The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love [Hardcover]

Clea Adams (Author), John Adams (Author), Barbara L. Gibson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Love and hope transcend all boundaries when a boy and a dragonfly meet. An impossible encounter? Lea journeys through a beautiful garden to discover the boy's secret. As she follows his clues, Lea meets people who need her help. And at the end, the unexpected secret is revealed. Part mystery, part surprise, this timeless story that celebrates the dragonfly's gift to others is sure to leave a lasting impression. Beautifully illustrated, The Dragonfly Secret gently encourages children and adults to explore life's infinite possibilities. Because of it, readers may look at nature in an entirely new light.

Excerpt: Lea explored other parts of the garden. She looked under a picnic table and peeked inside the gardener's tool shed. Suddenly, Lea felt a strange stillness. The birds and insects were quiet. Someone nearby was crying. Lea flew cautiously toward the sound. A woman sat on a wooden bench in the corner of the garden. Lea could see her face wet with tears. The light around the woman seemed dim. For a moment, Lea's wings felt very heavy. She, too, felt sad. This must be what the woman feels, she thought. The woman continued to cry. Uncertain of what to do, Lea made her way to the branch of a nearby tree. She looked at the woman. Something caught her attention. Beside the woman on the bench was ...

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Dragonfly Secret is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award. --Mom's Choice Awards

In 2007, John Adams brought us the award-winning picture book The Dragonfly Door, a tool to aid children in coping with loss and change. It introduced us to two friends: Lea and Nym. When Lea transformed into a beautiful dragonfly and entered an unfamiliar world, Nym had to deal with the loss of a loved one and the accompanying sense of separation. She learned a valuable lesson about life cycles.

In October of 2008, John Adams, with the help of Clea Adams and illustrator Barbara L. Gibson, presents the companion to The Dragonfly Door. The Dragonfly Secret continues Lea's story as a beautiful dragonfly. As she plays in a garden one day, a boy appears with a puzzle for her to solve. He gives her instructions that will lead to a discovery and reveal a secret. The boy has been kind to her, sharing stories and playing games, so Lea is eager to solve the puzzle.

Soon after her encounter with the boy, an old couple appears. They know the secret, and provide Lea with the second step to learning the truth. In following the instructions, she is helping the boy deliver a message. When Lea finally discovers the secret, she also finds out she plays a special role.

The Dragonfly Secret is a heartwarming story of love and remembrance. It provides a degree of reassurance to children that loved ones exist in some form after they've passed. It is also an altruistic tale of friendship. The dialogue is carefully scripted and flows at a nice, even pace.

The message is deepened by Gibson's exquisite watercolor illustrations. Her nature scenes are colorful, vivid, and detailed with a soft quality that complements the sensitive storyline perfectly. The reader will want to step right into that peaceful garden. Though Lea communicates with humans, her image is realistic and not a caricature of an insect.

Whether used as a coping aid or read for pleasure, The Dragonfly Secret is a wonderful tool for parents and teachers to have on hand. It approaches a delicate topic with sensitivity and care, guiding children through difficult times. The authors have a talent for storytelling and can relate well to a child's perspective. The Dragonfly Secret would make a wonderful gift for a child facing loss in any form. --Breeni Books

About the Author

Clea and John Adams co-founded Feather Rock Books in 2005 with the goal of publishing thoughtful and inspiring stories. The Dragonfly Secret is their tribute to life's unexplained moments that lead us to pause and to wonder. The couple hopes this book offers comfort and inspiration when needed most. The Dragonfly Secret is a companion book to The Dragonfly Door, John's story for children coping with loss and change.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Feather Rock Books, Inc.; 1 edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934066133
• ISBN-13: 978-1934066133
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read...., September 22, 2008

By 

C. Fox (Mt. Airy, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love (Hardcover)

I received The Dragonfly Secret on Friday and after their first book, The Dragonfly Door, I had to read it right away. As soon as I started reading it, I started to cry. As I read each line and looked at the beautiful illustrations, my heart became filled with so much emotion. I felt as though Clea and John had written our story.

