Official Review: Early Sunshine by Charissa Young

CataclysmicKnight · Post by **CataclysmicKnight** » 14 Aug 2016, 16:25

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Early Sunshine" by Charissa Young.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The first time I truly felt old was when I had to explain to a kid that we didn't have internet or a bunch of televisions when we were kids. If we wanted to play video games, we had to share it with the family and find a time when something good wasn't on! Since then, there have been countless other similar examples that have replaced the infamous "I walked through the snow uphill both ways to school" stories of my own youth. Early Sunshine by Charissa Young feels like the children's book version of proof that life has really changed in the last 20+ years.

Early Sunshine is a book for kids that talks about Charissa's youth. This includes both her parents having jobs, walking to school, watching classic cartoons and doing chores. All of this is done with some really high-quality art from Mike Motz, illustrations that could very easily be screenshots from a cartoon themselves. The colorful, sharp images of Charissa, her family and friends always smiling, even while she does chores and walks to school in rain or snow works as a "see? You can do the things you have to do and still have a great time!" lesson.

In addition to the crisp art, the book in general is really relatable to any family. It's functions as the ultimate back-up to adults telling their kids they walked to school, they had to do chores and they had working parents while also showing the better sides as well, with friends having fun and grabbing ice cream and having dinner as a family.

The book is rather short - only 25 screens total including the title on my Kindle - making it a quick read before bedtime or reference that no, your child wasn't the first one to have to suffer doing the dishes. It also uses mostly easy words, with only a few tricky ones thrown in, so kids could learn to read it themselves.

Overall, this is a lovely children's book. The art is fantastic and the life lessons are handy. It's also incredibly short, however. While this is definitely a great selection for a few very specific uses, it just felt like it was missing a little something. I would have loved to have seen her doing homework, being attentive and respectful in class and maybe a few other scenes. I'd give the book a 2.5 if I could, but because it fills an interesting niche topic and the art is so sharp I'm giving it 3 out of 4 stars.

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Early Sunshine
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Anjum · Post by **Anjum** » 30 Sep 2017, 01:51

Sounds like the book could have been a lot better if it was given proper attention. Thanks for the review.

KeriCraven · Post by **KeriCraven** » 10 Oct 2017, 16:37

Thank you for your review. My grandparents used the walking uphill in the snow for how times have changed. I remember have a nintendo 64 and having to take turns with my brothers. The only phone connected to the wall and you couldn't walk around talking. Times sure have changed

Perfect Ndlovu · Post by **Perfect Ndlovu** » 13 Oct 2017, 01:38

The book is absolutely good,especially when you give all your attention to it.

cpru68 · Post by **cpru68** » 11 Apr 2018, 19:47

After reading your review, I’m still trying to figure out what the title means. Was there a character named Sunshine or did the author have to get up early and do chores? Most books for young kids have some sort of tie in between the title and the story just so the child has a slight inkling of what may be coming. Your review leads me to believe that the author really could expand this book out further to include more topics. I understand keeping things simple for kids, but if it left you feeling a little empty at the end then maybe even 5 more pages might make it a little better with closure.

Jmeeyyy · Post by **Jmeeyyy** » 30 May 2018, 12:53

This is good for kids. Its relatable to a family.

T_Elizabeth · Post by **T_Elizabeth** » 28 Jun 2018, 10:54

This sounds like a really interesting book. It seems that it could be educational in showing children how different their upbringing is from their parents. However, I can also see certain demographics of children relating to the book. For instance, I work with many students who are being raised the same way my generation was; no internet, cell phone, or game system and walking to and from school. I think those students would appreciate reading a book that depicts the same lifestyle as their own.I also really appreciate the cover art, for it draws the eye in, and with children that can be the difference between them walking past a book and them stopping to pick the book up to read.

LaurenHaupt · Post by **LaurenHaupt** » 01 Jul 2018, 23:21

Short books are nice when your reading them to young kids. That way they won't get bored. I liked the theme to it.

julessawyer · Post by **julessawyer** » 08 Jul 2018, 05:41

Thanks for your review! The author's sentiment was actually true especially at a highly digitized world and almost all kids have their own iPads. I also agree about decreasing emphasis on young people's respect for the elderly. overall I like to read the book.

Amy+++ · Post by **Amy+++** » 17 Aug 2018, 15:54

All the aspects of the book sound great. Great review. The easy words and colorful pictures will make reading fun, especially before bedtime.

Amy747 · Post by **Amy747** » 14 Feb 2020, 10:32

I used to get those types of stories from my dad when I was a kid and I sometimes have to use stories of my own on my kids now days too.

En+kay · Post by **En+kay** » 19 Mar 2020, 14:27

Short story, colorful illustrations I can imagine the many questions my little ones will ask me. It will make our night time reading fun.
Well done on the review

Nedbrian · Post by **Nedbrian** » 15 Jun 2020, 12:17

Quite a relatable format of how our parents lived their lives without the present day internet and tech. Wonder if kiddies these days would understand that sorta life if the were subjected to it. I bet this book exemplifies it better than experienced for them