Hideaway
by Melania Longo, Brenda Porster (Translator), Alessandro Sanna (illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

A brother and sister play in a special secret hideaway surrounded by trees. They imagine that they are running through the grass with wild animals. They play with masks. They made shadow puppets. They draw and sketch and write secret notes. They collect leaves and stones. They gaze up at the stars and play in the snow. They drink mint tea in the summer. But when someone calls out to them, they are quiet as mice. Until their mother comes.

This is such a sweet exploration of imagination in childhood. I love the peaceful aura of the story as the children rejoice in their imaginative play. The text of the story is really beautiful and melodious when read aloud.

The art style is soft and dreamy, just like the story. I love the muted colors and unique style.

For some silly reason, it bothered me that the brother’s clothes don’t fit. His belly is showing all the time, and he has to pull his pants up in one scene because they are falling off. Someone get that poor child some proper clothing!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.