‘The Year We Muddled Through’ Book Review

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This last year has been a whirlwind of changes, new routines, new ways of getting by, dealing with a wide range of emotions and muddling through a very strange time. I am sure you’ve had many highs and many lows, you’ve probably made a lot of memories and learnt how to enjoy a slower pace of life. Yes, there were times when we all hit that brick wall and wanted our own space again but there were other times where we cuddled our children so tightly, feeling incredibly blessed for all we have. I hope we can all look back at that year with more fond memories than worrying ones especially when we reflect on those long walks, the activities we did for school, the PE with Joe, arts and crafts and so on. The Year We Muddled Through has taken all of these experiences, all of what we felt and did and has captured the year where the world turned upside down and this is our review…

First Impressions

The Year We Muddled Through written by Lauren Fennmore and illustrated by Zoe Damoulakis.

Well, what can I say? This book is just simply beautiful. With its stunning illustration set on a turquoise background colour, the front cover immediately draws you in. The iconic images of rainbows, a home, greenery and sunflower immediately tells you that this is about lockdown and I got a nostalgic feeling just from looking at it.

You can feel the quality throughout and I particularly liked the thick pages. It seems as though this has maybe be done so that the book lasts and lasts for us to always be able to look back on this time? I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this with my boys.

The Story

“Someday when you’re much older and much bigger than right now, you might just ask about the year the world turned upside down”

Immediate goosebumps from me here. The strange thing is that the very first lockdown almost seems like forever ago already and yet was only last year and we are still feeling all the feels from it, aren’t we?

The story goes to talk about the quiet streets, wildlife returning, sheep escaping and the fun they had at night with no noisy humans around. It continues to show us on walks, doing yoga, running and watching our children play. How we chased the rainbows around the streets but never found that pot of gold.

How we grew more plants and sunflowers and enjoyed that time outside and how earth finally got the rest it needed to repair itself.

The way it is written is heartwarming, magical and emotional.

The next topic in the book covers how we appreciated everything that little bit more and how we clapped to show our gratitude. And then it moves onto how our children have grown and how some new babies were being grown too – the positives that came out of the storm.

Overall Thoughts

This book is one that you will purchase and love forever. Each time you pick it up you will be reminded of a memory you and your family made and how even though it was tough, it was also magical.

The Year We Muddled Through is available to purchase via Owlet Press who publish a wide variety of children’s books that would be a great addition to your library like a book we reviewed a couple of years ago called What Wesley Wore.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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