Oldies But Goodies {Put This One on Your TBR List} Book Review of Four Young Adult Children's Fantasy Selections by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon by Karen S. Wiesner

Oldies But Goodies

{Put This One on Your TBR List}

Book Review of Four Young Adult Children's Fantasy Selections by

T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon

by Karen S. Wiesner 

Beware: May contain unintended spoilers! 

 

Finding A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking was rapturous serendipity for me! T. Kingfisher (the pen name of Ursula Vernon) is a versatile author, illustrator, and artist. Unbelievably, I'd never heard of her before reading this book, despite all the awards she's won for her eclectic body of work. She came to my attention when I bought an immaculate (used) hardcover book by her called "What Feasts at Night" (which I'll review in the coming weeks). I wasn't very far along before I decided to look up the author on my Libby library app and see what else she had to offer. One of the few audiobooks of hers available immediately was something called A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. Literally, this one had me at the title. 

In this 2020 young adult fantasy novel, a 14-year-old named Mona, who possesses a sly, dry wit and "bread magic", discovers a dead body in her aunt's bakery. It isn't long before she realizes those who possess magic in her town are being targeted. There are other wizards set in this unique fantasy world, but none quite like Mona. When she was younger, she'd created (accidentally in the first case) 1) a sourdough starter "familiar" that eats mice when it can't get flour (really, what bread eaters don't know won't kill them) and 2) animated gingerbread men for the customers to fawn over (move over Shrek's Gingy!). Little did Mona realize her most loyal gingerbread man would soon become the commander-in-chief of a gingerbread army Mona has to bake up in order to save the city from a corrupt wizard and his invading army. And that doesn't even get into having to concoct the right kind of shoes for doughboy golem soldiers. 

One of the selling points of this story for me was the realistic portrayal of those in power who shouldn't necessarily be. In this case, the ruler meant well and was willing to do anything to help her people. Also, the heroine is the last person who might be considered a champion. By virtue of the fact that she had the skills (though she didn't realize it at first, of course) and stepped up to use them, she was able to save the day. I'm probably in the minority as one with no interest in reading about a superhero flying in just in time to rescue the entire city. I tend to root for worthy underdogs, and Mona is appealingly that. 

 

Illuminations was a 2022 release. Ten-year-old Rosa comes from a family of illuminators who are the greatest magic painters in the city, but their fortunes have fallen on hard times. Rosa excels at painting fanged radishes. Unfortunately, this art doesn't seem particularly useful when their studio is known for paintings that keep the city safe and running smoothly. Wanting to find a way to be useful to her relatives, she instead accidently releases a vicious monster and then has to figure out how to put it back in the box she foolishly opened. 

I assume the author, who's also a skilled artist, wondered what it would be like for her work to come to life, just as authors wonder what it would be like to step into a world created within a story. This was a cute and very fun story with a hilarious, three-dimensional heroine searching for her place in the world she's been born into and wanting very badly to join with her own legitimate skill. 

 

I'm reviewing A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Illuminations along with Minor Mage. Though all three of these books have like covers, they aren't part of a series. They do, however, share a similar subject matter hinging on young adult protagonists that possess some form of magic they use to change their own world (and possibly the world at large, or at least their section of it). Also, of course, all the books in this trio are written in Ursula Vernon's pseudonym T. Kingfisher. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Illuminations wonderfully lended themselves to audiobook "readings"--I'm not sure I would have enjoyed them quite as much as I did if I'd read them as ebooks or paperbacks. Both were available as audiobooks through my two library apps (either Libby or Hoopla); Minor Mage wasn't immediately accessible from either at the time I was writing this review. A month or so later, I managed to gain access to the ebook of Minor Mage. I wish I'd been able to get an audiobook copy. It would have been a bit easier to get through. This isn't saying Minor Mage is bad--not in the least. I just enjoyed the way the previous voice actors read Kingfisher's always off-the-cuff, fun stories so much, it was hard not to miss that aspect in my quiet, uninspired reading of it via ebook. 

