Lou Lou


Children - General
24 Pages
Reviewed on 01/22/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Hello everyone!
I'm so very proud to present the first book of the Lou Lou series, where Lou Lou and her family are forced to leave their beloved home in the Maldive Islands because of climate change.
I visited the Maldives in 2008 and fell in love with the place. Since the Maldives is one of the first places to be affected by changes in our climate, I decided to begin my story there. I want these books to be educational, informative and to address all kinds of issues affecting people everywhere.
The Lou Lou books will not only focus on environmental issues. I truly believe that people of all ages should understand the diversity that exists in our world.

Throughout the series, Lou Lou will be travelling around the globe. She will meet new and interesting people along the way, and get to know the many different cultures that exist. I love to travel and have been very lucky to be able to do so. However, I understand that some people may not have the same opportunities, so I want to introduce children to our world from the comfort of a bedtime story.
There are also some exciting adventures along the way!
So come with me... and explore Lou Lou's World!

    Book Review

Reviewed by Michelle Robertson for Readers' Favorite

Lou Lou, written by Safia Guerras and illustrated by Mia S. Kemble, is a delightful pictorial children's book which introduces readers to the concepts of ecosystems, environmental change, love, and the importance of family heritage. Lou Lou and her family live within a beautiful group of islands called the Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean. Lou Lou's grandparents were very fond of their homestead on the island and shared many stories with Lou Lou and her parents. When Lou Lou and her father go snorkeling, they discover a change in the ecosystem. The change means the family can no longer inhabit their home on the island and so they board a ship in search of a new home.

Author Safia Guerras has created a wonderful start to a possible series of books with Lou Lou. The book offers young readers the chance to study environmental change and ecosystems. Those topics can be a great tool for parents and teachers to start an interactive discussion group. Children can discuss why they think the ecosystem changed due to the climate, and also where they think Lou Lou will finally live. Parents and teachers can also use the family stories told by Lou Lou's grandparents as a writing and drawing exercise. Readers can imagine what the scenery would have been like, draw it, and write a story to match.

Lou Lou is a wonderful learning resource and interactive activity aid for parents and teachers to use. Children will love the colorful and vibrant pictures included to excite the imagination.

Jack Magnus

Lou Lou is a children's story written by Safia Guerras and illustrated by Mai S. Kemble. Lou Lou has always lived with her parents and grandparents on beautiful Kayla's Island in the Maldives. Climate change meant the change of everything for Lou Lou and her family when Kayla's Island was declared unsafe for habitation. Lou Lou and her parents are sad and worried as they set off on the rescue ship. Lou Lou misses her grandparents terribly. She is thinking about the mermaid stories her grandmother told her when she suddenly spies a mermaid looking in at her through the ship's window. Her parents also have a pleasant surprise -- they've been told they'll have a new place to live soon. Lou Lou starts to feel hopeful and to look forward to the new adventures she will have.

Safia Guerras' children's book, Lou Lou, is a beautifully written and illustrated story that brings home the effects of climate change in a way that is neither preachy and condescending nor overly scientific. The illustrations by Mai Kemble are fabulous, filled with jewel-like colors and island scenes, and they work perfectly with the story. Lou Lou is not a fluffy kid's book -- it discusses serious topics that are relevant to kids: having to move, missing your grandparents, and not knowing what will happen next. Lou Lou goes from being frightened and sad to feeling hopeful and enthusiastic about a future filled with adventure. Lou Lou is a quality children's story and is highly recommended.

Melinda Hills

Lou Lou by Safia Guerras tells the tale of a young girl who lives on an island in the Maldives that is being evacuated due to problems resulting from climate change. As she leaves her beautiful tropical home, she thinks about the stories her grandparents had told her about the wide variety of ecosystems. She also remembers the friendliness of the people and is saddened even more by her parents’ tears as they travel on board a ship away from their home. Excited by seeing a mermaid, Lou Lou rushes to tell her parents, who instead tell her some wonderful news – a rescue organization will help them find a new place to call home. Lou Lou is filled with hope as she remembers her grandmother’s words about things happening for a reason. Now, she is prepared to face her adventures with a smile and invites all her readers to join her as she travels the world.

Safia Guerras has created a charming children’s story that is positive and hopeful. Lou Lou is well written and shares wonderful insights into the benefits of love and happiness and how they can be discovered in unexpected ways. Along with a cautionary note about the frail nature of some of the world’s most beautiful places, the stage is set for discovering more about different places around the world as Lou Lou and her family search for a new home. Lou Lou offers children an invitation to join her in exploring and uncovering mysteries and interesting facts as she stops off at many countries during her family’s quest.

Cheryl Schopen

In Lou Lou by Safia Guerras, we follow a six-year-old girl named Lou Lou on her new adventure to her new home. She has grown up on a tropical island in the Maldives. Sadly, due to climate changes and global warming, she and her family are forced to move away. As she is on the rescue ship that is taking her into the unknown, she thinks about her home and her grandparents left behind. With a little bit of hope and a little bit of magic, Lou Lou soon realizes that maybe things aren’t as bad as she thought.

Safia Guerras does a wonderful job of introducing us to Lou Lou as she prepares for her new journey. Not only is the book well-written, but it is filled with beautiful illustrations. The picture within a picture format is very creative and well done; I had never seen illustrations done like this, and I was thoroughly impressed with its uniqueness and how it turned out. I also think that the story is relatable to kids. Many children have to experience the difficulty of moving away and leaving the only home that they know. With this story, kids can see the brighter side of things and see that they are not alone; Lou Lou and many other children have to go through the same thing. My one issue with the story was the mermaid because it seemed random and unnecessary. The story would have been completely fine without it. However, the story overall was great and has an important message for kids. I would definitely recommend this to young children to read with their parents. I will certainly be reading this to my daughter as she gets older.

Tania Staley

LouLou, by Safia Guerras, is a sweet book about hope that springs even in the midst of loss. With love and hope, even the fear of the unknown can be turned into an adventure. LouLou is a young girl from a tropical island in the Maldives. Due to global warming, the reefs have died and the water is rising, forcing the girl and her parents to find a new home. But what place could possibly be home for LouLou, who feels she already lives in paradise? Armed with her map of the world, a beloved shell necklace from her grandmother, and the fantastical stories her grandfather told her, LouLou sets off with her parents to find a new home. What adventures will LouLou find along the way, and will she find a place as grand as her lost island to call her new home?

Safia Guerras’s children’s book, LouLou, promises to be the beginning of a fun series of adventures. While I had hoped to see more of the journey, Guerras has instead decided to tease readers with hints of things to come, but that does not stop this tale from being thoroughly enjoyable. LouLou is a girl with a lot of love in her heart and a vivid imagination that is sure to delight readers in stories to come. With beautiful watercolor pictures, illustrator Mai S. Kemble brings the story and the world of LouLou to life. This is a sweet book that is sure to delight younger readers and warn older readers of the impact of global warming. It would be an excellent book to incorporate into elementary classrooms. I look forward to finding out where LouLou’s journey will take her next.