Rosie and Rasmus

Rosie and Rasmus written & illustrated by Serena Geddes
Published by Simon & Schuster
Date: May 2019
R.R.P. $19.99

There are some people that you come across in life that are pretty special. There is something about their warmth and love for others, and their passion for their craft that comes out in their books. Serena Geddes is one such person and you can see her kindness, zest for life and love for others come out in her first author/illustrated book Rosie and Rasmus.

Rosie and Rasmus has become a favourite book that I share with children in my job. It teaches them about friendship, about working hard and achieving ultimate goals, and it is about growing as a person (and dragon) to overcome fear and reach out to others.  This is more than just a picture book for children, I love it as an adult too – it gives me courage to spread my little dragon wings.

What’s it about?

Rosie is a little girl who ...lives in a little village, cobblestone streets, a water fountain, and an ice cream stand. Rasmus lives right next door to this little village.  Rosie and Rasmus meet each other, develop a friendship, and teach each other how you can do anything if you just keep trying different ideas and believing that you can.

What I love!

Serena has a beautiful illustration style.  There is so much detail in each page, she is not afraid of white space or pages without words.  Each  page is all perfectly balanced and well designed.  The front cover is particularly endearing, but my favourite pages are when Rosie and Rasmus meet each other – there are only three words on the page but the illustration speak a thousand words and warms the heart.

I love that it has a beautiful positive message and I believe that children will learn to be brave just as Rosie and Rasmus are.  A friendship themed book is always nice to share with a group of kindergarten aged children who are just learning about making friends and are bravely navigating their way into school life.

Do I recommend this book?

Absolutely.  I have read it so many times to different groups of children and it is well loved by all.  Rosie and Rasmus is a great go to book for themes of friendship and believing in yourself.

Congratulations Serena on your first Author/Illustrated book and I look forward to more of Rasmus adventures.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.