Ailie’s Island

By Antal Khripko

(Indie author, 2023)

Genre: Children’s/Fiction

Pages (Kindle): 56

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well Yabba-dabba-doo and Glory Hallelujah! spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. That’s what I said when the author contacted us for a review request for his book about a little girl who lives on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Little’uns and a remote island off the coast of Scotland?! Does it get any better than that?! As in, these are a few of my favorite things..

So first things first. This little book got kinda buried for a while. Stop that snickering, Buster! If you plowed through millions and millions of pages and mountains and mountains of books every week, you might find it easy to bury a little children’s book, too? What?

On the Heels

So when we finally got around to Ailee’s Island, it was on the heels of a super-duper challenging and majorly stressful week. Way too much goin’ on. Plate way too full. At least for one of us. (You know how that is, right?) One of us was pretty wiped out. Exhausted.

So when we unearthed Ailie’s Island, one of us was maybe not exactly at her best, if ya know what I mean. Hi, Mom.

A Delight!

But this book surprised us. Talk about a breath of fresh air! What a delight!

Tightly written and beautifully illustrated, this charming story about a five year-old facing school for the first time and the ensuing homesickness touched our hearts. We didn’t really know how much we needed a kind and tender read until we were about halfway through Ailie’s Island.

You know how books do that to you sometimes? They just come along and plunk themselves into your hands right when you need ‘em. Amazing, huh? Well. That’s how Ailie was. The book is based on four stories the author told his daughter, Liliana, before bed. We especially liked how Ailie’s more at home with the animals than she is with most hoomans. Just sayin’. Again.

The Deets

Anyway, here are some more deets:

Little Ailie spent the first five years of her life living almost in isolation with her mum and dad on the west coast of Scotland, on the island of Tanera Mor. She meets the queen of the island, a little lizard who frequents a special boulder.

In September, however, Ailie has to leave the island and start her school life on the mainland. But Ailie’s afraid to go to school because after spending nearly five years on an isolated island, she doesn’t know anyone else. What is she doesn’t fit in? What if she’s not liked at school?

An Idea

Clever creative and resourceful, Ailie had an idea. The island was once under Roman rule, which of course means old Roman roads. There’s a connector road from the island to the mainland that can be crossed at a very low tide. So it’s not exactly an every-day occurrence. But there’s hope that Ailie will be able use the road to visit her parents before too long and ease the ache of homesickness.

Different

Meanwhile, “Ailie-pie” soon discovers that life is different on the mainland. For one thing, she can’t walk alone anymore. She can’t go outside without an adult. This is a big adjustment and a big disappointment for a girl who’s been walking on her lonesome all over the island her entire life. After all, Ailie is more at home with the sheep, dogs, and cats than with people. (Kimber: I like her already!!) And what about the lantern? The wind? The fake lizard? Trust? Honesty? Family? And a placed called “Home”?

Sweet, Enjoyable

Told in lyrical prose with beautiful word pictures, this is a sweet and enjoyable story. It touches on fear, anxiety, and loneliness but does so subtly and gently, without beating young readers over the head with it. It also features creative problem-solving, imagination, camaraderie, and growing one’s self-confidence.

It would make a good read-aloud or a bedtime story. Preferably with a nice warm blankie. And maybe some milk and cookies. Just sayin’.

Wait. Is that Julie Andrews?

Our Rating: 4.0