Everyone expects identical twins to be clones of each other, enjoying the same things, excelling at the same subjects, eating the same foods and so on.
In Fearless Mirabelle, the Moffats are delighted at the arrival of their twins. They are circus performers and are overjoyed to see that Mirabelle has inherited their acrobatic skills. Meg, however, confounds them. She talks and talks and reads but when is comes to trying to perform on the trapeze platform...
As someone who has had issues with heights, I love the description of Meg's fear:
"Her legs wobbled like jellyfish. Her hands shook like earthquakes. Her toes trembled like turkeys"
The parents encourage her to try many circus skills, but Meg has no talent for them and shuts herself away. It is not until Mirabelle finds herself in a really scary place, that Meg discovers her voice and her forte. Together the twins become a fabulous double act.
This is a lovely story about families, children discovering they are different but equal each with their own unique personality and aptitudes. The circus setting is fun and lends itself well to Nila Aye's talent for illustration and depicting just the right expression.
A fun book to explore with young children and older ones who like to read picture books. Fearless Mirabelle offers lots of opportunities for discussions about feelings and being different.
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Published by Templar Books, Fearless Mirabelle
Fearless Mirabelle is one of the 14 books with the theme of Female Empowerment, shortlisted for London's BIG READ, .
Voting is now open until 30 June, 2019.