Review Detail

After receiving a journal for her 7th birthday, young Avni has a simple question: WHERE DO STORIES LIVE? On a summer day spent with her sister, they explore all the different places that stories can live. From the woods to their aunt’s house, they find that stories can live all around you and even within you.

I can admit that I hadn’t been sure what to expect of this book. It’s a picture book discussing stories, but that’s really all I knew about it. I could not have expected this book to delve into the emotions behind stories and all the possible ways that stories exist around us. The author, Meenal Patel, did a beautiful job at highlighting all the different things that hide stories. From butterfly wings to hugs, pictures to the rings of trees. Meenal Patel manages to highlight so many beautiful stories.

This book also has gorgeous illustrations. Meenal Patel, the author, also happens to be the illustrator for this book! As amazing as her storytelling is, her art is just as fabulous. The illustrations don’t seem overly complex at first glance, but there are layers and details to the pictures that bring them to life. There’s also a bunch of colors in this book and it lets the story feel real. The scenes actually feel like a path, the woods, a lived-in home. It’s beautiful.

WHERE DO STORIES LIVE is a beautifully poignant book about finding and treasuring all the stories that live around us. From the ones we are directly involved with to the ones that have shaped the world and land around us. This book truly highlights the many, many ways that stories exist in this world and the ways that children can discover these stories during their own explorations.