Our son, Jamie, passed away on 9/3/02 at the age of 21, as the result of drowning in Ocean City, MD. Losing a child is always devasting, but since he was our only one and our best friend, we literally felt as though our lives would end. The week after he passed, my husband and I went to our beach house, where Jamie was living while attending Salisbury University. It was the first time we had been to the house since his passing and it was very traumatic walking in and seeing everything the way he left it, however, he was no longer there. As my husband and I both sobbed, we went outside and sat on our deck, silently looking at the water and wondering what was going to become of our life without him, and why such a terrible thing happened to us. Just then, a dragonfly flew up and hovered directly in front of us. At first, we didn't think anything, but he stayed there... at eye level, just looking at us. Then, all of a sudden, this little dragonfly started doing all kind of acrobatic tricks... things that we had never seen a dragonfly do before. He was doing loop-de-loops, figures 8's and anything else you could imagine. After about 15 minutes of watching him and actually thinking about something else beside our terrible loss, my husband and I looked at each other at the same time.... and laughed! We both said.... it's Jamie letting us know he's here!!! And while he can't skydive, he's letting us know he can now do anything he wants and he can fly! (We had given him a skydiving lesson as a 21st birthday gift, however, the company wouldn't let him do it because his right four fingers had been amputated in a car accident in 2000 and they were afraid he would not be able to pull the ripcord with his thumb and palm.)

As I read this book, I just could not believe how much it related to us, especially because Jamie used a dragonfly to help him let us know he was still there. We still receive many signs from Jamie and he uses many different objects, insects, etc., but the majority of the time, he uses a dragonfly. He was such a wonderful soul and had such tremendous love for the earth, the universe and every living thing... he literally would not hurt an ant! I thank Clea and John from the bottom of my heart for writing such a wonderful story and I plan on telling everyone I know about both books. In fact, I bought several copies of each and gave as gifts to other parents whose child had passed away. Both of their books are wonderful and I highly recommend them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love, October 16, 2008

By 

Christine M. Irvin (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love (Hardcover)

"The Dragonfly Secret" is a story about a young boy who has died. He meets a dragonfly named Lea in a beautiful garden. The boy plays with the dragonfly and tells her stories. The two become friends; so, when the boy gives the dragonfly a puzzle to solve so she can learn his "secret", she is eager to participate.

The boy first tells her,

"You have message to deliver,
a promise so true,
it can only be carried by a dragonfly like you.

Of course, the dragonfly is intrigued and wants to know what she should do. The boy says, "Tomorrow, I need you to come to the garden again and do three things. If you do, you will discover the secret."

The first task for the dragonfly is to find a baseball cap in the garden and land on it. While searching for the hat, Lea encounters an old couple who tell her what the second step is. In the process of following the instructions given to her by both the boy and the old couple, Lea is actually helping the boy deliver his message. When Lea discovers the secret, she is happy she has been able to help her new friend.

The beautiful watercolor paintings illustrate the storyline perfectly. The paintings are so realistic you feel as though you could almost step through the pages and into the lovely garden.

This is a story about love and about remembering those who have passed on. It provides a message to children that someone they once loved still exists in some form after they've died. I would also classify it as a fantasy tale because the dragonfly, Lea, communicates directly with humans. But, while doing so, Lea remains the characteristics of a real dragonfly, not just the cartoon version of one.

This book could be used by those counselors of young children who are dealing with the loss of someone they love. It could also provide comfort to parents who have lost a child.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Transcends Death, October 14, 2008

By 

Janet Boyer "Author, Blogger, Radio Host" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love (Hardcover)

"On a bright summer morning, Lea played hide-and-seek in the garden with Tess, her butterfly friend. She hid among the flowers and giggled to herself. Suddenly, a boy appeared. He sat on the ground next to some daisies and rested his chin in his hands. Lea moved closer to get a better look. He turned towards her and smiled." - From the book

Lavishly illustrated by Barbara Gibson and written by Clea and John Adams, The Dragonfly Secret tells the story of a curious dragonfly named Lea who helps a boy accomplish a special mission.

After playing with the boy for hours, it occurs to Lea that he hadn't given her his name or told her where he lived, yet he knows all the great hiding places in the area. The boy confides that he has a message to deliver, but only a dragonfly like Lea could carry it.

Intrigued, Lea moves closer, fluttering her wings as the boy gives her three mysterious assignments. As she attempts to fulfill her promise, a kind elderly couple gives her instructions--but no explanation as to the purpose.

Lea continues following instructions, never realizing the extraordinary gift she's about to bestow upon a sad young couple.

A gentle, moving story about the power of love to transcend death, The Dragonfly Secret is a beautiful book offering comfort to the grieving and solace to those who wonder what happens to their loved ones after they pass on.

I highly recommend The Dragonfly Secret to parents and caregivers. Because of its reassuring message, I feel that schools, funeral homes, hospitals, church libraries and therapist offices would benefit greatly by having this book on hand to share with those facing terminal illness or relatives of those who have lost a loved one.

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book