WHAT IS HOPE?

An attempt at exploring the concept of hope in a child-friendly way.

In this rhyming narrative, a group of kids are shown engaging in various summer activities: flying a kite, riding a bicycle, playing in a treehouse, selling lemonade, and visiting the beach. On each two-page spread, a short verse tries to relate the activity to hope. Some of the rhymes seem to have a slight, if tenuous, connection: “Hope is two wheels / and staying upright. / Hope is pumping fast / with all of your might.” But the majority are cryptic, to say the least: “Hope is being thoughtful / choosing to care. / Hope is discovering / you have so much to share.” This last one seems at odds with the accepted definition of the noun form of hope: wanting and expecting a particular thing to happen. The words joy or happiness would seem a better fit. The illustrations, mirroring the narrative, give no further illumination to readers, although they are colorful, if presented a bit too uniformly in their perspective. The conclusion, which sees a large, loving family sitting down to a meal (“Hope is a tail wag / at the screen door. / Hope is a family / together once more”), brings the tale to a warm conclusion. Characters depicted are diverse, although light-skinned, red-haired kids dominate. (This book was reviewed digitally.) 

Sweet but puzzling.