This is probably one of the most haunting children's books I have read over the past ten years. This work is a perfect blend of mellow, almost poetic prose, and almost ghost like illustrations; drawings which are brilliantly executed and stunning onto themselves, and a story that is bound to capture the heart of any child or adult with just a wee ounce of imagination in their soul.
Two young girls, sisters, enter a local park on a misty evening in the late winter as they walk home from school. The park is closed. They venture near the now abandoned carousel. It is gloomy and has started to mist. "The horses are asleep," the older sister whispers which brings a whimsical smile to the face on the younger girl as she remembers that her mother use to tell them "that the carousel horses slept all winter and woke in the spring." But alas, their carousal, in this park, was now broken!
So starts a wonderful imaginative adventure. The horses are restless. They fly thorough the air. They kick and gallop snorting through the park. What to do? Well of course you mount two of the wonderful animals and have them carry you to your home to retrieve your mother's old tool box..."she could fix anything." The carousel must be fixed...the horses and other animals must be happy.
Talking Points:::
The love, confidence, imagination and sweetness the mother has left these two young girls flows from every page. As stated before, the art work in this wonderful book, all in subdued colors...misty, stormy, dark, is something to behold. They capture the mood of the story perfectly.
Now I must admit that I have had an absolute fascination, bordering on passion, for carousels since I was a very little boy and now, as a very old man, never pass up an opportunity to watch and indeed ride one if I have a grandkid handy to act as a prop and to use as an excuse. I doubt seriously if the kids enjoy the ride as much as I do. For me, carousel horses are indeed magical! I suppose this is the reason this book first caught my eye. As with all books I review here though, this one has been kid tested several times and it is a complete hit with the young crowd. They like the story; they like the art and are, for the most part, completely mesmerized when the story is read to them.
There is one aspect of the book which must be noted. To the adult reader it is quite obvious that the mother is no longer with her daughters. The author does not come out and say this; it is more of what is not said than what is said that will clue the adult reader into this. This part of the story line, at times, must be explained to the children listening to it being read. I personally find this part of the unsaid story comforting in that despite her absence, the mother has left these young girls with the love, imagination and spirit that all parents should instill in their child. This is good stuff folks.
I can hardly see how you can go wrong with this one.
Two young girls, sisters, enter a local park on a misty evening in the late winter as they walk home from school. The park is closed. They venture near the now abandoned carousel. It is gloomy and has started to mist. "The horses are asleep," the older sister whispers which brings a whimsical smile to the face on the younger girl as she remembers that her mother use to tell them "that the carousel horses slept all winter and woke in the spring." But alas, their carousal, in this park, was now broken!
So starts a wonderful imaginative adventure. The horses are restless. They fly thorough the air. They kick and gallop snorting through the park. What to do? Well of course you mount two of the wonderful animals and have them carry you to your home to retrieve your mother's old tool box..."she could fix anything." The carousel must be fixed...the horses and other animals must be happy.
Talking Points:::
The love, confidence, imagination and sweetness the mother has left these two young girls flows from every page. As stated before, the art work in this wonderful book, all in subdued colors...misty, stormy, dark, is something to behold. They capture the mood of the story perfectly.
Now I must admit that I have had an absolute fascination, bordering on passion, for carousels since I was a very little boy and now, as a very old man, never pass up an opportunity to watch and indeed ride one if I have a grandkid handy to act as a prop and to use as an excuse. I doubt seriously if the kids enjoy the ride as much as I do. For me, carousel horses are indeed magical! I suppose this is the reason this book first caught my eye. As with all books I review here though, this one has been kid tested several times and it is a complete hit with the young crowd. They like the story; they like the art and are, for the most part, completely mesmerized when the story is read to them.
There is one aspect of the book which must be noted. To the adult reader it is quite obvious that the mother is no longer with her daughters. The author does not come out and say this; it is more of what is not said than what is said that will clue the adult reader into this. This part of the story line, at times, must be explained to the children listening to it being read. I personally find this part of the unsaid story comforting in that despite her absence, the mother has left these young girls with the love, imagination and spirit that all parents should instill in their child. This is good stuff folks.
I can hardly see how you can go wrong with this one.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
- Accelerated Reading level : 3.9
- Paperback: 32 pages
- Publisher: Sandpiper
- ISBN-10: 0152018875
- Take-a-Peek
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