Official Review: Matthew Rides Into "Space"

[CataclysmicKnight]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Matthew Rides Into "Space"" by Erika Rutley.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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"I love inside jokes... I'd love to be a part of one someday." -Michael Scott, The Office

Being able to see into the lives of other families is fascinating, and seeing the little inside jokes, phrases, and day-to-day things that make them unique is a terrific way to relate to something new. In the case of Matthew Rides into "Space": A Firsthand Look Into Childhood Absence Epilepsy (don't ask me why the first use of "into" isn't capitalized!) by Erika Rutley, that new thing is Childhood Absence Epilepsy. Childhood Absence Epilepsy is a condition I'd never heard about previously, and I was intrigued by how Erika would introduce the world to her son's CAE (Childhood Absence Epilepsy).

Matthew Rides into "Space" (as I'll refer to it in this review) is a very straightforward children's picture book. Told from Matthew's point of view, it shows the confusion that both he and his parents felt when he would "space out". His parents assumed that he was merely daydreaming, but Matthew wouldn't know what happened with the periods of time in question. He goes with his family to a doctor who tells them Matthew has Childhood Absence Epilepsy, and then Matthew explains to the reader what that means and how it affects him.

This format works perfectly. Not only does it fulfill the author's intent - "to help [Matthew's classmates] understand why Matthew was having 'space outs' and what to do when they see them" - it functions perfectly as a guide for anyone who has a child with CAE. For children with CAE, it also works as proof that they aren't "weird" or "broken": here's a book that celebrates a child with it, so surely other children with it deserve to be celebrated just as much. This makes the book an easy recommendation for parents with a child who has CAE or parents with a child who has a classmate with CAE. It also means, however, that the book really isn't suitable for anyone else.

As for the artwork, the cover is a perfect example of what's inside. People's faces may not be illustrated the best, but the highlights are definitely the spacey imagery. The purples are incredibly vibrant, and I love the way the words look like they're drawn by a children's hand. In fact, the book plays with color and font (both type and size) quite a bit, making this look exactly like a well-polished journal a child would write. I could easily see parents using this as inspiration to encourage their own children to journal and draw their own hearts out just like this.

I didn't see any errors in the book whatsoever, and I really enjoyed the content. Sure the artwork could be a little better, but the imperfections are thematic and very fitting. My rating of Matthew Rides into "Space" is 4 out of 4 stars.

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Matthew Rides Into "Space"
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Like CataclysmicKnight's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

I actually have heard of this. I'm glad that the author decided to bring it to the attention of her readers. It's worth letting more people know about. I'm glad that it's well done, too. Thanks for the review.

[Amanda Deck]

After thinking about it a bit, I think there are ways this could be used outside its niche audience. A child may not have that particular issue, but it does show there are all kinds of things that can go wrong with the human body. The book can be used to discuss how the boy in the story deals with his issue, then contrast and compare it to what a child with a different issue does to deal with a different problem.

I admit, though, that I can easily imagine a child starting to "diagnose" all his friends with this every time they space out for a minute.

[kdstrack]

I agree with Amanda that this book could be a springboard for discussions about other medical or health conditions. I also like the font and the illustrations that encourage children to keep their own journal. Thanks for another great review!

[Wyland]

I’m interested to know about this condition known as CAE - Childhood Absence Epilepsy, and how it affects young Matthew. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Helene_2008]

That's definitely an interesting analogy...comparing his CAE to riding out into space. This is a really cool idea for a children's book, helping to explain the medical condition to others. I agree the audience for this book might be kind of limited