Skipping to Sammy’s Beat
Coral Vass and Blithe Fielden
New Frontier Publishing

The year Sammy turned four she wore her pink tutu, her spotty yellow wellies, her big bat wings and her bike helmet. She spent time splashing in puddles, dangling from trees and searching for ladybirds; best of all though she loved to dance and was able to hear her very own tap, da-dum, tap, tap, da-dum beat.

However, when she turned five Sammy noticed that her friends were dressing more modestly causing her to feel silly in her tutu. Consequently she shed her usual gear but when she danced down the path now the other children made fun of her and so she stopped dancing altogether.

Instead she watched the others playing and enjoying all the things she once loved to do.
Her beat grew quieter and quieter until she couldn’t hear it at all and she felt full of sadness.

Then one day she slumped down beside a path near a large puddle and there as she dropped her head, she saw a dragonfly trying its best to get out of the water. Gently she scooped it out and held it carefully. The other children noticed and came over. They all watched the little insect take to the air that is what helped her find the courage to move to her own beat once more.

A sweet, sensitive story told in a lively manner with vibrant, detailed illustrations that show so well, Sammy’s changing feelings as the story progresses. One hopes that it will encourage young children to have the courage to be true to themselves and fully embrace what makes them unique, and allow others to do so too.