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So you have two children with a pet gazelle (like you do) and a treasure map, who go off exploring behind their father’s back and find a whole world underneath the city full of monsters and pirates and creepiness. Will they find what they are looking for? Do the 26 lines of the story actually stick to the alphabet as we know it, or do things go a little awry?
This is a great alphabet book, full of wonderfully creepy illustrations with lots of detail to pore over at your leisure. It’s huge fun and I for one became very fond of that gazelle.
Oh and look out for the creatures with deep sea diving helmets for heads…..
Another read for the Dream King Challenge.
Last Saturday – May 2nd – was Free Comic Book Day, so some questions around that topic:
- Do you read graphic novels/comics? I certainly do, love them to bits. I tend to read graphic novels simply because I am never organised enough to (a) find out about something in the comic world coming up before issue 1, and (b) even if I did manage that I don’t have the necessary geeky discipline to make sure I get every issue.
- And on that note, the only difference in my mind between comics and graphic novels is format. But that may be a bit simplistic.
- And for the friend who has never tried graphic novels? Well that’s a difficult one because it depends on whether they are into fantasy or not, because most of my stuff is in that genre. I started with The Dark Knight Returns and that’s what I’d give them, or anything Sandman, or what I’ve just lent to my friend The Silvery Dude, 1602. There’s Maus, of course. And Watchmen. Where to stop?
I never know how best to review a picture book, especially one which is designed at least in part for children. They tend to be very short so it’s almost a cheat describing it as something that I’ve read, but they are always beautiful things that deserve to be celebrated, and that’s certainly the case here.
Blueberry Girl is a poem written by Neil Gaiman for his friend, the singer/songwriter Tori Amos when she was expecting her little girl. It’s a prayer wishing for all that’s good to be given to the child so that she grows up to fulfil her potential.
The poem itself is very moving, and is wonderfully supported by gloriously colourful illustrations by the great Charles Vess, filled with animals and flowers.
It’s a gorgeous book and one that I’m sure I’ll go back to; and it’s also my first read for The Dream King Challenge.
Couldn’t resist this one being a fan of all things Gaiman, though I’m sure I’ll come to regret signing up for all of these challenges! Anyhow, I would love to finally commit to re-reading the whole of The Sandman series alongside the companion by Hy Bender, and I might yet do so, but at the moment that seems a step too far. So I’m currently planning to read as an Acolyte, which means reading three works from three different categories, plus watching one movie. My list is:
Novel = The Graveyard Book
Young adult/Children’s = The Dangerous Alphabet [actually turned out to be Blueberry Girl, though I might read both…]
Graphic = Neverwhere or Murder Mysteries
Movie = Coraline or Stardust (depending on when the former comes out in the UK) [turned out to be Coraline]
Bride of the Book God 