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Heidi by Johanna Spyri – retold by Jeanne Willis and Illustrated by Briony May Smith #Bookreview #ChildrensFiction

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my thoughts on a retelling of one of my childhood favoutires – Heidi by Johanna Spyri. This version is retold by Jeanne Willis and Illustrated by Briony May Smith.

When five-year-old orphan Heidi is sent to live in the Swiss Alps with grumpy Grandpa, the rest of the village take pity on her. But Heidi soon discovers that her grandpa is gentle and kind behind his scowl, and she loves her new life running wild in the mountains with the goats, the flowers and her best friend Peter. That is, until Heidi is forced to move far away to the soot and smoke of Frankfurt to be the companion to an unwell girl. Will she ever return to her true home in the mountains?

I absolutely adore the story of Heidi by Johanna Spyri, I still have my own childhood copy. I admit I was a little apprehensive about reading this retelling of a childhood favourite.

The book itself is gorgeous and the dust cover illustrations are just a taste of the pictures inside. I removed the dust jacket to find gorgeous embossed pink hardcover that matches the pink detailing on the outer cover and there is also a ribbon book mark attached. The photo really doesn’t do the cover justice. And in case you are wondering, yes they are my fluffy pink PJ’s 😁❤

The illustrator Briony May Smith has done such a wonderful job and there are so many details in each picture that represent each page of the story.

Now the story itself has been retold by Jeanne Willis. It is a simplified version of the classic story of Heidi. A young girl who is taken to the Swiss Alps to live with her grumbly and rather moody Grandfather. Heidi meets Peter the goat-herder and they become friends. Grandfather gradually softens to Heidi and when the day comes that Heidi is to leave, everyone is sad. Heidi is to become a companion t a sick child, Clara and moves to Frankfurt.

The story is one that brought back many memories for me, not only from the full version book I read as a child but also the TV series. Even though the story has been shortened and is a simplified version of the original, it still holds the magic. It is a story that has a heart, is about friendships and family as well as the challenges of life.

I love the way this book has been presented and the way the story retains some of the essences of the original one. This is a book that would suit being read to a child and also for a child to read to themselves. The illustrations complement the story and the story is enchanting. A fabulous book that I would definitely recommend.

If you are on the look out for a fabulous fiction read for children then you really can’t go wrong with this one it would make a lovely Christmas stocking filler. I know I would have loved this book as a younger reader, in fact I love that I have this copy as an adult reader!

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

#BookReview :Hortense and the Shadow by @oharasisters : @PuffinBooks @PenguinUKBooks

yvonnembee 1 Comment

 

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“Hortense and the Shadow” by Natalia and Lauren O’Hara is available now in hardback or eBook.

As Christmas is fast approaching I decided that it was time to have a look at some children’s books, though at first a little unsure of where to start.  Then I had an email via NetGalley for this book, you may call it fate.  I call it magic!

Synopsis:

“Through the dark and wolfish woods, through the white and silent snow, lived a small girl called Hortense. Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing . . . Hortense hated her shadow.” A beautifully illustrated dark fairy tale that will remind you of the fables you read as a child. A treasure not to be missed.

Hortense hated her shadow. Everywhere she went, it went. Everything she did, it did. And every time night fell it grew, tall and dark and crooked.

So Hortense decided: the shadow must go! Only later, alone in the wolfish woods, she learned that a girl without a shadow is far smaller… a fairy tale about light and shadows. 

My Thoughts:

This is a beautiful book with a beautiful story.  It has an old story feel to it, when you read the bio of the authors it is obvious that old stories have been a big part of their lives. I was drawn to the artwork originally, the whimsical, delicate pastel illustrations are superb.  They manage to capture the atmosphere of the setting and the story.  The story itself is based on Hortense and her dislike of her shadow, it follows her everywhere, at night turning into a dark, creepy shadow that was scary. She manages to cut the shadow off, but can feel it’s presence, but one night it comes to her rescue.  Hortense realises her shadow is something that is an extension of herself, can make her appear taller, longer and reach further.

This is a book I would love to have read as a child, and would love to have read to my now grown up children.  It is a story with a message, is beautifully written and I loved the illustrations.

I would like to express my thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for allowing me a copy of this eARC.  My opinions are my own and are unbiased.

About the Authors:

Natalia and Lauren are two sisters from the North of England. In the daytime they edit scripts and design sets, and at night they draw and write together. As children they loved fairy tales, animal fables and the stories their Polish grandmother told on snowy nights. Hortense and the Shadow is their first picture book.

Visit their Website or on Twitter

Book Details:

  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • Age Range: 5 – 7 years
  • Publisher: Puffin (5 Oct. 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141374020
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141374024
  • Purchase from Amazon UK

Many thanks for reading my post.  If you liked this, give it a share.  Or better still, go and buy the book.