Friday, 23 August 2019

Book Review - 'Hortense and the Shadow' by Natalia O'Hara (Writer), Lauren O'Hara (Illustrator)

'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 children's fairy tale picture book with a female protagonist, a creative premise with a unique moral, an enriching, enthralling and haunting atmosphere, a bit of darkness to it, a pretty intense climax, and beautiful and ethereal artwork. Just how I like it.

Wolves, woods, snow, deer, mushrooms, darkness, and of course, shadows, 'Hortense and the Shadow' is a terrifically written picture book with a challenging bite that is still rather soft.

(Seriously, read the whole book and then go back and look closely at some of the illustrations: there's actual foreshadowing!)

Final Score: 5/5

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