It's publication day for Lucky and Norman!
The reviews are in, and they're wonderful.
I’m very excited to share with you all that today is publication day for our new children’s book, Lucky and Norman - and the reviews are wonderful!
This children’s book, which I wrote together with three generations of the Cain family, tells the true story of a friendship between our kids and two donkeys they met on vacation - and how learning to say goodbye to Lucky and Norman taught our children about love, sorrow, and resilience. This children’s book was also inspired by my grown-up book, Bittersweet.
You can order the book here!
And here are some of the reviews:
“The emotional core of the book is handled with grace. Lim’s watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations couldn’t be lovelier. Soft greens and golden fields are bathed in changing light, from bright blue days to dusky blue-violet evenings. Her donkeys are the stars of the book: Their enormous, soulful eyes and reactive bodies register wariness, delight, and heartbreak with astonishing expressiveness. Lim varies her spreads and includes intimate vignettes and sweeping pastoral panoramas that give the book visual rhythm. Rooted in real experiences, the story carries the warmth of something genuinely lived.” —Kirkus
“When spring arrives, a family drives to the country, where they stay for a week on Mr. Santiago’s farm. While the parents enjoy the peaceful setting, their sons explore the farm. Their host, Mr. Santiago, introduces them to the two donkeys, Lucky and Norman. Though the boys are initially awkward around them, they yearn to play with Norman and Lucky, and they follow the farmer’s advice to earn the donkeys’ trust by feeding them apples and carrots, a practice that helps them eventually befriend the animals. When the animals are finally friendly, the boys spend each day running to the field and romping with the donkeys until it’s time to go home. Their awesome week turns bittersweet when they realize how much they will miss their new friends. Created using watercolor and pencil as well as digital elements, the illustrations sensitively depict the donkeys as well as the people in this quiet yet engaging family story, which was written as a collaboration involving three generations of family members fondly recalling their week in the country with Lucky and Norman.” —Booklist
We hope you love reading Lucky and Norman to the little ones in your lives, as much as we enjoyed creating (and living) it.
xo Susan, Ken, Grandma Bobbi, Grandpa Al, Sam and Eli