Afiya is a little girl with a very special white dress. As she explores the world around her, little snapshots of her environment and her experiences imprint themselves on the fabric like memories.
When she walks through a field of roses, her dress looks like a beautiful bunch of flowers. When she goes to the zoo, her dress takes the form of leaping tigers. And when she visits the sea, the dress looks like a pool of sparkling fishes.
Every night the dress is washed so that each day starts with a fresh ‘canvas’ but Afiya holds on to each precious moment.
Written by the late James Berry OBE, an award-winning Jamaican poet, and illustrated by outstanding Brazillian artist Anna Cunha, this whimsical story is absolutely breathtaking. Afiya is such a joyful character and I love the fact that we can see her collecting childhood memories with the help of her favourite piece of clothing.
Ivy was enchanted by the concept of a magical dress which changes every day and we had a great conversation about the things which would appear if she were to wear it herself. I also thought it was important to highlight the fact the dress always appears fresh and clean every morning because every day is a new start with the promise of new adventures.
Buy it now: https://lantanapublishing.com/products/a-story-about-afiya
Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.