Review: Laughter – that first secret
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 27, 2013
Elina Stamatatou is from Greece and has had a successful career in Political Science and Public Administration at Law School of Athens and Archaeology at The University of Liverpool. She has explored ancient shipwrecks in the Aegean, as a maritime archaeologist and is a member of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology and The British Archaeological School at Athens. She has published books before but this is her first ‘children’s story’ and she joins illustrator Lydia Venieri in creating a book for children and for the child in all of us.Katerina is five and her sister Ios is eleven and their lovable animals  - a Persian cat, two sheepdogs, and old tortoise, and a friendly wise owl – are making a cake. In the past when the girls created a cake they left a mess and their mother became cross. But on this day all was quiet: Katerina and Ios made and decorated their cake and joined their pets and mother on the front steps of their house where all of them enjoyed the beauties of the stars and moon and the little lights of joy that flashed around them. The evening was calm and filled with love, the source of the lights. The whole universe seemed to be smiling and the old tortoise shared with them the Magic Recipe that people around the world used to sing in all languages: ‘each day, with the people you cherish the most, mix peacefulness, joy and love, adding laughter and inner strength to light up the world.’ Everyone has their own ingredients for the magic recipe, but the secret is to ‘hold close only those things that make you smile when you think of them.’ And if the magic secret and recipe are followed then the whole world will want to live in joy.The story flows like a serenade and the illustrations are true art pieces. This is a book filled with a sense of wonder and an appreciation for what makes the universe glow. Few will read this book without feeling a profound sense of inspiration. While it is definitely an excellent children’s book, it is also a gentle reminder of what is important in life that would serve all adults to read and practice. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 13