Review of Shadow's Adventure Home

Wesusa · Post by **Wesusa** » 01 Jan 2022, 16:57

[Following is a volunteer review of "Shadow's Adventure Home" by Kathy Kovar.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Shadow’s Adventure Home by Kathy Kovar is a charming children’s book based on the real-life events of the author’s cat going missing. While it certainly takes some creative liberties, I found this story to be a beautiful journey I loved taking part in.

The story is exceedingly short, so any mention of the general plot outside of the summary provided is likely to spoil the ending. The book mainly focuses on Shadow’s acceptance of his new home following him getting lost. This, accompanied by dreamlike illustrations creates a grandiose synthesis of storytelling not present in most children’s stories today.

This book had a lot to love, most of it owed to its visuals and its clever writing. Every illustration in the story is absolutely beautiful, inducing the reader with a calm, meditative feeling. It’s able to depict an almost trance-like hypnosis with its drawings, particularly page 18 of the Kindle edition standing out to me. On this page, there are multiple instances of Shadow, thrown against a backdrop with both moon and sun. It serves as both a means to convey how Shadow has been searching day and night, as well as showing how he has seemingly been everywhere. I also found the writing to strike a perfect balance between conveying the idea and being simple enough that children wouldn’t get confused.

While I do like the book, there’s a change I think could be made to greatly improve the reading experience. I found the pages feeling cluttered with text, bringing a stark contrast to the spacious illustrations on the opposite side. I think the book would greatly benefit from spacing these out more evenly, as well as adding a couple of smaller illustrations sprinkled on these walls of text.

I found no errors while reading, leading me to believe it was professionally edited. While the intended audience is children, I can safely recommend this book to anyone with pets. It brings to light some things they may not have considered, and it is a generally fun read. I award this book 4 out of 4 stars. I hope this author continues making stories of this caliber.

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Shadow's Adventure Home
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katerina_12 · Post by **katerina_12** » 11 Jan 2022, 06:24

I guess this is funny and relaxing book, I would enjoy reading it too. Nice review!

Emmanuella C Arumeze · Post by **Emmanuella C Arumeze** » 24 Jan 2022, 20:15

This looks like a book filled with humor and suitable for children. I am definitely sure the kids would have an amazing time reading this one. I enjoyed reading your review.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 24 Jan 2022, 20:16

I read this one too. I like Shadow. And you're right. The illustrations were great. Thanks!

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 24 Jan 2022, 22:35

I am a cat lover and I enjoy children's books, so this one sounds perfect. Despite his well-documented adventures, I hope Shadow makes it back home safely.

Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough review!

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 25 Jan 2022, 03:48

The illustrations are very important for a children's book, so I am glad the author paid attention to this aspect. Thank you for your amazing recommendation!

Hyacinth Bella · Post by **Hyacinth Bella** » 25 Jan 2022, 05:16

Wow! From the title, I did not expect this to be a children's book about cats, I was expecting a fantasy novel or series. I hope your comments on the texts would be considered by the book's editor. Thank you so much for your review!

Post by **Diana Lowery** » 25 Jan 2022, 09:23

I like your suggestion about the text to illustration ratio.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 25 Jan 2022, 11:38

This seems like a lovely book for children, also thanks to the illustrations that add to the story. Thank you for your great review!

OTrain Disene · Post by **OTrain Disene** » 26 Jan 2022, 09:09

This seems like a very adorable read. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it. Really appreciate it.

Amiczy Heaven · Post by **Amiczy Heaven** » 26 Jan 2022, 17:36

I don’t know what I’ll do if my pet went missing. I guess I’ll just hope for her safety. I can see you enjoyed the story. Nice review.

Sou Hi · Post by **Sou Hi** » 30 Jan 2022, 23:30

Thanks for your interesting review. This book is perfect for animal lovers. I'm curious to know how Shadow coped with his situation and how he found his way home.

Sharon Christanto · Post by **Sharon Christanto** » 31 Jan 2022, 00:43

As a cat lover, this is a must-read novel. Oh, and the cover is soooo adorable!

Kavita Shah · Post by **Kavita Shah** » 02 Feb 2022, 12:04

You've written a wonderful review! It sounds like an amazing children's book. A book about a missing cat, it's not easy to be in a new place and then getting lost. Great!