Title: Sequin and Stitch
Author: Laura Dockrill
Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Genre: Children’s fiction
Book format: Paperback
Sweet Strawberries: 
Description: Sequin’s mum is a talented seamstress and their little flat is overflowing with beautiful silks, fabrics, buttons and beads. It’s a sparkling sanctuary, like a princess’s wardrobe. While Mum works at her sewing machine late into the night, Sequin takes care of her baby brother, Stitch, and dreams of a place in the spotlight for her brilliant mum.
But then tragedy strikes and their shimmering world is torn apart. Will the little family be able to recover from their heartbreak and start again?
*Free copy provided by publisher for review…
Review: This is such an amazing and touching story it had me smiling so much after reading it. Sequin lives with her mum and her brother Stitch in a flat high up in a tower block. Although their home might seem simple to some, to Sequin it’s a palace filled with amazing dresses and beautiful outfits that her mum spends her days sewing. Sequin loves to help her mum with the sewing and spends most of her days taking care of her baby brother while her mum sews. But she faces trouble at school with some girls who don’t like her, and not everyone believes that her mum is as amazing as Sequin does.
I can’t believe how much I have loved this story and I still can’t help thinking about it days after reading it. Sequin is a happy girl who adores the dresses her mum makes, but she’s bullied at school and wishes that her mum would be recognised for her talent. However, despite the problems she has, it’s her love of her mum and her baby brother Stitch that keep Sequin smiling. Her attachment and care of her baby brother is so lovely and Stitch is always a part of her life while she’s at home. The story is quite short and seemingly simple but wow is it a powerful tale! Sequin’s mum struggles with her own confidence while sewing for others, and she also suffers from some other problems like leaving the house, which makes Sequin’s life at home harder than it would be for some other children. However the love in the family is there and this is shown really well throughout the whole story.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the story does move on with something very dramatic happening towards the end. I really don’t want to give it away but there is a bit of a twist in the story tooand what happens makes you both feel for Sequin and also feel so happy when you see the situation resolved in the way it is. The story ends in such a way that is just so perfect! Although something difficult happens everything ends up alright in the end and I love what happens with the family and also with their neighbour Tony.
The illustrations really make this book feel so much more appealing. They are in black white and grey and appear on pages throughout the text. I just love the way Sequin looks, the expressions on her face and others are easy to see and it just makes the story feel more fun. Although this book is aimed at all children, the way it is specially printed will make it easier to read for those with dyslexia and those who are reluctant readers. This is due to the way the book is made. It has thick pages (thicker than most children’s books I’ve read) and each one is tinted in a more creamier/yellowish colour. The text are easier to read too with each sentence separated so there are no large blocks of text. All of which just makes this book feel so much easier to read, even for me with my occassional eye strain!
This story has really resonated with me, more than many other books and I think it might be because I grew up in similar circumstances to Sequin, with a mum who spent many nights sewing for others at home too. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone to read, it’s such a lovely story of hope, facing things and moving forward, and that ending and twist is just so amazing and perfect!
What do you think of this book? Do you like the illustrations? Let me know what you think in the comments below 🙂
The Strawberry Post 