Official Review: A Gift to Animals by Lucia Van Bebber

[Nikolas Farmakis]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Gift to Animals" by Lucia Van Bebber.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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A Gift to Animals by Lucia Van Bebber is a children’s book about a special girl who can communicate with animals. The story is fun, exciting, and full of moments of suspense, which will make it pleasing to children. With this story, the author wants to raise awareness regarding animal rights and the problem of poaching, as well as the connection between humans and animals.

The writer begins by describing a child named Kai, who was born in the summer of 2012. Her mother, Ellen, was deeply saddened by the fact that Kai was not able to speak, even while she became older. However, Ellen’s mother, Anna, who was from Jamaica, assured her daughter not to worry, as she believed that Kai would speak when nature needs her to speak. Kai went to school, but she was bullied there because of the fact that she would not speak at all. When Kai was nine, her father, Frank, got a job that forced the family to move to Africa. Kai’s mother was gladdened by this, as she hoped that a change in environment was what Kai needed to be able to speak.

This book had a great number of positive attributes. Firstly, the book was organized cohesively, as the writer followed a chronological order while narrating the story, thereby creating a logical and rational flow in the text. Additionally, no grammar mistakes were present in the book, leading me to believe that the book was impeccably edited. Furthermore, the colorful and artistic illustrations added further beauty and authenticity to the story. Moreover, the author personified the animals in the story in a wonderful way, which highlighted the friendship and communication that humans can establish with animals. What I liked most about this book was that it had constant suspense and tension, as the author expertly employed narrative techniques, such as cliffhangers, to add excitement to the book. I found nothing that I disliked in this story.

This book will be mostly liked by young readers who like stories about African animals and the beauty of nature. There is some violence in the text, which means that this book is only suitable for readers attending upper elementary school and above.

All in all, this book deserves a score of 4 out of 4 stars. I gave this story a perfect rating since it was exceptionally edited, wonderfully illustrated, coherently structured, and originally compiled.

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A Gift to Animals
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[Peace Odii]

Children love animals very well. I'm glad this one would suit them.

[El_limitless]

Raising awareness on animal rights and the problem on poaching through such a beautiful story is quite brilliant. I love that. Great review.

[Pallavi Lakra]

I would be glad to recommend this book to my young nephews and nieces. This is a wonderful review.

[AvidBibliophile]

Interspecies communication is always such a fascinating topic to explore, especially in children’s books! It also sounds like this author was able to effectively shine a light on animal rights, poaching, bullying, and the importance of broad acceptance and recognition. Thank you for sharing your detailed analysis!

[Becca Olsson]

This sounds like a great way for kids to learn about animals and protecting them, but also to see the story through the perspective of a non-verbal child so they can identify more with her. Thanks for the great review!

[Floramay Espino]

If Animals Spoke, Humanity would Cry.
I will recommend this to my son.What a great review..

[Medhansh Bhardwaj]

This book is so good. The messages given about poaching, and the connection between humans and animals, are the needs of the hour in our society. Excellent book, and equally excellent review.