Neil Gaiman's prayer for his goddaughter Tash (daughter of Tori Amos) is a glorious set of wishes for a lifetime of happiness. He hopes that she'll be kept from dull days at forty, false friends at fifteen - let her have brave days and truth, let her go places that we've never been, trust and delight in her youth. We see the many young Blueberry Girls progress through their lives that are interwoven with nature and love.
| Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A prayer for a young girl - wishes for a lifetime of happiness. Whilst the hippy tone can polarise opinions, it's certainly one to consider when looking for a Christening present. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Maybe |
| Pages: 32 | Date: March 2009 |
| Publisher: Bloomsbury | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0747586166 | |
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Blueberry Girl makes a great present to commemorate a birth or a Christening. It's one for the new parents to appreciate, rather than the young girl herself. She'll grow into it and enjoy it, but initially it's one for the parents to recite, to profess their love for the new addition to their life. The message is a sweet set of hopes that will stand any girl in good stead.
Charles Vess' illustrations highlight the slight hippy/earth mother feel to the book. They're wonderful illustrations and do suit the book perfectly. However, the overall tone can polarise opinions - it's either a book that you know is for you, or one you know isn't. "I liked the font" shouldn't really have any place in a book review, but I liked the font! It's something that's often kept simple in picture books, but Vess has given it an artistic twist here, and it really pays off.
Whilst it does make for a great present, it's not one that I'd choose. It's more of a book to treasure owning, rather than to treasure reading. This isn't a criticism of the book itself; it's a general comment. Everything that Blueberry Girl aims for, it achieves, and there are certainly many people who would like to give that sort of present. My choice would be for a timeless classic that will be read time and time again, get some crayon scribbled on it when the child is being naughty, maybe even have a torn page, and be remembered for years and years. Those are the books I like to give; those are my wishes for a lifetime of book-reading happiness.
With that in mind, check out Bookbag's Top Ten Timeless Picture Books To Treasure Forever - they're perfect presents to give at any time, from newborns onwards. This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie is another wonderful picture book with a groovy message.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman at Amazon.com.
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