Taking A Moment

Taking A Moment

Sometimes, we forget to look beyond ourselves.  We fail to seek what might be hidden from our immediate viewpoint.  In these situations, one of the best alternatives is to step outside and embrace what the outdoors might offer.  If you are fortunate, take your canine companion with you.  They give new meaning to a
walk on the wild side
with all their senses on high alert.
More times than not, they suddenly stop.  It’s in these moments our outlook shifts.  We see, hear, or smell something we might otherwise miss.
Beneath
(
Little, Brown and Company
,
January 17, 2023) written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld is about looking with new eyes.  It is about opening up our minds and hearts in order to understand the wholeness of someone or something.  This is when we are our best selves.  This is when life is richer and larger.
Finn was in a horrible mood.
Grandpa wanted to talk about it.
When you are in a horrible mood, talking is the last thing you want to do, and Finn was no different.  Grandpa suggested they take a walk.  Finn agreed, reluctantly, as long as staying under the quilt was an option.
This is when Grandpa suggested that even though Finn was hidden, he would remember what he could not see.  Walking among the trees, Finn listened as Grandpa explained there was as much underground as there was above ground.
It was the same for a boat they saw floating on the calm water.  What was moving underneath that boat?  At times, we can make a guess as to what we cannot see, but sometimes we wonder what is being seen, heard or smelled by another animal.  Why are they doing what they are doing?  Why is the fox’s nose pointed toward a hole in the ground?
What we see on the outside is only a portion of what might be happening on the inside.  This is true for plants, animals, and humans.  (Do you think it’s true for other things like the moon, planets, and stars?)  Last season’s leaves are dying, but beneath them new shoots are sprouting.  As daylight turns to dusk and the moon rises, Grandpa offers his final
beneath
words.  We know Finn tucks these away like the treasure they are because of the reply given.
As you read these words penned by
Cori Doerrfeld
, one of the first things you think of is how wonderful it would be to have walked with Finn and Grandpa.  And then, with gratitude, you realize that every time you open the covers of this book, you are there with them on that walk.  We can read their heartfelt and sincere conversations, ponder what they are saying, and wonder about all the
beneaths
in our world.
With the exception of a few sentences, this entire story is told in dialogue.  This helps readers to connect with Grandpa and Finn on a personal level.  Here is a passage.
«And people?» Finn wanted to know.
(page turn)
«Of course!» Grandpa answered.
«Everyone is more than what you see.
«Beneath appearances
are experiences.
. . .
Using
digital paint
, Cori Doerrfeld created the images for this title beginning with t…