"Kirkus Reviews: ""A child’s-eye view of the pandemic that will spark conversations."" (Picture book. 4-6)

""A young child experiences the pandemic in an urban setting.

""With a minimal but meaningful text and naïve illustrations in a limited palette, the book focuses on an unnamed child who lives with their parents through the strange time when the virus, depicted as a bipedal, rusty-red monster, appears. “The world changed overnight. Schools were closed. Restaurants were emptied. Birthday parties were postponed.…And all the world’s swings, seesaws and slides were abandoned.” The main characters, who also include the child’s grandfather, are White; other humans depicted are racially diverse. To signal the universality of the virus, small vignettes of different countries are included, with well-known monuments like the Statue of Liberty and Big Ben as well as, in a rather stereotypical shorthand, giraffes and camels. In some of the city scenes, signs in different languages are posted about stores and restaurants. As time goes on, after the new reality of “the extraordinary pause” settles in, eventually there is hope. “There was loneliness, but also connection. Light was starting to shine between the cracks.” There is nothing specific about the illness itself or the worldwide deaths, but this short picture book speaks directly to young readers about the many life changes that happened as a result of Covid-19 in ways they will comprehend. Discussion questions at the book’s close encourage reflection, and a QR code will take readers to a resource page for further engagement. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

 ~Jojo's Book Club

""It was a hectic morning here and this book was just what we needed.

“The Extraordinary Pause” by Sara Sadik is a timely book about how the world has changed due to the pandemic we’re all experiencing and a reminder to pause and notice one another.

Without getting into specifics about the virus itself, the book is told from a child’s perspective and is easily relatable. The child and their parents live in a bustling city when all of a sudden an unwelcome virus arrives. “The virus,” Sadik writes, “felt like a big old bully - mean, scary and unfair.”

We all know what happens next.

Birthday parties are cancelled, hugs are outlawed, and playgrounds are abandoned. Life becomes unexpected and unknown.

Everyone is forced to change the way they live, the way they see things and you know what? It’s not all bad. Behind the closed doors families find each other and slow down. There is loneliness, yes, but also connection.

Illustrator Karine Jaber’s homey drawing compliment Sadik’s sparse text with dark and light scenes to match the mood.

Coming from a Palestinian/Lebanese author and French/Lebanese illustrator, it was an interesting choice to portray the main character and their family as white with fair pink skin, but Jaber’s pictures allude to the universality of COVID with shop signs in different languages, supporting characters with varying skin tones and dress, and images of monuments and landmarks from around the world.

This book was sent to us by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.""

 ~Green Gables Book Reviews

""An important book to read with your kids.""

“Even as adults, we’re don’t fully understand the pause our world has taken. If we don’t understand, how can our kids? Sara Sadik has written this book, The Extraordinary Pause. I highly recommend it for parents, grandparents, and teachers to read with the children you love.”-Green Gables Book Reviews

The Extraordinary Pause will be released in mid-September, 2021, and I think this book will have a big impact on kids. I am so impressed by the way this book is written. It is focused on all of the changes that happened during the pandemic and why. I love that it talks about things important to kids-missing birthday parties, hugs, playing with friends, and more. And, it also talks about the changes families made, what we learned and gained through the pandemic. It’s written by a mother of three, who wrote this book with the sudden changes her kids were going through in mind. Not only is it a great storyline but the illustrations are great! They are colorful and I think they will really kids follow along. Near the end of the book, there is a guide for discussion with your kids in this Pandemic keepsake book.

I highly recommend The Extraordinary Pause. It’s being released in the US soon and releases are also being written in Spanish, Arabic, French, and German.""