Discover → Children's

Luam's Balm

By Layne Redman

Buy it nowBuy nowBuy

Enjoying this book? Help it get discovered by casting your vote!

Worth reading 😎

In this picture book, the children are the healers and helpers. Well done!

Synopsis

A young boy. A magical tree; and the race of a lifetime

Early one summer's day, Luam and his sister stumble across a magical shea tree in the back of their garden and are transported to a place they have never been. Jamaica! There, Luam finds himself running a race against two of the fastest boys in the country.

It’s a close contest but luckily his sister is on hand with a secret snack to transform Luam into the superhero, The Mighty Maul.

As the race progresses, one of the runners winds up in trouble and only Luam and his magical balm can help save the day. But with the winning at stake, will Luam run on to victory or risk being the champion to help someone else?

Follow Luam and his friends as they travel from country to country and embark on adventures to help heal the world.

Luam, and his sibling Ayalan, discover a tree that allows them to travel in time. The tree also produces a balm, which Luam uses to acquire supernatural powers when he becomes the Mighty Maul.


The best thing about Luam's Balm is that it makes children, the healers. They are the conveyors of kindness and strength. Well done!


The artwork is beautiful and interesting. The illustrations capture the general point of the story and the illustrator maintains the art style throughout the picture book. I particularly love the color scheme.


However, I feel the story promotes the use of substances. Luam's sister, Ayalan, does this by offering Luam a "treat" before the race. A treat that will help him go faster than Usain. I also feel that while the spectators rightly cheer for Usain, who wins the race, in the illustrations the people show little sympathy for Layne, who fell in the race. The story and artwork could have incorporated the horror the spectators felt when one of the runners had a mishap. This would promote empathy as a positive attribute.


This book is interesting, but I would prefer if Luam did not have to digest a "treat" to become the Mighty Maul. I would also prefer a kinder portrayal of the spectators. Nonetheless, I would encourage the writer to keep authoring books about Luam to promote an enduring love for him.

 

Reviewed by
Clover Fourleaf

I am a professional editor, who understands how stories should work. I hope to contribute in meaningful ways to authors and the general reading community, so that good books can get into the hands of readers. You can find me at - edithint.com or follow me on Twitter at @edithint

Luam's Balm

Written by Layne Redman

Buy it nowBuy nowBuy
Read preview

Synopsis

A young boy. A magical tree; and the race of a lifetime

Early one summer's day, Luam and his sister stumble across a magical shea tree in the back of their garden and are transported to a place they have never been. Jamaica! There, Luam finds himself running a race against two of the fastest boys in the country.

It’s a close contest but luckily his sister is on hand with a secret snack to transform Luam into the superhero, The Mighty Maul.

As the race progresses, one of the runners winds up in trouble and only Luam and his magical balm can help save the day. But with the winning at stake, will Luam run on to victory or risk being the champion to help someone else?

Follow Luam and his friends as they travel from country to country and embark on adventures to help heal the world.

Luam's Balm

Written by Layne Redman

Buy it nowBuy nowBuy
Visit website
No activity yet

No updates yet.

Come back later to check for updates.

Comments

About the author

Layne Redman AKA El Red, Redders or just THE Redman half Aries half Pisces is an award winning TV presenter, actor, voice over artist and writer based between London and Dubai. Previous writing assignments were for Viva, Cosmopolitan magazines, now a father of two children kids lit became a focus. view profile

Published on March 21, 2021

Published by

0-1000 words

Genre:Children's

Reviewed by

Enjoyed this review?

Get early access to fresh indie books and help decide on the bestselling stories of tomorrow. Create your free account today.

facebook

or

google

Or sign up with an email address

Or sign up with your social account

Menu