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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Cam and Inaya are promoting a charity run to raise money for their friend, Susie, who is recovering from open heart surgery. A new foster brother, Loris, joins their foster home, but he’s too distant and reserved to open up and share in the experience of working together for the common good. In Dagmara Sitek’s Loris Opens Up His Heart, a deeper meaning of open heart surgery emerges as Loris must share his frightening past to find his healing and, hopefully, find some good friends in the process. Loris joins the foster family, but his heart just isn’t ready to accept care, compassion, and love. That’s why he wears a hoodie all the time: to cower and hide. Can he find a way to leave the cocoon he’s created? Can he trust the world again and find the courage to love and be loved?
Dagmara Sitek’s picture book, Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids, is a gentle, soothing, and sometimes sad story about a young foster child who came from a troubled background. The story is told like a graphic novel, complete with bubbles to identify who’s talking and allow the conversation to carry the plot. The plot includes loving, caring characters as well as contrasting mean bullies. There are some difficult issues addressed in this story, particularly child abuse, foster care, and bullies. The author expertly weaves a tender story out of these troubling blights in today’s society. The illustrations are bright, bold, and colorful and help move the story along. Young readers will be cheering on Cam and Inaya as they try to win the charity race, and also Loris who not only runs steadfastly to win but struggles to overcome his difficult past in the process. Beautiful story, yet powerful and raw.