Storybook Spotlight: Ten Beautiful Things

 

Title: Ten Beautiful Things 
Author: Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrator: Maribel Lechuga
Publisher: Charlsbridge, 2021.
Where to Find It:

• Buy Here: Ten Beautiful Things on Amazon.in

• Read Online: - No link available

Best For:

For anyone above the age group of 3 +. May have to be read to for smaller ages. 

The Tale in a Nutshell

When everything is working well, life is hard. So when it gets complicated, life is really hard - no matter who you are or your age. TEN BEAUTIFUL THINGS is a book that helps a navigate this hard life with one simple idea. This book can be the right book for you. 

Why This Book Shines

With the first line, we are hooked onto a sadness that comes from change, a grief, a shift. In this story, it is on the shoulder of a young girl called Lily. She is shifting to Iowa due to some life changing event - could be anything. The story does not say, but it shows the grief. Grandma being the adult also has to adapt to it. So they have each other now. They have to survive this. One day at the time. Today with the car ride. 

Gran suggests that she share ten beautiful things that she can see out of the window of the car. 

Lily is not sure she can see anything beautiful, but slowly the list starts and grows, ending in a beautiful embrace. The situation awaiting them does not change. But, it make the the ride hopeful, and the future hopeful. 

The book is written poetically, yet with such simple assembly of words, like these 

Describing the windmills

When describing an old beaten down ranch house, Lily moans that it is not pretty and cannot make the list of things beautiful. To this grandma says 

Towards the end of the story, when they pass the thunderstorm, here is how Molly Beth Griffin writes about it

Artful Notes

The color palette of Ten Beautiful Things is both soft and stirring — gently evoking the emotional journey of Lily, a girl navigating change and unfamiliar territory.

• Soft earth tones (warm browns, dusty greens, gentle yellows) create a comforting atmosphere, grounding Lily’s road trip across the rural Midwest.

• Cool blues and greys reflect her initial sadness and uncertainty, especially in the earlier scenes of leaving home.

• As the journey unfolds and Lily begins to notice the beauty around her, pops of brighter colors like orange sunsets, golden fields, and pink skies begin to appear — subtly tracking her shift from apprehension to acceptance and hope.

• The use of light and shadow is gentle but purposeful — the changing skies mirror emotional transitions, from cloudy doubts to open-skied calm.

Maribel Lechuga’s illustrations are expressive and full of movement. Her art feels like a visual poem, blending realism with a touch of whimsy. The brushwork is loose yet purposeful, evoking a sense of journey and emotional fluidity. There’s a wonderful use of perspective, especially during the road trip — the wide, sweeping landscapes open up Lily’s world just as her heart begins to open too.

Lechuga also beautifully captures the intimacy between Lily and her grandmother through close-ups and shared glances, making the story as much about connection as it is about nature.

Little Extras

This book is perfect for anyone struggling to adapt to change, and grief. It is like the idea of show gratitude for... but it is a perfect idea for anyone struggling. It shifts the focus to something positive. 

Good to use in the PSE Library! 

Little books, big feelings. Keep reading.
Hugs,
Dee