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The Girls by Lauren Ace

32 Pages
Illustrator: Jenny Løvlie
Children’s Fiction
Caterpillar Books
Age range: 3-6 years

If you were to sit down with your daughter and tell her what true friendship meant and what it looked like, what would you tell her? Would you tell her about how you support your friends through the good times and the bad? To celebrate their successes and comfort them during the difficult times? That true friendship is an amazing gift? One that comes with highs and lows, but is so very special?

This is what ‘The Girls’ sets out to explore. It starts where four girls meet under a tree and become friends. It is a friendship that wonderfully blossoms and grows throughout the book as each child goes on their own journey. We see them succeed, we seem them fail, we see them fall in love, but the book highlights how they are always there for one another.

You watch the girls grow from girl to woman, from climbing mountains to becoming mothers. Following their own journey, sometimes they fell out, but they always made up.

The setting of the tree is a great back drop to the story, it’s growth and roots symbolising that of the girls lives and friendship. The illustrations are fabulous too.

This really is such a lovely story, rich and beautifully told. It shows the differences between the girls, from their cultural differences, to their strengths and dreams. But also shows that it does not matter, as each girl or woman as they become is important and unique. I think this quote summaries it perfectly:

“The four girls were still as different as they were the same, and they were the best of friends.”

As soon as we finished the book, Aria gasped and said ‘I love that book!’, when I asked why she said, ‘well one of the had a baby, and one got married and one became a doctor, it was brilliant’. I then asked her what she wanted to be and she said I want to be a doctor and help sick people and she was beaming as she said it.

Verdict:

‘The Girls’ has such a great message of female empowerment and friendship that if you have a daughter I would highly recommend it. I say for a daughter, but of course this book has a lovely story and message for any child, about growing together, supporting each other and reaching for your dreams.

Rating: 5/5

Buy the book on Amazon. 

*Disclosure: We were sent this book for the purpose of this review, however, all opinions are my own.