Clea Adams

When a playful dragonfly named Lea meets a friendly boy they form a fast friendship over the course of several days. When he gives her a secret assignment to complete for him, she gladly accepts. It is only after Lea completes her requested tasks that she discovers that she has been chosen as a messenger from deceased family members (the boy and his grandparents) to a grieving couple (the boys parents).

When The Dragonfly Secret was first released I noticed some favorable reviews of it on the blogs of Christian reviewers who I respect as people, and so it was with an intermingling of excitement over the illustrations hinted at by the cover design, and hesitancy due to the lack of detailed reviews concerning the spiritual aspects of the title that I could find on the internet. I knew that it was written to be a comforting and reassuring story for children about life beyond this short existence here on earth, and that it was written to be applicable to families with a variety of spiritual beliefs (and could possibly work for Christians), but beyond that I was lacking details.

The story is told in a gentle and reassuring manner, no frightening “I see dead people” aspects are found within the text by Clea and John Adams. This is meant to be a comforting story of joy and happiness beyond death, and that feeling is expressed through the bright, sunshiny illustrations of Barbara L. Gibson.

While generally I avoid spoilers in reviews, I feel that this title is an exception. Be forewarned. When parents are scanning children’s titles for the purposes of spiritual discernment, providing details is clearly in order. At the book’s end it is revealed that Lea has been contacted by dead people that she can see and converse with in order to communicate a reassuring message to the loved ones they’ve left behind. Some vague hints such as the spirits looking into the sky seem to hint at a heaven-like afterlife, but no specifics are provided either way.

The main determining factor with this title is whether or not your family believes that dead people can willingly communicate through mediators here on earth with those still living. For our family, I’m very uncomfortable promoting this belief. The only examples we see of this in scripture are Saul calling up Samuel’s spirit by a medium – an act which had serious repercussions for him and his family.

Though I can’t pretend to know everything about the eternal world beyond this one, I do know that the Bible cautions us against seeking out contact with spirits. While the living characters in The Dragonfly Secret don’t do this, I don’t want to develop an appetite for spiritism in my young children.

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com… (més)

Reviewed by Jaglvr for Kids @ TeensReadToo.com

THE DRAGONFLY SECRET is a beautifully illustrated story of hope for everyone. With vibrant, detailed pictures, the story is told with a bit of mystery and whimsy.

Lea, a small dragonfly, first seen in the companion book, THE DRAGONFLY DOOR, encounters a young boy playing in a meadow. The two begin playing hide and seek and having a good time. Before the day ends, the boy promises to tell the dragonfly a secret if she promises to do three things for him. Her first task is to search for a baseball hat the next time she's in the garden. Lea immediately agrees and the boy leaves.

The next day, while Lea searches for the baseball hat, she encounters an elderly couple who asks her if she's found the baseball hat yet. She tells them she's only started looking for it. Then, like the boy, they ask for her to find something. She is also to find a brown bear in the garden.

Lea is determined to find both of these things so that she can get to the third thing to learn the boy's secret.

But when Lea does discover the baseball hat and the bear, she learns the secret on her own.

Though the underlying theme may seem of loss when Lea discovers the boy's secret, underneath that loss is a feeling of hope. The loved ones learn that they are watched over and all is well. Instead of being sad at the loss suffered in the book, the family is full of joy upon the understanding of Lea's part in the discovery.… (més)

Colorful and reassuring, The Dragonfly Secret is a children's book about a mom and dad who lose their little boy. The little boy befriends a dragonfly named Lea. Lea wants to know where the little boy is from and what his name is, and he tells her she will find out soon if she can help him by doing three things.

Along the way, the dragonfly meets the little boys grandparents and they give her the next set of instructions. Finally, the little boys parents come to the garden to grieve the loss of their son, and the dragonfly helps the boy by landing on his cap brought to the garden by his mom. Lea also touches the teddy bear brought to the garden by the little boys dad.

Finally, the parents understand that their little boy is communicating with them through the butterfly, and it assuages their grief. The couple call out "David, we love you!", and so the dragonfly learns the boys name as well as the fact that he exists in the afterlife.

The story is gently told with loving illustrations. Although I have found most reviewers feel this is a book for grieving children, I feel it would be more helpful to parents grieving the loss of a child. My seven year old read it and did not quite understand what was going on, although she really liked the dragonfly and the illustrations. Once I explained it to her she understood. The story is perhaps better for ages 8/9 and up, especially grieving adults.… (més)