Inside Out

Children are bombarded with images from an early age, made aware of how others look, how they look to others and how easy it is to get sidetracked by appearances. Wendy Stollan Halley addresses this common problem with her young protagonist, Carly, a happy little girl with an imaginary friend, Natasha. With Natasha at her side, Carly has wonderful adventures, jumping on clouds and walking on the moon. One day, while they are enjoying a tea party, Carly asks why no one can see Natasha. Is she a ghost? To which Natasha replies that she is not a ghost but a spirit "like an angel without wings". Natasha's hopes the little girl will always remember her message: "Your spirit is the most important part of you. It's who you really are." She goes on to explain how Carly's spirit came to earth and became a human being. In fact, Natasha opines that Carly has "a beautiful, shining spirit made of love and light". Inspired by Natasha, Carly determines to always remember and cherish her spirit. But, being a normal, active child, she eventually forgets Natasha's message, turning away from new friends and spending her time alone, reading and making up stories, until "all the magic that had once filled her life was gone". Carly's dilemma requires another visit from Natasha, who shows the tiny girl a trick for remembering her spirit. Carly's life is magical once more. This concept story is especially appropriate for a particular age group of girls, from ages 6-10, when a strong self-image is critical in an ever-changing world. The text speaks to a child's ability to create an inner dialog, addressing the spirit in the context of everyday life. Complementing the writing, the illustrations, by Roberta Collier-Morales, are bursting with movement, swirling clouds, a brilliant sun, pages of rainbows. Carly is an illustrator's dream, her joyful face, rioting curly hair, bright clothing and a fanciful sprinkling of hearts. The momentum in the art brings the story alive, animating Carly's struggle to remain in touch with her spirit. The imaginary Natasha is a bit scary to this adult, but overall the images are stunning, deserving of many readings and thoughtful discussions. Inside Out is a joyful experience, one to be savored by young readers and their mothers. Luan Gaines/2005.

This is a lovely book telling the story of Karly, a girl who has a spirit friend. It can serve as a normalizing tale for children who have imaginary friends, and a validating experience for those who are psychically gifted, see spirits and have a sense of their inner spiritual connection. It has the added plus of a protagonist who is a dark skinned person - something adults are more likely to notice than children. Suitable for children 4-7.

Adults and children alike will identify with this sweet book's themes of feeling out of place and needing to connect with who we are deep down. The joyful artwork complements the beautifully written story's accessibility and positive message. Readers will make return trips to this book not only because it has great spirit of fun, but because of an underlying message that is comforting and empowering. "Inside Out" is one of those rare books that you can feel completely good about sharing with kids, while also enjoying yourself. Makes a wonderful gift - I've bought several copies already !

Assisted by her invisible friend, young karly creates a secret method to remember her own shiny spirit. Curriculum components include inner awareness, bullying, friendship and diversity.

Illumination Arts' latest release, Inside Out, is the story of a girl named Karly and her special invisible friend, Natasha. After reading this book with your child, you will always see an invisible friend as something very special...their spirit. You will learn the true meaning of the phrase that mothers everywhere tell their children, "It's what's on the inside that counts." Karly and Natasha were best friends and they played with great abandon. They laughed, romped, jumped, ran, and just in general enjoyed life together. Since no one else could see her best friend, Karly was a bit puzzled, and she questioned Natasha, "Why can't my mom see you?" "I'm a spirit, silly...kind of like an angel without wings," Natasha replied.Karly and Natasha filled their days with wonder and joy and were truly happy as they played together. Natasha, who was very wise about these things, told Karly to always remember this feeling because it came from Karly's heart where her own shiny spirit lived.Then, as always happens, the day came for Natasha to go back to the stars. "Always remember who you are...a beautiful, shiny spirit made of love and light," Natasha had advised. "Your spirit helps you love yourself and everyone around you," she continued, "but it's easy to be distracted by the outside world and forget who you really are." Karly promised to always remember the things she had learned from Natasha about herself. She promised to never forget.But, as the days and weeks passed, Karly did forget her spirit friend. Because she forgot, Karly lost the very best part of herself. She forgot who she really was! She grew very quiet and found it difficult to make friends. No one could see the real Karly!Slowly, as her heart saddened, all the magic that had once filled her life was gone. Then, at her saddest moment, Natasha suddenly appeared. Karly was overjoyed, and Natasha helped her realize that by forgetting her special friend she had forgotten her own spirit too. Karly vowed never to forget again and devised the perfect way to help her remember. Since her spirit lived inside her heart, she would live inside out so that it would always shine through. That way everyone would see the real Karly!How did Karly remember to live inside out? I'll give you a clue...it had to do with her socks, and it will work for you too. ***** This is a wonderful story, and it is beautifully illustrated with bright colors and pictures that swirl over each page. A child's imagination can jump into the wind as it spins the leaves upward, or soar through the stars with Karly and Natasha as they play together. What a special way to learn one of life's most valuable lessons - each child is a special spirit filled with goodness, and life is best when lived inside out.