Ten Beautiful Things

A sweet story story about finding new beautiful things as we go on to new places. It’s a story about a young girl and her grandma on a car ride and they play a game in which they have to find 10 beautiful things on their journey. I think this is a great book for kids, especially kids who are moving to new places and new homes. It really helps to them to look for the great things wherever they go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Charlesbridge for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Sad, touching, sweet and uplifting. What a lovely little book. You can feel the little girl's pain and loss but you can also feel the grandma's love. It's so important that we all take time to find and appreciate the beautiful things in life, especially when life is sad or hard. Love this book! 5 stars all day long

This is such a sweet story that was beautifully written. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous as well. While the story obviously has a sad background that we don’t learn about for sure, it teaches the lesson that there is beauty around us always.

This is such a beautiful children’s book, both in the story itself and in the illustrations. The story follows Lily and her Grandma as they travel through Iowa to her Grandma’s house and Lily’s new home. We don’t read the backstory but it would appear that something has happened to Lily’s parents and she is on her way to live with her Grandma. It’s an interesting story, looking at grief and anxiety from a child’s perspective, but also has a great lesson about finding beauty in everything around you, even when it’s hard. And the illustrations are beautiful!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is the kind of storybook which almost makes you feel sad wanting to know more about why the child character in the storybook seems so sad and bitter but yes, while reading the whole, beautifully illustrated storybook, you would feel the same what the little girl's feeling and you would see things differently when her grandmother shows you not only the pretty things but the most beautiful ones which our eyes can capture.

Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book about a young girls journey away from what she knew as home, to her new home in the Midwest with her grandmother. The author doesn't tell us the child's history but paints a picture of loss and uncertainty that the gram tries to ease by playing a game of finding 10 beautiful things before they reach home. A beautiful story of finding the beauty in even the worst of times, and the true importance of those lessons.

This really good book shows a young girl being driven across country to move in with her grandma. We're never told why, although the adults amongst us can guess, all we know is she has a full set of luggage and cases on top of the car and an empty feeling inside, until the elderly lady tells the girl to find ten beautiful things before the journey is over. What we get is a bit too close to mindfulness and all that malarkey at times, but still steers us assuredly towards the natural conclusion the trip needs. The success of this would mean little without strong artwork, but we get that, and even if it kind of goes over-the-top with the four-seasons-in-a-day drama of the visuals at times, this was a great success all told. A strong four stars that will certainly reassure some readers in valuable ways – and still look pretty and dramatic enough for the rest.

I received an advance copy of, Ten Beautiful Things, by Molly Beth Griffin. Lily is taking a trip with her grandmother, they decide to count 10 beautiful things along the way. A great book, beautifully illustrated.

Amazing! Beautiful, emotional, great illustrations and just a strong and positive message. Perfection made of paper! Obviously I recommend it!!

This is a really heartwarming book about grief, uncertainty, worry, and love! I really like how it incorporates how much Lily is worrying in the form of physical symptoms, which is accurate af! I also really liked that the grandma explains that something doesn't need to be pretty to be beautiful and that this is reflected in the things they decide to pick on their journey!
We definitely need more picturebooks like these, and I would really use it with younger children!

Beautiful pictures, evocative language about Lily and her grandmother's long journey back to her grandmother's house. Her grandmother comes up with a game for Lily to find ten beautiful things along the way. Artwork went hand-in-hand with the language, but the book left me wondering what happened to Lily and why she was sad to be moving in with her grandmother. However, when I read it to my kids, they said, "I think the author did that deliberately so if a child who is reading it is going through a transition - no matter what it is - they can relate to it and feel like they're not alone.". Highly recommend .

This was a beautifully illustrated story about change and finding the beauty in the world around you no matter what. I read it with my children, ages 8 & 10 and we all enjoyed it.

Ten Beautiful Things was a wonderfully pensive book. The context of a little girl unseated and obviously unsettled from her norm may be a little hard for younger eyes to understand but for some it may be just right. The illustrations move the story along and encourage the young hearts to find the beautiful things even amongst the clouds and the unsaid emotions. I enjoyed the book and loved reading it with my young daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This is the perfect book to show how we can look for the good in a bad situation. I think this will be the perfect book to read when children have to do something that they aren't happy out, especially when they don't have a choice in the matter. In the book, that situation is a little girl having to move far away with her grandmother.

