Review: SIMPLE AND SATISFYING
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2014
The First Secret: A Magic Recipe is a simple tale told by five year old Katerina who lives in a wooden house on the edge of town with her eleven year old sister Ios and her mother. This family loves animals which includes a Persian cat, two sheepdogs and an old tortoise. An owl lives nearby in a cypress tree and often keeps them company. One day the girls are baking a cake in the shape of a cat. Usually their mom gets upset when they make a mess but not today. It was a perfect day that transitioned into a beautiful evening. "There were little bears, children's drawings and fairy dust, guiding lights for sailors and a romantic glow for those in love." Things were calm and peaceful and love was everywhere. That is when the old tortoise whispered the secret that people used to sing all over the world long ago. Everyone has the ability to add their personal ingredients to this recipe.We can use this message to focus on the good in the universe and not the negativity that often tears it apart. The illustrator uses heavy black lines combined with muted colors to anchor the story with the mood transitions.This is a lovely book for a family to read and share together.