Sun, written by Alison Oliver, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Usman H.
Summary: Sun, by Alison Oliver, is a book describing the experience of a young boy named Sun, who is especially skilled at soccer, as he learns to reunite with his creative self by finding a fox on the beach. The book describes Sun as a “soccer star”, with a younger brother Pablo that loves to create art. As the book progresses, readers will be enthralled with the less-detailed yet colorful art style that portrays Sun’s rediscovery in a wide range of bright color. While Sun enjoys soccer, he feels as if something is missing, and goes to the beach, where he finds a small cave decorated with art and trinkets. Inside the cave lives a fox, which teaches Sun how to do things like trot, dive, find things, and most of all create. Sun and the fox make things together, and Sun finds his creative side with the fox.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Overall, the book pushes a clear message of exploring one’s creative side with their siblings, and being unafraid to discover that part of one’s self. Throughout the book, the artwork begins to grow in excessiveness, as the watercolors become more and more expressive. This can be seen as the growth of Sun’s creativity as the book progresses, and as the story progresses the message grows clearer with time. Furthermore, the book emphasizes being connected with others, as Sun and the fox are “connected” in the sunset, while Pablo and Sun spend more time together later in the book. The name “Sun” can be seen as inspirational, as it pushes readers to grow and rise with their creativity. The book can be seen as relatable to younger readers; as they grow, they may tend to focus on one hobby or sport, and forget their creativity. This is the situation that Sun is in at the beginning of the book, and readers will find the book to be relatable to their lives. The short sentence structure and colorful illustrations make this perfect for a read-out-loud book. Readers will also find this easy to read by themselves or with a parent, and the illustrations will keep them enticed.