LoveReading4Kids Says
An interesting story about the power of imagination. Using the almost universal fear of the monster under the bed, ‘The Gift’ by Joshua Luke Ameliorate demonstrates the power of the imagination and how, for all its positive and negative points, can be nurtured to help you grow. This is the second book I’ve seen by Joshua Luke Ameliorate and once again the illustrations throughout are striking. I love the realism in this artwork and the merging of Halo and the monster, or the hint of Halo’s brain on her cheek constantly demonstrating the link between the two characters, a visual reminder that they are one. This is an interesting concept for a story. Written in rhyme like a children's tale, we follow Halo as she grows and develops her ideas, letting her ideas and imagination run wild when desired, but reigning it in and not letting fear overwhelm her. This is an interesting message to share with younger readers but I’m not sure exactly of the target audience for this book. Although written in rhyme, which indicates a younger reader, there are a number of complex words that would require assistance and explanation from an older reader - physician, schism, synergistically. Also, although the illustrations are stunning, I’m not sure whether younger readers would find the monsters throughout a little scary. On the whole I’d recommend this book to parents, as an interesting take on reminding them about imagination and how to help a child to nurture their own ideas. I could also perhaps recommend this book to teens due to overall content, and a reminder that when they nurture their ideas and imagination they can succeed in anything they set their mind to.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
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The Gift Synopsis
Where do your ideas end, and you begin? Can the creatures lurking in the darkness make you stronger? This is a tale of a girl, who through the gift of learning comes to see more than others. But will her terrifying ideas consume her, or will she find power in their presence? Long Synopsis Mental imagery can be advantageous, unnecessary and even clinically disruptive, and plays a pivotal role in the nature of what makes us human. From learning to read through visualising letters, to being driven to fear by vivid hallucinations, our imaginations cross multiple key neurobiological and cognitive domains from birth to death. More recently researchers from the disciplines of neurology, psychiatry, paediatrics and neuroscience have all observed significant correlations between an individual's ability to mentally visualise, be creative and demonstrate a higher than average aptitude for memory recall and elevated intelligence. However, there is reason to suspect that not all people with vivid imagery see it as a plus. Over the past decade, researchers have found that mental imagery has a powerful influence on our emotions and mental health. Time and again, experimental findings have shown that when healthy volunteers with vivid imaginations are asked to conceive negative scenarios, they report much more intensive feelings of anxiety than those asked to think about the meaning of words in descriptions of the same scenarios. Investigators looking to understand the neurobiological basis of post traumatic stress have also often cast unfavourable light upon the human ability to imagine, implying that through fictional escape our brains turn to imagination in the face of the unresolvable. Yet at the same time it is our imagination, ideas and creativity that enables us to confront our fears and transform the once bad to good, augmenting our perception. Children just like adults have big emotions and big ideas, so perhaps the creatures that once lurked under the bed can also drive us forward.
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