Rather than plunging straight into the drama of young woman Grace Darling's heroic rowing to rescue those shipwrecked in a storm, here we get to know Grace the child, her big family of characterful siblings, her parents and animals, and their lighthouse keeper life. Grace's childhood experiences all feed into that story finale of the famous rescue, making us feel very personally for Grace and her family. We know and love them by that point, and I read some of that last part of the story through tears because I'd been made to care and believe so strongly.
Keith Robinson's illustrations match the writing for atmosphere and character and beauty. Here, for example, 'The little lantern they'd hung up rocked so hard in the wind that all the shadows jumped' -
1 comment:
I love Hilary McKay's writing anyway, and the story of Grace Darling, and the work done by Barrington Stoke, so all this sounds wonderful to me!
Post a Comment