What would 2019 be without some Neil Gaiman? The edition I chose to read is illustrated by Chris Riddell, who sometimes provides illustrations for Gaiman’s works as well as writes and illustrates his own books. He and Gaiman have worked together on editions of Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, The Sleeper and the Spindle, and Fortunately, the Milk… I absolutely love Gaiman’s fun, fantastical stories being accompanied by Riddell’s fairy tale-esque, full-of-personality illustrations.
Odd and the Frost Giants follows a boy named Odd. Odd’s father died in a Viking raid, and his mother married another man she was not in love with. Odd, unhappy with his new living situation, leaves his village to stay in his father’s woodcutting hut. He meets three strange animals in the forest who are much more than they appear to be. It is up to Odd to help the animals reclaim their true forms and their homeland.
In case you don’t already know, Odd and the Frost Giants is a short, lighthearted story about the Norse gods Odin, Thor, and Loki. Picture it as Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology-lite. It is a simple adventure story that would be appropriate for both young and older readers, but the language is not overly simplistic. If you have some knowledge of Norse mythology, you will find a few Easter eggs and nods to other Norse myths in Odd, but having little to no knowledge will not hinder your enjoyment of the tale at all.
I would recommend Odd and the Frost Giants to anyone who enjoys an adventure story, Norse mythology in a more lighthearted structure, and fans of Gaiman’s other writing. Odd and the Frost Giants is a quick and enjoyable read, but it is not necessarily the deepest of Gaiman’s work, if that is what you are looking for.
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his children letters from Father Christmas every year for about 20 years. Each letter was addressed to the children, written in beautiful inks and calligraphy, and often a painted picture of the North Pole’s year of events came along with it. The letters detailed the adventures of Father Christmas and his friend the North Polar Bear as they fought troublesome goblins, had great parties, and recovered Christmas preparations from the Polar Bear’s antics. This collection of letters only reinforced my desires to be a Tolkien.
Like many children I saw the Disney version of Peter Pan. I don’t remember having strong feelings toward the movie one way or the other, but lately I’ve been curious about reading children’s classics so I picked up Peter Pan. Most of us probably know the story by now. Peter is a boy who never wants to grow up. He enters the house of Mr. and Mrs. Darling and whisks their three children, Wendy, John, and Michael, away to Neverland. Neverland is a haven for the imagination complete with pirates, mermaids, and natives.
I read a lot as a child, but I somehow missed out on a lot of children’s classics. I found some of these cute Puffin children’s classics on sale at 