Sad that stories like this are needed , but they are as so many grandparents are raising their grandchildren. It's not stated why the child is going to live with her grandmother, but she's sad and her grandmother is trying very hard to keep the move light and happy by looking for ten beautiful things on the way to her home on a farm in Iowa. Child is skeptical that there will be ten things, but grandmother gets her started and before long they arrive home to their new lives. Lovely tale. Would make a good read to a child in similar circumstances I would think. Illustrations were wonderful.

In this poignant story, Lily is driving to Iowa to move in with her Gran. Along the way, Gran asks Lily to play a game where they have to find 10 beautiful things on their drive. At first, Lily can't find the beauty in the April clouds and her sadness, but soon she sees beauty in the unexpected, from the spell of mud to an abandoned barn to a swan-shaped cloud.

I enjoyed the theme of love and appreciation throughout the book. I also enjoyed how it gave representation to different family types: Lily was moving in with her Gran. There is no mention as to why, just that it is the way it is now, and they love each other no matter what.

Most adults know the challenge of taking a long car journey with a child. Car games are a fun way of keeping the children busy.

Our little lead character in this book, Lily, is also going on a car journey with her grandma to her new home. To keep her attention diverted, Grandma begins the game of finding "Ten Beautiful Things".

Now the most important factor is that Lily is sad but we do not why. Is it because of some death in the family? is it because she doesn't want to leave her old home? Or is she missing her friends? The beauty of this is that the story can be adapted to incorporate any reason for Lily's loss and a beautiful way of dealing with the pain. initially, I wasn't sure why the reason for Lily's sadness had been left unclear but on reading the Goodreads synopsis, I realised that it makes perfect sense to keep the reason hazy. The book can be used by parents/guardians to help children deal with any personal loss or pain.

And what fabulous illustrations! They look as if they have been lovingly drawn with crayons.

First I want to thank NetGalley and for an early digital copy of this picture book in exchange for my honest review. I spend every night reading stories to my little ones. I know they would love this story, and I think you can get a lot of comprehension discuss and imagery from this story.

Ultimately, Lily is to move in with her grandmother and on they go on a road trip. You can tell Lily feels sad and to help Lily see the positive sides of life Grandma makes a car ride game to see the light. This book is a great mini-lesson on how to make lemons out of lemonade, or being grateful for the simple beauty in life even if it doesn't feel good inside.

This was a really beautiful children’s book and I loved it!

The story and the illustrations were wonderful and the book is a one that tugs on the heartstrings. We don't know what has happened to Lily's parents but the book dals with it as a loss and the impact that is on her as she makes a new life away from everything she knew with her grandma.

The book is really well written and it has such a lovely flow to it. . I liked that the book looked at the loss of a parent or what they knew as the norm in this was as it deals with the grief and anxiety from the associated changes too.

I loved the way the book encourages the reader to look around you and that you can find beauty in everything, even when life is hard.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Okay I really loved this book! There are so many layers to it. The basic storyline is that of a little girl, Lily who is moving in with her grandma and is very nervous. So Gram tells Lily to count 10 beautiful things on their car journey.
One of the reasons I originally wanted to read this book was the concept, this book can help support children by offering a coping mechanism for when they are scared or anxious. But what I also loved about this book as it has so much potential for inference reading, discussion of vocabulary and potential for children to write a journey of their own where the spot ten beautiful things. In parts of the story some of the things discussed aren’t things that the children might normally think of as beautiful which creates a great talking point about what is beautiful and why. It’s also great to discuss in relation to children emotions as well.

The book doesn’t explain why Lily is going to live with her nan and doesn’t focus on that in the story, which I like because you can discuss with the children... but also allows the focus to not be on something that could be triggering for some children but be on something positive. (Although it would be important to think about the children you are reading it to anyway) Having her live with her nan also allows different types of families to be shown and represented.

A beautifully illustrated book that initially looks like a simple lovely story but has a lot of depth to it.

Ten Beautiful Things was an absolutely stunning book. As a girl and her grandmother travel across the country after an implied devastating loss, the little girl is feeling empty and angry. The grandmother suggests a game; find ten beautiful things. This simple task gives the girl something to focus on while also building the relationship between the two.
The story was brilliant, the illustrations incredible and a book deserving of accolades.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Ten Beautiful Things is a beautifully told story about a little girl who is going to live with her grandma very far away from her home. The story doesn't tell you why this is but this could be a great conversation starter to use with children in therapy or in a class or even with a child at home.
The girl is sad and her grandma decides to play a game in the car - to find ten beautiful things on their journey. The moral of the story is that even though we may not want to do something or even be happy about it, there is beauty, wonderment and amazing things around us that make everything more worth while.
I loved the illustrations and the reference to mindfulness when the little girl stops to inhale the smell of the earth slow and steadily.
A beautiful book for any child and we really do need more books like this in the world today.

I was provided a free copy of this book by @netgalley and @charlesbridgepublishing in exchange for my honest review.
I love to read stories with my daughter (6 years old) that help us talk about different topics that may not come up in normal conversation, or may be difficult. This one was one of those for us. We are never told why Lily is moving to live with her Gran (which allows for it to be used for those in multiple different scenarios), but we see her at the beginning sad and unable to see any beauty around her. Wise and loving Gran challenges her to find ten beautiful things before their long car ride is over! This was a good opportunity to talk through lots of reasons big changes might happen in our lives, and even in the midst of sadness beauty can still be found. It's a beautifully illustrated book and I would definitely recommend it!
#TenBeautifulThings #NetGalley

We can all relate to needing to find positivity and shifting our mindset. TEN BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Molly Beth Griffin is a gorgeous ode to finding beauty in the world around us, especially when we feel empty, alone, and aren't ready to embrace the change we are facing.
An incredible story that belongs in every home and school library.

This is a really lovely children's book, both visually and emotionally. A little girl and her grandmother are driving the long drive to the grandmother's home and the grandmother encourages her to find ten beautiful things on the way. The book doesn't come out and say what's going on and you realize slowly that she is moving to live with her grandmother and clearly anxious and sad, but the grandmother's love and comforting joy help her navigate it. There are so few books dealing with topics like parents' death, foster care and so on, and most try to hit kids on the head with moralizing messages if they do have characters who are dealing with these issues. This one puts the child's circumstances on the back seat and just treats her as a main character learning to see beauty even in sad times and reminds kids that love and beauty can come from many places. Well recommended.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I’m speechless. I thought I would find a beautiful book about the relationship between a grandmother and a granddaughter, but it is more than this.

The book start take place on a road trip to a new grandmother's house. Lily is sad and her grandma say to her that they can play to find ten beautiful things during the trip.

It is so interesting how the author and the illustrator shows us the reality of life, how to fill in the empty spaces of the soul only taking notice of the little things of the lives.

Highly recommended to people from all the edges.

I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Charlesbridge to give me the chance to read and review this book.

This book is beautiful. It reminds the reader that even when we are depressed or lonely, we can still find beauty in the world around us. The illustrations are gorgeous and help the reader visualize what the girl is seeing from her window. This will definitely be purchased for my elementary library.

Wonderful story about finding the beautiful even in tough situations. The illustrations in this story are also beautifully done.

Great book for helping a child find a different prospective during a difficult time. I’ll be honest I requested this book on Netgalley thinking it would be a good book to help my little one during this pandemic. I didn’t read through the book first so during our bedtime read I was nervous. I wondered where Lily’s parents were, would this book discuss death or separation. And it didn’t. My 7yo didn’t even get that from the book. He talked about how she started looking “for good stuff instead of being so sad” This book did exactly what I needed it to. I was able to segue the conversation into making the best of our situation and staying safe. Highly recommend!

This is a beautiful little book, perfect for reminding one to slow down and see the beauty that is all around is, most especially when things don't feel beautiful. I really like the idea of using this for an activity or classroom lesson wherein the readers then find their own ten beautiful things.

The art is also lovely, and there's something quiet under the surface that makes everything about this little picture book feel just a little deeper.

Free ARC from Netgalley.

A child has to move to their grandparents, and feel nothing inside anymore. The grandmother says to count 10 beautiful things seen along the way.

Beautiful about finding joy in the small things in life.

Gorgeous illustrations too.

Moving can be a difficult experience for a child and Lily is showing the same nervousness and fears that come with change.

But the long car ride with Grandma to their new home offers the opportunity to explore and notice the beauty on this journey to their new home. Seeking 10 beautiful things allows Lily to time to process this move, get better acquainted with grandma and appreciate the beauty of the countryside.

This is a beautiful picture book that is perfect for families navigating change.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this lovely picture book. Wow, there is such a big story tucked in this little book, and the beauty of it is that the story is as big as the reader needs it to be. We see Lily and Gran loading up Gran's car, preparing to travel across the state to Gran's home - Lily's new home. We aren't told the why or how, but Lily's sorrow is as evident as Gran's compassion. Gran suggests they find 10 beautiful things on the way, and their choices along the way mirror the hope that we see growing in Lily's heart as they approach Gran's home. This is a simple story, with few words, but those words are so powerful and able to instill courage in readers who are facing difficult life changes.

Ten Beautiful Things is a charming book picture book! Lily takes a road trip in order to live with her Gran. She is sad about what she leaving behind. Gran tries to cheer her up on the trip by encouraging Lily to find 10 beautiful things along the way. As they arrive at her grandmother's house they have found 10 beautiful things. The classic illustrations only add to the endearing story.

Lily and her Gram find ten beautiful things along their way to Lily new home.

This story is beautiful. The illustrations are captivating and the writing has a wonderful flow to it. This book addresses anxiety and grief while processing big changes in an easy to understand story.

Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the e-ARC!

This book is achingly beautiful! It's the story of a little girl who has to go live with her grandmother from now on. (We are not told why, so you can interpret your own reasons.) On the road trip to her grandmother's house, the two of them choose 10 things that they pass by which they deem beautiful, leading right up into the girl's new life. A great book choice if this situation hits close to home for a kid in your life.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

His beautifully written and illustrated picture book is my new favorite. A young girl sits in the back seat of her Gram’s car and she seems sad. Her Gram suggests that they find ten beautiful things on their drive to pass the time. As the day passes and the drive continues hey find beauty in unique places. The story ends as they arrive at dusk at Gram’s home, and the young girl’s new home. She realizes they are beautiful together. Very sweet and could be a wonderful choice for someone dealing with grief.

A beautiful story about grief, wonder, and family. While driving to her grandmother’s house, where it is implied she will now live, a young girl struggles with this big change. Her grandma encourages her to find ten beautiful things during the drive, and by the time they reach her new home the girl feels better. Lovely picture book read aloud for all ages.

This is a very moving and reassuring book about moving on in life. Set in the Midwest, it tells the story of Lily who is moving home to live with her gran in Iowa. To help Lily, Gran plays a game with her in the car. They must find ten beautiful things on their journey. By the time Lily reaches her new home, she is reassured and full of hope. A brilliant idea well executed by both author and illustrator.

The illustrations are stunning. The words are so spot-on. This would be a perfect book for any kiddo (or parent with a kiddo) entering a transition phase! So perfect for right now when kids are trying 'firsts' or something scary.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Lily is traveling to her grandmother's house. We don't know why she's going to live there, but we know it's a hard transition for young Lily. Grandma suggests they find ten beautiful things on their trip. Beautiful picture books.

OMG - the ending just about had me in tears. Gram and Lily are going for a long car ride. Lily is going to live with Gram. We don’t know why, it’s never mentioned. Gram’s makes a game of finding 10 beautiful things. As a way to take Lily’s mind of whatever it is on and make her feel more safe and secure. This book should be a staple in libraries, and in child resource centers, or anyplace that needs to place a child with their grandparent. I spend quite a bit of time living with my grams in between base transfers, so maybe I feel this book more than other will, but I don’t care. I loved this story.

This was a great book to teach everyone - not just kids - to "stop and smell the roses" and look for the beauty in the world around us.

Embarking on the tender journey within "Ten Beautiful Things" by Molly Beth Griffin was a poignant exploration of emotions and resilience. This enchanting book delicately captures the essence of change, loss, and the transformative power of finding beauty amidst life's challenges.

As Lily and her grandmother navigate a long car ride to Iowa, and Lily transitions to her new home with Gran, the narrative beautifully unfolds. Initially shrouded in the gloom of April slush and cloudy skies, Lily's perspective gradually shifts. The book masterfully weaves through the spectrum of emotions – from sadness and loss to touching moments of sweetness and upliftment.

What struck me most was the palpable connection between Lily and her grandmother. The depth of Lily's pain and loss is heartbreakingly tangible, yet interwoven with the steadfast love and support of her grandma. It's a testament to the importance of acknowledging and embracing the complex emotions that come with change.

The author, Molly Beth Griffin, skillfully guides readers through Lily's evolving perception of beauty. From the scent of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan, even a dilapidated barn, each discovery is a gentle reminder that beauty can be found in unexpected places. The poignant metaphor of a rainstorm reflecting Lily's anxiety is both powerful and evocative.

In my personal experience with the book, I found it to be a profound reflection on the resilience of the human spirit. The ambiguity surrounding the exact cause of Lily's move makes "Ten Beautiful Things" universally relatable. It becomes a touching narrative for anyone guiding a child through change, loss, or transitions, be it the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or a simple change of residence.

"Ten Beautiful Things" earns a heartfelt five stars. It is a touching and uplifting masterpiece that invites readers to find beauty in the midst of life's challenges. This book resonates with a powerful message – that love, resilience, and the discovery of beauty can illuminate even the darkest of moments.