I’m a little sad my first DNF of the year is a beloved children’s classic, but: no can do. I was looking forward to a charming woodland animals� tale,I’m a little sad my first DNF of the year is a beloved children’s classic, but: no can do. I was looking forward to a charming woodland animals� tale, but I was really not looking for a story about some fuddy-duddy English Good Old Boys going about their entitled lives of privilege and being boring and stodgy and judgy about it?
Because, I’m sorry, these are not charming woodland animals. These are clueless middle-aged gentlemen of leisure going through various midlife crises who happen to have animal heads. I have so many questions about this worldbuilding, like why are they animals but appear to be human-sized, clothed and going about entirely human preoccupations; why are some animals like them, i.e. uncomfortably superior in some way, while others are “normal� animals, some of whom the humanoid animals keep as pets (there’s a bird in a cage?), or worse, there’s a horse who is used as a beast of burden and doesn’t wear clothes, but it still talks and seems sentient, so are the charming Mssrs. Mole, Rat and Toad using slave labour??
I suppose I could read on but I suspect I’ll just have more questions that Kenneth Grahame is not going to answer. Presumably the ideal target audience for this is kids, nostalgic Brits and/or 19th century denizens. ...more
Meh. Mr. Fox is kind of a prick and I would like the chickens' perspective on this story, lol.Meh. Mr. Fox is kind of a prick and I would like the chickens' perspective on this story, lol....more
Great plot and setting, but I found the writing a bit too simple even for middle grade; it somehow managed to take any sense of tension out of what weGreat plot and setting, but I found the writing a bit too simple even for middle grade; it somehow managed to take any sense of tension out of what were, theoretically, quite high stakes. The protagonist read really young, as well - before I found out she was twelve, I would have taken her for around eight. ...more
What a beautiful collaboration. As always, Frances Hardinge is amazing at telling stories for younger audiences that hit exactly the right note: storiWhat a beautiful collaboration. As always, Frances Hardinge is amazing at telling stories for younger audiences that hit exactly the right note: stories that are exciting and emotional and dangerous and riotously imaginative. Emily Gravett’s illustrations complement this story so well, somehow capturing the lovely, eerie atmosphere of Milo’s world perfectly. I especially loved her colour palette; all those stunning shades of blue work so well with the greys and whites and black to somehow evoke the mist and the smell of the sea and the shapes of the ghosts in gorgeous detail....more
Another gorgeous Hardinge/Gravett collaboration, with illustrations that are as wild and strange as the Forest world while soothing the eye. The storyAnother gorgeous Hardinge/Gravett collaboration, with illustrations that are as wild and strange as the Forest world while soothing the eye. The story felt perhaps a tad bit short but maybe that's just because this is such a fascinating and dangerous world and I would have loved to spend more time in it....more
Most stunning art yet, I basically want to frame and hang it yet. The story was lovely but very short and simple, which was fine as the art was clearlMost stunning art yet, I basically want to frame and hang it yet. The story was lovely but very short and simple, which was fine as the art was clearly the star of this one....more
These books about a serf family and a noble family tangled up in each other’s destinies during the First Crusade were floating around the children’s sThese books about a serf family and a noble family tangled up in each other’s destinies during the First Crusade were floating around the children’s section of our tiny library when I was growing up, so I first read them when I was probably around 8 or 9, which by today’s standards would be way too young for all the graphic gore and murder in them, lol. They were probably also early contributors to my masochistic streak when it comes to enjoying works by authors who will ruthlessly kill all your favourite characters, because these books� do not fuck around. The style is unusual for supposed YA books (even of the early 80s) in that it’s very matter-of-fact and no-frills; there are no indulgences here, no lingering over moments, even ones of great emotional import. The author was clearly as, if not more, interested in sharing her knowledge about the first crusade as she was in telling a story. The pacing is super-swift and characters � even major ones � pop in and out of existence with admirable dedication to the brutal realities of the late 11th century. No one is safe and there are no real narrative or character arcs in the way that we’ve come to expect. That young couple you’ve been rooting for whose marriage their evil sheriff is trying to prevent? Well, they get married but then they get separated early in the crusade, a nun steals their baby, the girl gets sold into slavery, he never sees her again, BAM. That lifelong friendship that is clearly budding between these two- oh, one’s dead. Okay. That despicable young nobleman who clearly has great potential for a redemption arc- oh, he has leprosy now? And then dies, having learned nothing? Okay, but the girl who was becoming such a major character- oh, she dies gruesomely. Okay. But that other dude who was trying to atone for- dead in a senseless duel? Alrighty then. Blimey.
Weirdly, they still stand up, mostly because the atmosphere feels truly authentic, and the historical setting is excellent, highlighting the sheer insanity of the crusades quite nicely. (ngl, it helped that I was constantly thinking of Nicky and Joe from The Old Guard, who were doubtlessly meeting for the first time somewhere in the background of all this butchery.) ...more
Why yes, Jackie Morris picture books and/or fairy tale retellings *are* about all I have the mental capacity to tackle at the moment. This was reeeaaaWhy yes, Jackie Morris picture books and/or fairy tale retellings *are* about all I have the mental capacity to tackle at the moment. This was reeeaaally short but the illustrations of the different bears were utterly gorgeous. A great way to introduce kids to bears and their natural habitats/challenges....more
An absolutely stunning little book. Jackie Morris is an incredibly gifted artist and her illustrations are perfectly suited to the fantastic lushness An absolutely stunning little book. Jackie Morris is an incredibly gifted artist and her illustrations are perfectly suited to the fantastic lushness of fairy tales. The Wild Swans is one of my favourite HC Andersen tales, and Morris’s retelling is phenomenal � she keeps all the bones of the story and its hauntingly wistful atmosphere but updates the characters and brings them to life beautifully. I especially loved her portrayal of the stepmother, whom she very much elevates from evil stereotype to a complex, complete person with her own hopes and hurts.
