Sit back and listen to the words of the old folks and their bygone ways.
More traditional tales from Scotland.
Williamson, who died in 2007, was one of Scotland’s Travelling People, and he collected and told stories from the oral tradition. In this companion to The Coming of the Unicorn (2012), humans, rabbits, foxes, donkeys and hedgehogs “follow the solar year and mark the progress of its seasons according to Traveller tradition.” Each tale rewards goodness and kindness over greed and selfishness. Some will be familiar to storytellers, including “The Twelve White Swans” and “Princess and the Glass Hill.” There’s a rewarding mix of humor, trickery and devotion, along with cautionary tales about spiders and flies, safety in numbers and listening to gossip. Three Christmas stories, religious and secular, and a touching tale of Father Time and the coming of the New Year conclude the volume. Storytellers and those who enjoy reading aloud will find this an excellent resource filled with lively language. Ever-present is an enormous respect for traditional ways and beliefs, as written in the opening lines of “The Twelve Seasons”: “My father told me this story years and years ago when I was wee. I never saw it in a book or heard anyone before him telling it.”
Sit back and listen to the words of the old folks and their bygone ways. (glossary of Scottish words) (Folk tales. 8-12)Pub Date: May 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-7825-0017-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
To change her family’s fortunes, a poor Chinese girl embarks on a fantastical quest to discover she already has everything she needs to be happy. Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. Bitter and resentful, Minli’s mother complains when her husband fills Minli’s imagination with enchanting tales of Never-Ending Mountain and the Old Man of the Moon. “Eager for adventure,” Minli sets out alone seeking advice from the Old Man of the Moon. En route she befriends a dragon who joins her quest. Together they encounter a talking goldfish, a boy with a buffalo, a king, a fierce green tiger and laughing twins before scaling Never-Ending Mountain. Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk- and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli’s quest. With her “lively and impulsive spirit,” Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey. Richly hued illustrations reinforce the Chinese folk theme. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 8-12)
Pub Date: June 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-11427-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2009
PERSPECTIVES
A potent mixture of magic and monsters that never materializes.
After 12-year-old Fort’s father is abducted during an alien attack on Washington, D.C., he jumps at the chance to attend a school of magic that is preparing to go to war with the invaders.
Fort is anxious to start his new school, but he finds Oppenheimer School to be nothing like Hogwarts. Instead of a castle with turrets and magical creatures roaming the forest, Fort’s new school is on a military base complete with armed soldiers and high-tech security. Although the school teaches both Healing magic and Destruction magic, Fort is determined to master the latter in order to avenge his father. When he arrives, Fort is given an ultimatum: learn three spells in three days or be sent home. While he quickly makes enemies with the aggressive Destruction students, he also makes important friends. Jia Liang is a master of Healing magic. Rachel, a wielder of Destruction magic, helps Fort fight his battles. And Cyrus, newly transferred from London, uses his clairvoyance to keep everyone out of trouble. While this new take on a magical academy is imaginative, the narrative wanders, spending too much time on bickering, dead ends, and flashbacks. Fort’s indecision is his greatest stumbling block, making him a lackluster leader. An open ending suggests more to come. The book adheres to the white default; Jia is a Chinese immigrant, and Rachel is African-American.
A potent mixture of magic and monsters that never materializes. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8577-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
