I thought I'd love this book by M G Leonard - and I did.
Leonard takes Hans Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen" adds an environmental slant and a mystery to solve and sets it all in a modern winter wonderland. Perfect.
Bianca's brother Finn, is alive but frozen. The adults are at a loss what to do but Bianca is sure that it's something to do with the strange silver book that Finn was so secretive about. When another child is also frozen Bianca knows its up to her to solve the mystery of the ice children.
The global warming message here is delicately interwoven with the fairy-tale quality of the story and emerges slowly so never feels clunky. It's a delightful book. A magical mysterious book. And it's enhanced by the wonderful illustrations by Penny Neville-Lee.
- Publisher : Macmillan Children's Books; Main Market edition (2 Nov. 2023)
- ISBN-10 : 1035014211
- ISBN-13 : 978-1035014217
4 comments:
I very much like M G Leonard's books. I bought this one for one of my grandsons - but I wish I'd had time to read it first!
This review & description makes THE ICE CHILDREN sound an ideal book for younger readers - adventure and fantasy with a thoughtfuk central heart. I'll look out for it at my local library.
Thanks, Sharon.
Maybe they'll lend it to you, Sue. :)
It had everything I love in a children's book, Penny. Fantasy, mystery and the influence of Han's Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen" a story I was obsessed with as a child. :)
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