Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia O’Hara, Lauren O’Hara

 

Description

“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.

Lauren and Natalia O’Hara 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. This is their first picture book.

Thoughts

A wonderful story which reminded me of the fairy tales I read, or was read to, as a child and so enjoyed.  Although it had a slightly scary side it was no more and perhaps not quite as dark as, for example, Hansel and Gretal.

The story was beautifully illustrated throughout.

I hope the author and illustrator, who are sisters, produce more books of this quality.

Highly recommended.

With thank to the publishers for an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Rating: 5*

Information

Publishers: Penguin Random House UK Children’s Fiction

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Author and Illustrator: http://nataliaandlauren.com/

Pub Date 05 Oct 2017
EDITION Hardcover:  ISBN 9780141374024
PRICE £10.99 (GBP)
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