Inside: a recommended book for spiritually aware children. Charlotte and the Quiet Place.
Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin, illustrated by Sara Wolley is a book for all those children (and adults) who consistently take a deep breath in to push the noise of our world out.
First, it is a book confirming there are others who suffer from this tremendous noise and seek quiet. Often, a mere confirmation, so beautifully offered in books, is a first step to self-acceptance and an encouragement to pursue what our hearts call us to.
It is the story of Charlotte, who desperately needs quiet. There is noise everywhere, from the neighborhood to the school and even her own home and room. Noise that stresses her. Until one day, she finds a quiet place and, with it, the quiet place within her. The one available to her wherever she is.
The illustrations beautifully correspond with the story. At the beginning of the book, they offer the noise. They are noisy (and if your child is sensitive, you might wish to mediate this noise of the illustrations just before reading, have them reflect something they feel, and not be a source for more noise). As the story progresses, the quietness also comes out from the pages.
More, it offers the option of finding quietness using one’s imagination:
“So wherever she is,
Whenever she wants,
When her world is too noisy,
Charlotte simply closes her eyes and travels
back to that peaceful place…”
It’s just one page in the book, yet a very powerful one. Reinforcing the innate ability of children to travel, journey, and go within.
I read this book during a noisy moment in my day; it brought breath and quietness.
It is definitely a book that the spiritually aware will want to have on their shelf.
Enjoy!
