The Girl Who Could See Stories

In a world in which children are rushing around just as much as adults, it can be difficult to take a step back, relax and to think about the things that are really going on around us. These are the thoughts I had when I read Gill Torres' new book 'The Girl Who Could See Stories'. The book is a gentle tale about being mindful about what we eat, thinking about the stories behind the food on our plate. Whilst Gill is passionate about being Vegan, her writing eloquently portrays her views on food, rather than preaching that a vegan diet is best, which is how I have found some other vegan books for children.

'The Girl Who Sees Stories ' introduces us to Sofiel, a girl with a special gift that allows her to see a story behind very person and every object, whether that be understanding why two old friends are giggling away to themselves or the burger on her plate that looks sad. After discovering that some of the things she eats has an unhappy background, Sofiel chooses a plant based diet so that she can ensure that the food she eats came from a happy place. I am not vegan myself and cannot see myself ever omitting all animal products, but I do strive to buy as ethically as possible and, above all, I like that thinking about our food sources is the ultimate message of the book. There is a theme of empathy running throughout the story, for people and for animals, so whether or not your child chooses to adopt a plant free diet or not, they will certainly think twice about the food on their plates and how they look at people that they meet each day. Here at Little Scribbles, we aim to read and share books that encourage diversity and that educate them about different lifestyles, 'The Girl Who Could See Stories' certainly ticks those boxes. I read this book with my 3 year old and we had a long conversation about different diets people have and where the food we eat comes from, so I think this would be a great book to be read in schools.

The illustrations, by Ilan Sheady, are fun and engaging and show the growth of Sofiel, from a young girl eating at a fast food restaurant, with her cool tattoo wearing dad, to an older woman telling her story to her grandchildren. When I met Gill, her passion for the book came across and when you turn the pages you see her story coming to life, she says;

" I choose to be loving and healthy. I have written this book to inspire children to do the same"

It is great to see life passions brought to life by stories and, just like Sofiel, Gill knew that there was a story to be told about growing up on a diet that challenges the way children see food.