BOOK REVIEW
MANCHESTER, NH – I’ve always loved that the best rhymed picture books for children are every bit as enjoyable for the adults who read them aloud or escape into them on their own time. (Think: the verses by A.A. Milne, Sandra Boynton, and Robert Kinerk.) “When Ayden Paints the Sky,” delightfully written by local author Celia Botto and stunningly illustrated by Samantha Lane Fiddy, is just such a find.
Drawing on her years as an educator and inspired by watching a young niece navigate her world, Botto uses the act (and metaphor) of making art as a means of coping with and enjoying the things life throws at us.
“A color for each feeling,
a sky to set the tone.Art helps Ayden find her
voice and never feel alone.”and
“When Ayden’s world feels noisy,
And spaces seem intense,
She likes to create endless skies
in ways that just make sense.”
Most impressive is the respect this book gives to its fictional title character. The word “agency” is often used today in discussions about children’s individual behaviors and needs, and Botto’s work embodies this concept with great skill. Agency is what frees a child to carve out paths to move through the ups and downs she encounters. Ayden is depicted as a resilient and creative individual who has the freedom to plunge into play or remove herself to a quiet place, as she needs to do.
Clearly “When Ayden Paints the Sky,” suggested for readers ages 4-8, is a book that will appeal to adults interested in neurodiversity, yet Botto avoids drawing lines that simply label children. She, like Ayden, believes in the power that comes when one finds a way to “share all her thoughts, just like me and you.”
The response to this debut book has been strong and, to Botto, surprising in its depth and breadth. Asked for her reaction to the very evident enthusiasm of parents, grandparents, teachers, and young readers gathered at local events at Bookery Manchester and other locations, she lights up. “Amazing! I am so grateful to be living in a time and place where people want to support a local author.”
Botto, who is a special-education program coordinator at a local high school, is also getting gratifying feedback from other educators about ways that they are using her book. Ayden’s way of moving through her world intrigues older students as they learn about the use of literary metaphor or as they debate questions about changes over time in sociological norms for children’s behavior.
With the holidays coming, “When Ayden Paints the Sky,” (published by Mascot Books – available at independent bookstores and from online booksellers, including Amazon) is a great find for young readers and listeners, as well as older bookworms hunkered down this winter who could use some brightly-colored escapism – and maybe even a push toward making art as a way to navigate whatever lies ahead in the new year.
Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett is a Manchester-based author and teacher, and former longtime journalist.