My Review of Hog in the Fog: A Harry & Lil Story by Julia Copus (Author), Eunyoung Seo (Illustrator)

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Judith Barrow

hog fog

I read this with my six year old granddaughter, Seren, and we gave this 5* (Because we weren’t allowed to give it any more)

The Blurb:

The tale of a hog in the fog.

This is the story of Candy Stripe Lil
and Harry the Hog who lived over the hill.

…and a foggy March day, roundabout three,
when Lil had invited Harry for tea.

Lil is expecting Harry the Hog for tea, but there’s a swirling fog outside and Harry is nowhere to be seen.

Lil sets off to find her friend. Luckily she meets Deer, Sheep and Crow along the way, who all join in the hunt to find the hog in the fog.

A heartwarming rhyming adventure story about friendship, teamwork and teatime!

My review: ( Following instructions from Seren who read it with me at weekend)

First, Seren’s opinion

‘I like the clock telling the time when Lil has to wait for Hog.’ (So do I, a clever way of introducing telling the time to a child)

‘Lil has a lovely face.’ (In fact all the animals have ‘lovely faces’)

‘I like the horns on the deer.’ (the antlers on the deer are decorated with flowers and butterflies, the sheep has a blue bow around her neck, the crow a red hat, Lil a striped bonnet – charming little details)

‘They all see bits of Hog, don’t they?’ (They do; on each of their pages, the sheep sees the back of Hog, the deer sees his ears, the crow sees his tale. – the repetition of the three animals/ the three images they each see, is very clever)

‘I like the sounds they make.’ ( ” Pittery Pattery, tippety tappety , munch crunch, tac tac tac, qwaa-aak…” (What’s not to like? Funny, sounds to read aloud again and again)

‘I like they found him, I was getting a bit worried.’ (Ah, a happy ending… just right)

‘And I like the funny food they have for tea.’ (Yep, she would!!… “…chocolate- chip beetles, slug- flavoured chip, dragonflies tongues, frothy muck- shake and cuttlefish cake.” Say no more!)

Picture story books are very close to poetry in many ways. One of the most important things is that they both are intended to be read aloud. So fluency is essential. If the format is meant to be regular in rhythm, then each line must have the same amount of syllables. Rhyming is necessary, whether slant/ near rhymes, sight rhymes or exact rhymes. Hog in the Fog has all these qualities.

Turning the pages to see what happens next seems to be important for children in picture story books. So, often there are connecting or repeating words or phrases “And/But /So.” Or sometimes those three little dots – the ellipses. Hog in the Fog does this kind of connection of each page in spades.

And last but certainly not least… the illustrations. These are amongst the best I’ve seen in a picture book. (and I’ve been reading picture story books for a loooooong time) I’d go so far as the say they are exquisite drawings.

But obviously the last word goes to Seren. Before she left I had a warning. ‘Please don’t use big posh words, Nanna, just say I liked it… for a young little girl or boy.’ Okay. She liked it… and so did I.

I thoroughly recommend Hog in the Fog.

Buying links:

Amazon.co .uk:http://amzn.to/2auAPnq

Amazon.com:http://amzn.to/2b8slCe

Faber and Faber: http://bit.ly/2aVp8m6

My Review of Sandlands by Rosy Thornton for #RBRT

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Judith Barrow

I reviewed Sandlands by Rosy Thornton as a member of #RBRT (and wasn’t I in for a treat!)

I gave this collection of short stories 5* out of 5*

The Blurb:

A collection of linked short stories, all set in and around the small village of Blaxhall in the sandlings of coastal Suffolk, which is the reason for the title, ‘Sandlands’. The collection is inspired by the landscape of the area and its flora and fauna, as well as by its folklore and historical and cultural heritage. Six of the twelve stories focus around a particular bird, animal, wildflower or insect characteristic of the locality, from barn owl to butterfly. The book might be described as a collection of ghost stories; in fact, while one or two stories involve a more or less supernatural element, each of them deals in various ways with the tug of the past upon the present, and explores how past and present can intersect in unexpected ways. The stories uncover what is real and enduring beneath the surface of things.

