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What began as an attempt to explain why we thank American soldiers and veterans to her young girls, a children's book slowly blossomed. It began with an oil painting of a beautiful tree at the Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.
Many brilliant folks gave their time and feedback necessary to produce this book. Their valuable time enabled the family to donate the book proceeds to Honor Flight, an organization that honors American Veterans.
Tori has a journalism degree from the University of Colorado, and is a continuing student of art. She's a full-time mom, and enjoys incorporating her girls' artwork into her own.
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Journey Home: A Thank You to American Veterans is a picture book for children, grades K-3, written and illustrated by Tori Meyer. The author was inspired to write this book by her child's question about what a veteran is. Lee is a young girl who had a favorite tree in the park, which she and her mother were visiting. When they got there, a young man in a military uniform was sitting on a park bench. He was watching a bird that had landed on a branch. Lee identified the bird for him and then, seeing he had a duffle bag next to him, asked him where he was going. He told her that he was going off to war and explained that he had a duty to protect the country. He also told her about his family and where he would be going.
Tori Meyer's children's book, Journey Home: A Thank You to American Veterans, introduces a serious subject for young children. She does so in a book that includes some wonderful oil paintings and mixed-media images. While the book is recommended for kindergartners and up, I'd have some reservations about sharing the entire book with younger or more impressionable children. There are images of a national cemetery, which while a sad reality for soldiers going off to war, may be frightening or beyond comprehension for some children. Those two images aside, I was quite impressed with the quality of most of the illustrations included in the book and with the majority of the message imparted. But I truly would not want to have to explain rows and columns of tombstones as a possible soldier's journey home to a five-year-old. With that reservation, I recommend Journey Home: A Thank You to American Veterans.
