Official Review: The bridge by Nero Hameed

[MarisaRose]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The bridge" by Nero Hameed.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Bridge: Love Does the Impossible is a children’s book written by Nero Hameed and illustrated by Baird Hoffmire. At only 18 pages, The Bridge is a short work that tells the story of a new drawbridge that is about to be dropped to allow cars to pass over the river. However, underneath the simple narrative are deeper messages for the reader to uncover.

The story in The Bridge is short and sweet; however, the story imparts a big message through the author’s use of metaphor. The message will need to be explained to young children, but the narrative and illustrations provide simple tools for caregivers to utilize to impart the overarching message to the young audience this book is intended for. The visuals of the two different parts of the drawbridge, the danger of a passing ship, and the ultimate resolution of the situation are easy to understand via the detailed illustrations. After reading through the basic story, caregivers can use the story and the illustrations to discuss the connection to global issues.

Additionally, the full-page illustrations are eye-catching, vibrant, beautifully detailed, and align with the message of unity the author conveys through the story. In the illustrations, people are gathered along the waterline to see how events surrounding the new drawbridge unfold. The crowds are diverse, making it easy for all children to relate to the characters in this story. I reviewed this book in its electronic form, but I wished for a physical copy to better enjoy the illustrations.

The Bridge employs a rhyming narrative. For the most part, the rhyming narrative works and sounds lyrical when read out loud. However, there were some words in the short narrative that will most likely need to be explained to the young audience for which this book is intended. For example, “bascule” and “hotch” are not common terms. Though this is not necessarily a negative, it is something caregivers should be aware of when selecting this book for young readers.

Other than some difficult vocabulary, there is nothing to dislike about The Bridge. The illustrations are beautiful, diverse, and artistic; the message conveyed by the simple narrative is impactful; and the lyrical nature of the prose is pleasing to the ear. I did notice a couple of grammatical errors, but the errors were located in the acknowledgments section and did not impact my enjoyment of the story. Therefore, I happily rate The Bridge 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book be read to children between the ages of three and six. The simple story can be appreciated at face value by children on the younger end of the range, and older children are sure to find value in the deeper messages found in The Bridge.

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The bridge
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[Scarbaby]

Thank you for such a wonderful review! This children’s book sounds like it would be a hit in a kindergarten classroom or make a lovely addition to a bedroom bookcase.

[MarcellaM]

This review has provided alot of the necessary details. I would definitely recommend children to read books with illustrations as they usually provide a better understanding.

[Elon Gathungu]

The review provides all the necessary details about the book. I like children's books that have deeper meaning because it helps teach comprehension and identification of deeper meanings. Your review is very helpful and detailed.

[Becca Olsson]

This sounds like a great piece of children’s literature. I’m glad the illustrator included diverse crowds for the kids to see. Thanks for the great review

[Kavita Shah]

Unity is a lesson which kids should learn from an early age. This book looks like it does just that. Thank you for a great review!

[cd20]

The cover is what drew me to this book. I think it sounds like a wonderful children's book and think it would be great for a preschool or Kindergarten classroom as well. Thank you for an informative review.

[Sarah Sonbol]

The illustrations on the cover are great. Children usually pay attention to the details in the illustrations, and this book looks like a good choice. It seems that the story is a little bit deep, but it illicits interaction between children and whoever is reading the story to them. Thanks for the nice review.