Not one of us can say we have never yearned to fit in, to feel we are wanted and that we are loved. That we have a place in the world to call our own. When all is said and done we are all searching for a place to belong.Imagine a tiny child, a ward of the state, whose mother has flown to heaven not even leaving him with a name. A small boy who clutches tightly to the one thing he is certain of. A battered suitcase that has been his constant companion. Providing a safe place in which to hide his feelings. Somewhere to hide his wanting, searching, needing, yearning, battered seven year old heart. An injured heart that begs to belong.
Perry Angel's Suitcase is the third story in Glenda Millard's award winning series The Kingdom Of Silk. This story is all about the depth and breadth of family. It is about acceptance without question or the need for lengthy explanations, which is a good thing, as Perry Angel is painfully silent upon his arrival to the Kingdom Of Silk.
Fortunately the Silks are a family who don't force conversations. They wait for the words to come when they are ready. The story cleverly starts with an air of hope tinged with uncertainty. Change is like that, full of hopeful uncertainty. Glenda Millard captures that feeling so succinctly by expressing the joy of all Layla and Griffin hope to show Perry when he arrives but she also plants the seeds of doubt, and worry, that things may change forever in The Kingdom Of Silk.
This lullaby of a book reveals more of Griffin's beautiful world and how sometimes families don't start with people who are connected by birth. Sometimes families are made when the right people find each other. Perry Angel's Suitcase leaves you feeling that you've opened your front door to stand in the sunshine, wearing a pair of fairy wings, to welcome precious family home.
It is above all a story of trust. The trust that only comes from a family willing to love without judgement, to accept unconditionally, and most importantly to open their hearts to a child in need of heaven on earth.
Title: Perry Angel's Suitcase
Author: Glenda Millard
Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: ABC Books, $14.95
Publication Date: May 2008
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780733322556
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction
