“I did not even know what a blackout was or how important our neighbors can be during one!” Callie Age 5

<i>FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.</i>

This was really sweet. The illustration style reminded me of classics I grew up on, and the story of community and connection was beautiful. 💙

How cute!! I loved how we got to learn a little bit about everyone living in the apartment building and how when the blackout happened they all checked on each other!

The art was also stunning! It was so well done and and I loved the limited color palette that was used once The Blackout happened!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Blackout by Luis Amavisca is very nostalgic for the late 80’s- early 90’s child in me. My children have not had many experiences with blackouts in their lives; two of them not even remembering one. But growing up I remember having backouts every summer and winter. I remember the drawer that held flashlights and batteries, candles and packets of matches.

We did not have the community represented in this book, and after the pandemic I’m not sure how many places in the United States have this kind of relationship with their apartment building neighbors. So that part holds a bit of a disconnect; however I did like reading about it.

I enjoyed the colors; how the light was illustrated and the background. I was not a big fan of how the faces of the characters were drawn and I think it would’ve benefitted from a more varied depth of field or perspective; some close up drawings. Perhaps hand puppets, smiles in pillow forts? There could’ve been more of that giddy excitement in the drawings.