My Heart is a Compass written and illustrated by Deborah Marcero is an empowering picture book full of enchanting details that beckon the reader to explore this story over and over again. This book takes the reader on an adventure inspired by Rose’s unbridled imagination. Rose has a burning desire to be an explorer and a trailblazer. She is driven to use her spirit of adventure and exploration to discover something new and unheard of to share at school for show-and-tell. To achieve this, she decides to explore unchartered territory. “Her imagination becomes a blueprint, with her heart a compass” on her voyage of discovery. Her true north is guided by her imagination to explore the unknown and determine her course in a quest to make a discovery. Rose is accompanied by an adventurous black cat. Rose creates a map for each destination, these maps are captivating, creative, clever and full of details that capture the reader’s attention. Rose’s adventure begins at the beach in search of never-before-seen treasure, but none is found. The journey continues into the cosmos with the most fantastical map, complete with whimsical constellations and fanciful additions to the layers of the earth’s atmosphere. From there, Rose finds herself on an island where another wildly imaginative world awaits her. Rose then plots train tracks into the mountains which depicts beauties such as Cat Ear Ridge. At the end of a creative filled day, where Rose’s imagination conjures up all these vivid and intricately detailed landscapes, she feels disappointed that she doesn’t have a tangible object to share with her class. Has Rose’s mission been unsuccessful? What will she share with her class and what revelations will come to light? This is an inspiring story about the importance of a journey and highlights how sometimes when you are searching for something, you may end up discovering so much more than you set out to, often in places and ways you never expected.
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