I was given this book, free of charge, for review purposes only. All opinions are 100% my own.
My review:
Have you ever really disliked your name? Have you thought about what name you could pick if you could change it? Leona really didn’t like her name. But, she couldn’t decide what she would change her name to if she had the chance. She had trouble naming her goldfish, stuffed animals and more. She did come up with a name for her kitty by combining two names that she loved. It wasn’t until she asked where she got her name that she finally realized that she loved her name after all.
My son never had issues with his name or naming his MANY stuffed animals or pets. When I asked him if he could change his name, would he, he said no. He likes his name. He wasn’t named after anyone in the family, we just liked the name. In fact, we joke to this day that the hardest part of Justin’s name was his middle name. My husband wanted his middle name to be In case or in time. LOL
Leona loves her name when she finds out a few important details. Her name means strength and her parents knew she was as brave as a lion. It also just seemed right the first time her parents gazed into her infant eyes. So many kids and adults, don’t know where their names come from and what they mean. Your whole perspective on your life changes when you find out what your name means.
I love how the author makes your name the center of the story. I enjoyed the rhyming cadence of the story. Leona has a hard task at hand, and she doesn’t give up. She is shown to have trouble naming anything, but she doesn’t just forget about it and move on. She finds another approach to her problem- she finds out WHY she was named Leona. This is a great way to teach kids to figure out how to solve their own problems.
The illustrations (by Kim Fujiwara) are cute and add special details to the story. The book wouldn’t be the same without them!
Overall, I highly recommend this book for kids ages 3 to 8. It’s a perfect bedtime story. The rhyming stories always relaxed my son more than those that don’t rhyme.
My Name Is Leona was awarded the Bronze Medal for Best First Book by the Moonbeam Children’s Awards. It was the Gold Medal Recipient for the 2013 Mom’s Choice Award®!
Purchase this book on Amazon today. It will make a perfect Christmas present for your little one!
About the author:
Carol Gahara Harris disliked her name as a child. While the idea for this book grew out of her childhood dislike of her name, when she was twelve, she decided “Carol” was a great name and has loved it ever since. My Name Is Leona is the culmination of a lifelong dream to publish a children’s book and is hopefully the first of several books to come. Carol is a native of Michigan and comes from an entrepreneurial family. She owns her own medical billing and consulting company while her husband Douglas owns a commercial art studio, both in the metropolitan Detroit area. Carol and Douglas have two grown daughters, Danielle and Lauren.