Well it's not so common that you read something and you feel that you have to let the world know bout it. But it has happened to me and here goes: Mona Minim and the smell of the sun by Janet Frame. I'm reading a library copy but I have put it on my list of books to buy as soon as I have some spare cash!
The one I'm going to get is with the illustrations by David Elliot.
So the language is just beautiful, the pace delightful and it's full of detail. The best bit is that Martin is reading one chapter per night to the girls and I and at the end of each chapter there is a child-mind cliff hanger. I love it. I want the world to read it and know about it. I think I'll have to give it as gifts at Christmas time to some special little people.
BTW I appreciate that not being a born kiwi it's taken me until I'm 37 to find out about it. So apologies if this is a very well known fact and I'm preaching to the converted.
A word about the illustrations. They are just beautiful. A non reading child would be just as enchanted looking at the pictures. I'm becoming a bit of a David Elliot fan. His range is quite varied and the detail exquisite. If you read my blog and you have recommendations please let me know; especially if they are for books that would suit a very book wormy family that doesn't watch TV.
Take care
