Local Children's Author Creates An Amazing Story Of Determination And Grace In 'Fish Out Of Water'

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains an affiliate link.

I know first hand what it’s like to ignore the pessimism and discouragement of some around you. If I had listened to random people telling me I couldn’t do something, I would not have accomplished many things I’m proud of. Listening to that inner voice of truth is hard when so many other voices can try to muffle the sound.

In ‘Fish Out Of Water,’ local author Carole Holliday shares the story of a very talented young lady named Marguerite. Despite having people around her attempt to squash her dreams of playing beautiful music, she trumpets right past the naysayers and triumphs more than gloriously.

And it’s because she didn’t give up and trusted the truth.

I told my young 7 year old nothing about this book before we opened it to read and she got the message of this story loud and clear. She told me “it’s important not to listen to the mean people.”

My very favorite part of this story, however, isn’t the fact that Marguerite boldly blew past those around her who would rather see her step to the side. The shining moment I highlighted with my kids, was when she had grace and compassion for an individual who didn’t deserve it. This is the kind of grace that I’m teaching my children as Truth. It’s the kind of compassion and kindness for others that we can only give because along the way, it was given to us. I absolutely adore that this isn’t a story of revenge for those who have put you down, but one of being a really ‘big’ person and showing forgiveness and maturity through kind actions. What a powerful message that is.

This book is a brilliant story of being true to self and understanding that others don’t have a say in where your abilities lie. Ms. Holliday truly has a heart for story.

And, can we talk about the exceptional talent of the author for a moment?! Upon receiving the review copy of the book, I actually didn’t know that Ms. Holliday was also the illustrator. I read this book with my daughter for bedtime that week and was blown away by the illustrations of Marguerite and her triumph. Turns out, Carole Holliday is a veteran storyboard artist in the animation industry where she’s worked for Disney and Dreamworks and various other companies over the years.

“Her story credits range, notably from films such as “a Goofy Movie,” “Tarzan” and “Bambi 2” as well as tv shows including “the Little Mermaid” and most recently “Sofia the First” where she not only did storyboards, but she also illustrated special episodic marketing storybooks as well. As both a woman and a person of color, Ms. Holliday has had her fair share of obstacles to overcome, but she has been able to persevere because of her faith in God who guides her path and has given her the resiliency to not be crushed by disappointment, the ability to embrace new directions and wherewithal to not allow other’s estimations of her define her identity. Using her lifetime career of art and story experience she wrote and illustrate “Fish Out of Water” to inspire all young women, whether they be African American or any race, to let their own unique voice be heard in their world–no matter what world they inhabit!”