Review: The Whirlpool

We all know the feeling. One moment, life is warm and familiar. We're confident and hopeful and full of plans. But, the next moment, life spins out of our control. We're left feeling confused, lonely and scared.

It doesn't have to be triggered by a life-changing or traumatic event. Parents fight, friends change, and some days are just plain hard.

 
This emotional whirlpool of life is introduced to children through this beautiful and sensitive tale of a little polar bear.

Emily Larkin's sparse but poetic text is rich with imagery as she captures the confidence of the bear and that moment when it all changes.

Helene Magisson's exquisite illustrations breathe further life and nuance into the story. The reader watches as the colour drains from the pages with the changing feelings of the polar bear. The vibrant yellow scarf worn with pride is tossed about in the whirlpool and discarded. Until, of course, things change once more.

And that, ultimately, is the message so poignantly portrayed by Larkin and Magisson. That nothing stays the same. Things change all the time and this too shall pass. 

This is further explained in the psychologist's notes at the end of the book, detailing the need for parents and carers to guide children through the emotional ups and downs, and help them remain calm in moments of crisis.

Title: The Whirlpool
Author: Emily Larkin
Illustrator: Helene Magisson
Publisher: Wombat Books, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781925563047
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book