THE GOLD BOX

DeBroeck’s picture book emphasizes the importance of inner qualities.

The author narrates in the second person, explaining directly to the reader the notion of having all of one’s specialness and individual characteristics locked away in a box that other people can see inside. DeBroeck’s message—whatever others say, one ultimately controls the contents of one’s own box—is good and important, and is delivered twice: once in language suitable for children, and once for teenagers. The prose, however, is unwieldy (as is the font), sacrificing simplicity in search of end rhymes. For example: “The things that people say to hurt you are written all on red. / They will try to stick their lies in your box but they fall off instead.” Or: “Don’t worry about hiding your embarrassing moments, there’s no need to feel that compelled. / People are too busy thinking about themselves. / You should feel proud of learning from your mistakes like an award on your shelves.” Rohla’s digital illustrations add little to the reading experience, depicting the reader (“you”) as a simple avatar with little range of either motion or facial expression (though the characters do at least evince racial diversity). The backdrops are sparse to the point of being drab. After the first few pages, readers will likely have grasped the gist and be ready to move on.

A well-intentioned resource burdened by textual and visual repetition.