In the 2019 Minor Mage, 12-year-old Oliver only knows three spells that he taught himself. His training was sporadic and dicey, to say the least, as his predecessor was very old and decidedly senile and had taken to wearing underwear on his head in his final days. Nevertheless, after the former mage passed a few years ago, the village has mainly accepted Oliver as their community magician. Oliver's managed to find what he needs in books to perform the tasks required of him in the time since then. However, when rain isn't forthcoming at a critical point in the season, he's called upon to fetch rain from the Rainblade Mountains. This is certainly nothing he's had to deal with before and he hasn't received the slightest bit of training in this regard from his mentor. Accompanied by his snarky armadillo familiar (who also has a few point of view scenes), he sets off, hoping he can find a way to do what his duty requires of him, with all those in the village counting on him. No pressure, right? Naturally, the journey is fraught with dangers and unforeseen challenges like ghuls (zombies) and bandits for one with very little practical knowledge of magic combined with frequent self-doubt. 

Along the way, Oliver meets up with a bard mage with the questionable ability to make harps (and the occasional fiddle) from the bones of murder victims. While he's actually had a few grieving people request his services in order to discover who murdered their loved one, even those lacking forethought soon regret it once they're forced to endure the screaming, shrieking harp seeking justice for crimes endured in life. Not surprisingly, Trebastian has few friends and is almost always chased out of every town with pitchforks and threats. Before long, Trebastian becomes Oliver's companion and, later, an unexpected friend. 

Kingfisher's trademark blend of heartfelt humor and grave predicaments buoy every page of this book. As in the previous stories in this set, the underlying theme is that heroism is about much more than possessing extraordinary supernatural powers. Instead, it's in the choices, creativity, determination, and moral fiber of the ones wielding, perhaps, less than spectacular gifts. 

 

Another story written under T. Kingfisher's real name, Ursula Vernon, Castle Hangnail, was instantly obtainable as an audiobook, and it fit the basic motif of this review with a young adult magic user as the protagonist. I suppose Castle Hangnail is intended for children (that assessment is directly from the author on her website) because of the author's amazing illustrations filling the pages. At a whopping 372 pages, it's not what I'd generally consider a children's book. It is, gratefully, presented in the same loquacious, verbose writing style that I've come to love from this author's protagonists. This book would appeal to young adults (8 to 12 years is the recommendation though most reading kids, including those younger, would also be smitten). Like with Shriek, I can't imagine adults enjoying it just as much. 

Twelve-year-old Molly is a witch and she needs a job. Castle Hangnail requires a wicked witch, and, though the staff at the castle is uncertain that polite Molly is right for the job, they agree to give her a shot. What a hoot this story is! When I was very young, my favorite author was Ruth Chew. I loved all her good, useful witch stories. I wish Castle Hangnail had been available then. I would have adored this unique, merry, tongue-in-cheek story with a lively cast of characters you can't help but love and champion. Though the audiobook was fantastic, I did miss seeing Vernon's own amazing illustrations accompanying the story, which I previewed on a book distributor's site. Oh, and there were rumors that Disney with Ellen DeGeneres might be making this into a movie, but I couldn't find any follow-up on the initial announcement. The first thing I was reminded of when I started listening to Castle Hangnail were the Hotel Transylvania movies. Like those, this would make a hilarious, not-necessarily-just-for-kids film. 

~*~

All four of these stories were nothing less than nonstop delight. The voice actors for the first two and Castle Hangnail were exemplary, adding so much to the reading, in retrospect it would have been unimaginable to partake without their talent. It only took me a couple days to finish the audiobooks because I didn't want to turn them off. The ebook of Minor Mage wasn't quite as easy to get through yet proved to be extremely enjoyable. 

