Book Review of Imagine That: The Magic of the Mysterious Lights by George Yuhasz

My Review

My appreciation of this children’s book starts with the title, which includes several words that hint at important themes for adults and children alike: imagine (imagination), magic (creating dreams and goals from our thoughts) and lights (a representation of curiosity and wonder). Then the book’s first sentence elegantly sets the stage, “On a night when the sky is full of stars, sometimes there appears light that cannot be explained, even by the smartest astronomers.” A compelling beginning to an endearing story.

George Yuhasz’s Imagine That: The Magic of the Mysterious Lights tells the tale of a young girl, Evelyn, who discovers the power of her imagination over the course of a few days. There is a charming, intriguing and enduring sweetness to this story. Although I’m quite a few years older than the target audience of a children’s book, I was deeply touched by the power of this young girl’s discovery. At one point a character explains to Evelyn, “It is here where you… can call upon your imagination to bring your thoughts, ideas, and dreams into the light of possibility, knowledge, and reality.” Exactly! Regardless of our age, this is advice we can all benefit from.

The story unfolds naturally and easily, like a gently undulating river carrying us along on an adventure. The importance of the message is woven effortlessly into the narrative by Yuhasz’s choices of characters, vocabulary and pacing. There is a poetic quality at play in this book.

We get to see glimpses of Evelyn’s family life, her special connection to nature—particularly the night sky—and her curiosity about the world around her. Because I’m not the author, it may be presumptuous of me to say this; but I sense that Evelyn is a representation of all human beings, with our innate longing to understand our purpose and goals, and to guide ourselves toward them in a positive, patient way. The story makes plenty of room for Evelyn to simply be a child as she enjoys playing with friends, interacts with her parents, and marvels at the mystery and vastness of the star-filled night sky.

Imagine That is beautifully illustrated. The printing quality is excellent, and the font style and size are easy to read; welcoming, actually. This book is a delightful treasure, and it remains with me after several readings as a reminder of the power of positivity and imagination.

I highly recommend this book and give it the highest rating. I look forward to reading more of George Yuhasz’s stories.

I bought my own copy of this book.