My Review:

What can I say about this book! I loved it; devoured it in one sitting.

And the cover! The image of the ethereal barn owl; the staring, seemingly unblinking, eye is, for me, a metaphor for the author’s depth of study, of research and knowledge of her subject.

Sandlands encompasses sixteen short stories that are based around the Sussex landscape, traditions, the different seasons,human nature and nature itself

Rosy Thornton has an empathetic writing style. Her portrayal of all the diverse characters shows an instinctive knowledge of human emotions and reactions to various situations. Each anecdote is an excellent observation of people, fascinating in so many different ways, and each is satisfyingly complete

There are lots of entwining themes; of quiet humour, time shifts, mystery and ancient history, folklore, superstitions, life and death, nature and even sometimes, a subtle personification of nature and animals (see below).

The stories are told variously through first person and third person point of view; individual voices so different that it’s possible to envisage them… and certainly for the reader to empathise and react to every story in many different emotional ways.

But what struck me most as I savoured these tales was the beautiful poetic prose, the rhythmic flow of the narrative, the extensive and unique use of words,the syntax and the way Rosy Thornton ‘strings’ those words together. Let me show you what I mean. This is just one example. I could have dipped into this book anywhere but this sequence is taken from The Witch Bottle

“A soft, plosive pop, inaudible beyond the confines of the bottle, released the first gauzy wisp of smoke and with it a smouldering, acrid odour, Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Then came the flame. Bluish and tentative at first, it began to lap along a ridge of fabric, but quickly grew bolder, darkening to purple and rich red, then leapt, hungry and orange, to lick inside the glass. Finally it found a crack, the way to the outside air and life-giving oxygen– where, invigorated, it bucked and swayed its wild banshee dance, until it met the threads of Persian wool.

Fire burn…!”

Wonderful stuff!!

You just have to read these stories. I thoroughly recommend Sandlands.

Buying Links:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2be4vC8

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2aG7Q1p

My Review of Words We Carry by D.G.Kaye

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Judith Barrow

The Blurb:

“I have been a great critic of myself for most of my life, and I was darned good at it, deflating my own ego without the help of anyone else.”

What do our shopping habits, high-heeled shoes, and big hair have to do with how we perceive ourselves? Do the slights we endured when we were young affect how we choose our relationships now?
D.G. takes us on a journey, unlocking the hurts of the past by identifying situations that hindered her own self-esteem. Her anecdotes and confessions demonstrate how the hurtful events in our lives linger and set the tone for how we value our own self-worth.
Words We Carry is a raw, personal accounting of how the author overcame the demons of low self-esteem with the determination to learn to love herself.

My Review:

Ever had that feeling of ‘not being quite good enough’,of ‘never fitting in’, of ‘always being on the outside’? Then please read this book.Words We Carry carries (excuse the pun) words that can hit home with a sudden realisation of why we may sometimes feel that way. I’m not saying that everyone does. And if you don’t then you’re very lucky. But, as far as I’m concerned I shall be grateful to this author forever. D.G.Kaye lays her soul bare and, by doing so, allows the reader to sit back and think; to understand that if anyone’s opinion touches a nerve, however well meant, however innocently said, there could be a reason from the past.

Reading this book gave me a reinforcement of the self-knowledge I knew was in me but… is…was my habit to dismiss because, long ago, that confidence was diminished. I’ll say no more on that. I just wanted to stress how invaluable reading Words We Carry was, for me.

The author’s honesty about her own earlier life; her own feelings of being inadequate, of struggling with self-esteem, allows the reader to do the same. Her empathy and compassion shine throughout the text.

There is no magic wand to wave away past hurts but D.G. Kaye shows how she came to terms with herself and how she moved forward. Her journey helped me to re-evaluate my own life. If the first sentence of my review made you stop and think then I urge you to consider finding a copy of Words We Carry. I thoroughly recommend it.

Buying Links:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2aIZFiZ

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2aOitLX