I’m so going to chase down all of her books now. This one has rather sparse illustrations � a few gorgeous full-page spreads and the rest mostly small page adorners here and there � but just looking at them makes my soul breathe deep. ...more
I owned one of these stories (the Winter one) as a kid and I remember spending literal hours staring at all the intricate details of the art, especialI owned one of these stories (the Winter one) as a kid and I remember spending literal hours staring at all the intricate details of the art, especially the cross section views of the trees that showed all the rooms and tiny bits and bobs of the mice's homes. The amount of detail and thought that went into these is incredible - they're planned out down to the plumbing and storage solutions, and don't get me started on the mill and the dairy. The stories are lovely, too, centred around kindness and community spirit but also well-plotted, with memorable characters and a warm humour. A very worthy trip down memory lane....more
I was a little slow to get into this, in part because some things felt incongruous - both Erik and Hans read very much like a British person's idea ofI was a little slow to get into this, in part because some things felt incongruous - both Erik and Hans read very much like a British person's idea of young Germans during this era, and seemed to exist, at least during the first part, in this nice little bubble where Nazi ideology played almost no part in their daily lives; unlikely for two teenage boys who would absolutely have had Hitler Youth drivel pumped into their brains non-stop, without any real means of escape. (I mean, it was nice that they didn't fall for it, but it did come across a bit like the author underestimated how pervasive it would have been.)
I also didn't necessarily buy into the soft-glow retconning of Clarry & Peter's dad as just an old grump who's a softie underneath really, when he'd been such a genuinely cold and awful person in the first book.
BUT I absolutely loved Ruby and Kate, it was great to reconnect with the characters from The Skylarks� War as grown-ups, and all the implied complicated goings-on with Rupert and Clarry were quietly heartbreaking. The stakes rise sharply towards the end of the book and suddenly I was curled up in the sun over a children's book, crying at simple, devastating lines. Damn you, Hilary McKay. Well played, again....more
A gorgeously illustrated children's book with a simple but equally sweet and heartbreaking story - sweet because it focuses on two Indian women's loveA gorgeously illustrated children's book with a simple but equally sweet and heartbreaking story - sweet because it focuses on two Indian women's love and the young narrator's excitement about their upcoming wedding, and heartbreaking because the story does include the hate and opposition the brides are met with on the traditional wedding procession. It does have a happy ending though, and it's very kids-appropriate. It was a joy to read and the art is absolutely lush. The author's afterword on his motivation to write the kind of LGBTQIA+ story he never got to read when he was growing up was very touching too.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Another gem from Hilary McKay - fun, heart-warming, well-paced, a little creepy, effortlessly diverse. I love how she gets children right, in all theiAnother gem from Hilary McKay - fun, heart-warming, well-paced, a little creepy, effortlessly diverse. I love how she gets children right, in all their charming, funny, gross, weird, imaginative, full-personality complexity. So many authors who try to write kids end up either with precocious little robots or vague collections of wrong-aged stereotypes, but she writes them exactly as kids are. The story was delightful, too. Definitely worth a reread sometime....more
It's probably a very good thing I don't have children, as I would immediately have been like, "Here, child of mine, I REQUIRE you to immediately read It's probably a very good thing I don't have children, as I would immediately have been like, "Here, child of mine, I REQUIRE you to immediately read this excellent book absolutely brimming with parental neglect, self-inflicted injuries, the horrors of the Great War, tragic unrequited love and all the pains and joys of growing up too soon and looking out for each other because you cannot trust the grown-ups to do it - yes, yes, don't worry, it's billed as a children's book and it has wonderful friendships and adventures in it in addition to the liquefied trench corpses, and also a pony. Go on, read it now and report all your thoughts to me tomorrow!"
(actually, I would totally have adored this as a kid, lol)
Anyway, this was by turns casually devastating and utterly delightful, at all times a joy to read, and it's going straight to the favourites shelf. Wonderful characters, great pace, bit of Flambards, bit of All Quiet on the Western Front, bit of Frances Hardinge, maybe? (Trust me, it makes sense.) Must go forth and hunt down all this author's other books immediately....more
Another stressful week, another Astrid Lindgren reread when that's all my brain can handle, lol. I still love these, although the rigid gender roles mAnother stressful week, another Astrid Lindgren reread when that's all my brain can handle, lol. I still love these, although the rigid gender roles make me wince a bit these days....more
You’re always guaranteed a wildly imaginative ride with a Frances Hardinge book; they’re always uniquely different from anything else, and from each oYou’re always guaranteed a wildly imaginative ride with a Frances Hardinge book; they’re always uniquely different from anything else, and from each other, for that matter. This was no exception: there is some beautiful, incredibly creative world-building going on here, with a rich, steampunky island setting and a beautiful, dangerous underwater world filled with magic and myth galore. However, this book failed to sweep me away the way others, like A Skinful of Shadows or Cuckoo Song, have done. I found it weirdly paced and the plot overly dependent on the exact right crazy coincidence, character, or gimmick to come along at the exact right moment, in a way that made everything feel a bit simplistic, which is a shame. The characters also weren’t as engaging or vivid as I’ve come to expect from her works, and there was some odd occasional POV-jumping that I found clumsy. Still, the vivid richness of her worlds is always a fresh breath of air, and I continue to be sad I couldn’t encounter her books as a kid, when I suspect I would have been OBSESSED with every single one....more
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