Her style is a mixed technique that includes balanced composition, graphic appeal of lines, expressive poses and minimalistic colour scheme with random patterns and textures. Alisa gets her inspiration from the beautiful city of Saint-Petersburg, her two little kids, ballet dancing and just sitting in a local coffee shop, contemplating people passing by.

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Claire Malone Changes the World
Published by Dixi Books
Released November 2019
Purchase at: Amazon