Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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Shivali Y
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Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures" by Catherine A. Pepe.]
Donny and Mary Grace’s California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe is a delightful children’s book. It follows a five-year-old boy named Donny and his caring ten-year-old sister Mary Grace. Donny has Down syndrome, and the book recounts the wonderful adventures of him and Mary Grace. The story takes off when their parents decide to go to Africa as missionaries for the Episcopal church in Africa, where the mother would help them with a clean drinking water supply and the father would be a priest. In the meantime, Mary Grace and Donny would be living with their grandparents on their ranch in California. However, the conflict arises when Mary Grace begins receiving hurtful notes about Donny’s disability, and she strives to find out who is behind it.
I genuinely enjoyed many aspects of the book. The book is loosely inspired by the author’s family members, particularly Donny, her vivacious brother who had Down syndrome. It is sweet to see her family being honoured in this way. It gives the book more emotional depth. The characterization of the kids, especially Mary Grace, is very attuned to how kids behave. For example, Mary Grace requests her mother to let her buy jeans with holes in them to imitate the social influencers. Donny is an adorable young boy, and Mary Grace is a very astute detective. I also loved how the sibling relationship was portrayed. Both sides cared deeply for each other and understood each other. Even the parents are wonderful characters; one can see the efforts they put in to ensure their kids have the best life possible.
As it is a children’s book, there are pearls of wisdom interspersed with the story, such as ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ The parents make decisions that show their desire to make a positive impact on the world. These provide an opportunity for parents to have conversations with their kids about these important morals. It might be hard to find children’s books that talk about social issues such as bullying and disabilities in such a frank yet accessible manner, but this story does a great job. Plus, although it is a small detail, I adored the doodles after the chapters. I would have loved to see more of them.
In all honesty, there is nothing to dislike about this book. It was exceptionally well-edited. The energy of the book is infectious, and it is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who reads it. The characters and storyline are amazing and heartwarming. It is a simple, easy book to read but the mystery element along with the various adventures ensures that the readers never get bored.
I will gladly give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I am a fan of how engaging, wholesome and educational the book was. I would recommend it to kids above nine years of age, and even for parents looking for a family-friendly book to enjoy.
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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Donny and Mary Grace’s California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe is a delightful children’s book. It follows a five-year-old boy named Donny and his caring ten-year-old sister Mary Grace. Donny has Down syndrome, and the book recounts the wonderful adventures of him and Mary Grace. The story takes off when their parents decide to go to Africa as missionaries for the Episcopal church in Africa, where the mother would help them with a clean drinking water supply and the father would be a priest. In the meantime, Mary Grace and Donny would be living with their grandparents on their ranch in California. However, the conflict arises when Mary Grace begins receiving hurtful notes about Donny’s disability, and she strives to find out who is behind it.
I genuinely enjoyed many aspects of the book. The book is loosely inspired by the author’s family members, particularly Donny, her vivacious brother who had Down syndrome. It is sweet to see her family being honoured in this way. It gives the book more emotional depth. The characterization of the kids, especially Mary Grace, is very attuned to how kids behave. For example, Mary Grace requests her mother to let her buy jeans with holes in them to imitate the social influencers. Donny is an adorable young boy, and Mary Grace is a very astute detective. I also loved how the sibling relationship was portrayed. Both sides cared deeply for each other and understood each other. Even the parents are wonderful characters; one can see the efforts they put in to ensure their kids have the best life possible.
As it is a children’s book, there are pearls of wisdom interspersed with the story, such as ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ The parents make decisions that show their desire to make a positive impact on the world. These provide an opportunity for parents to have conversations with their kids about these important morals. It might be hard to find children’s books that talk about social issues such as bullying and disabilities in such a frank yet accessible manner, but this story does a great job. Plus, although it is a small detail, I adored the doodles after the chapters. I would have loved to see more of them.
In all honesty, there is nothing to dislike about this book. It was exceptionally well-edited. The energy of the book is infectious, and it is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who reads it. The characters and storyline are amazing and heartwarming. It is a simple, easy book to read but the mystery element along with the various adventures ensures that the readers never get bored.
I will gladly give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I am a fan of how engaging, wholesome and educational the book was. I would recommend it to kids above nine years of age, and even for parents looking for a family-friendly book to enjoy.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Sound of Redemption by William John Rostron
