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935 reviews by:
bardicbramley
I didn't quite mesh with this one unfortunately.
I loved the concept, and I like the art style, but I just wish the story had been developed a little more. It feels incomplete and hard to understand for me. And I found a lot of the double pages art spreads to be really overwhelming for some reason too!
I loved the concept, and I like the art style, but I just wish the story had been developed a little more. It feels incomplete and hard to understand for me. And I found a lot of the double pages art spreads to be really overwhelming for some reason too!
- This review is for the Barrington Stoke edition illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis.
An absolutely beautiful 'little gem'!
I love just how much it felt like I was reading a traditional fable style tale, with the slightly murky ending leaving children to interpret the message as they see it.
I can't praise the illustrations highly enough, they are so simple yet so magical and bring so much to the story.
The links to the Blue John stone which are described on the back page would be a great learning point for a class, as would the fairytale elements of the story itself.
A great one for across age ranges due to its accessibility alongside it's depth.
An absolutely beautiful 'little gem'!
I love just how much it felt like I was reading a traditional fable style tale, with the slightly murky ending leaving children to interpret the message as they see it.
I can't praise the illustrations highly enough, they are so simple yet so magical and bring so much to the story.
The links to the Blue John stone which are described on the back page would be a great learning point for a class, as would the fairytale elements of the story itself.
A great one for across age ranges due to its accessibility alongside it's depth.
A very sweet and deseptively simple story of a young girl moving to a new place, overwhelmed by the sadness of leaving behind her friends and security, and eventually finding new but familiar ways to feel home once again.
I loved the illustrations and use of colour in this book. The cold blues and greens used to show Sofia's sadness and the warm colours of the sunshine slowly creeping in.
Sofi moves from somewhere cold to somewhere warm (no specific places are given within the story). She's introduced all wrapped up with her coat and wooly hat, and simply refuses to have that last piece of home taken away from her. That is until she feels more comfortable and begins to enjoy herself in her new community.
I love how this is not mentioned at all in the written story itself, but follows through in all the illustrations!
A wonderfully accessible visual and sensory metaphor for children to understand Sofi's feelings. Possibly a great way to introduce the concept of pathetic phallacy to younger children as well.
I loved the illustrations and use of colour in this book. The cold blues and greens used to show Sofia's sadness and the warm colours of the sunshine slowly creeping in.
Sofi moves from somewhere cold to somewhere warm (no specific places are given within the story). She's introduced all wrapped up with her coat and wooly hat, and simply refuses to have that last piece of home taken away from her. That is until she feels more comfortable and begins to enjoy herself in her new community.
I love how this is not mentioned at all in the written story itself, but follows through in all the illustrations!
A wonderfully accessible visual and sensory metaphor for children to understand Sofi's feelings. Possibly a great way to introduce the concept of pathetic phallacy to younger children as well.
I really liked this one!
I happened upon it at the library whilst trying to find some more short chapter books that are suitable for independent reading, but not overly ambitious or off-putting to children who might find a book with hundred of pages a little intimidating at first.
This was a perfect fill; exactly the kind of book I was hoping to find.
It ticks the boxes of being at an accessible level for independent reading, whilst also having a genuinely engaging plotline, and Thai main characters. It also contains some Thai language interspersed throughout the text (which I always love to see), and explains/translates them within the story itself.
Bloomsbury placed it in their 'dark red band' which apparently means it's aimed at ages 10+. Whilst this is around the age of the main character so might be best for relating to her, I would say this could also be read by slightly younger children as well - it doesn't have anything that would be specifically inappropriate for a child of any age, but I would say 7+ would work fine. I've worked with some very confident 7/8 year old readers who would say this was too 'baby-ish' for them already!
I happened upon it at the library whilst trying to find some more short chapter books that are suitable for independent reading, but not overly ambitious or off-putting to children who might find a book with hundred of pages a little intimidating at first.
This was a perfect fill; exactly the kind of book I was hoping to find.
It ticks the boxes of being at an accessible level for independent reading, whilst also having a genuinely engaging plotline, and Thai main characters. It also contains some Thai language interspersed throughout the text (which I always love to see), and explains/translates them within the story itself.
Bloomsbury placed it in their 'dark red band' which apparently means it's aimed at ages 10+. Whilst this is around the age of the main character so might be best for relating to her, I would say this could also be read by slightly younger children as well - it doesn't have anything that would be specifically inappropriate for a child of any age, but I would say 7+ would work fine. I've worked with some very confident 7/8 year old readers who would say this was too 'baby-ish' for them already!