You certainly don't need to be a child or young adult to enjoy these entertaining, incredibly well written, and engaging, character-driven adventures. As I hadn't, I doubt too many will have read anything else quite like these irresistible tales. So, that about does it--sign me up! I'm a fan of this author and artist regardless of what the genre is. I expect to post many more reviews of T. Kingfisher (and Ursula Vernon's) selections in the future. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website and blog here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/

Oldies But Goodies {Put This One on Your TBR List} Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey by Karen S. Wiesner

 

Oldies But Goodies

{Put This One on Your TBR List}

Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

by Karen S. Wiesner 

 

Beware potential spoilers! 

The world was a very different place when Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey was published in 1946. This was a children's novel, not a picture book with questionably well-done art accompanied by a sprinkling of words across the pages. Miss Hickory has 128 pages, 24,000 words. Back then, children were often read to by other people, usually parents. No doubt, many of these books were far beyond the child's own reading level yet the stories were perfectly understandable to them. The current suggested age for this book is 8 to 12, which boggles my mind a bit, and not simply because I can't imagine too many kids these days picking up a complex book like this. Additionally, back then stories like this one seemed to have a higher purpose than simply entertaining readers. 

Miss Hickory was one of the very first books I ever read on my own as a child. With a protagonist who's a living doll made from a forked apple tree twig and a hickory nut for a head, her story was magical to me. Miss Hickory lived in a luxurious corncob house made by her owner Ann. Miss Hickory is used to being spoiled, but now things are changing. Ann is going away, and selfish Squirrel has decided he likes Miss Hickory's comfy house for his own winter home. Crow helps her find a nest where she can live out the winter, but she'll need to be clever and courageous to survive. The author and her husband lived on a farm with an apple orchard, and she drew inspiration for this story from there. 

When I reread this enchanting story again recently, it was to the realization about just how prickly and hard-headed (sorry) Miss Hickory is. She likes to instruct people how best to live their lives but accepting help from others always leaves her irritated. And sometimes she misses out on wonderful things because of her stubbornness. Hilariously, she also likes be very feminine, and we find several chapters with Miss Hickory being a fashionista by making herself new and beautiful clothing out of things like maple leaves and grass and cherry blossoms. I found it interesting that Miss Hickory took the existence of God for granted. There's a Christmas miracle to be seen, but she misses it because she's too pigheaded to listen to anything Squirrel has to say. Does she learn her lesson through the many chapters in which she and her friends live out their lives on the farm? I'm not sure. But she does learn a lot about herself--her own origin, for one. 

This story was told very strangely. Most of the chapters were from Miss Hickory's point of view, which made sense, as this is the compilation of her adventures during the seasons. However, sometimes we're put into the perspective of another (usually animal) character for no other reason I can fathom other than that the author felt she'd started a story with that particular character and needed closure before going back to Miss Hickory. 

Though Squirrel plucks off and takes a bite of Miss Hickory's head (too scary for modern readers in both words and illustration? probably)--his character is suitably drawn with all the complexity needed for readers to find him endearing despite his actions. He's an animal designed for storing up food for himself, yet he can't seem to remember where he's hidden all his nuts from one minute to the next, let alone over the course of a long, harsh winter. And, frankly, wouldn't he much rather just eat it now? Of course he would! It's easy to root for all of these lovable, fully-fleshed out characters. Though the chapters play out in a seemingly random fashion, the story does actually reach full circle by the end. 

I'd be remiss not to mention the lovely illustrations done by Ruth Chrisman Gannett. I found out they were done by a process called lithography, which is a really archaic (though there are still people who do it) means of photocopying something. Apparently, the artist has to be very careful while drawing on the stone (or similar material) as there are no second chances with this method. Either it's drawn right the very first time--or as close as possible--or a whole lot of time, effort, and materials will be wasted. Find out more about the art of this here https://jerwoodvisualarts.org/art-techniques-and-materials-glossary/lithography/ and be sure to watch some YouTube videos of it actually being done. I found it fascinating. Too much work, definitely, but still intriguing as a precursor to modern-day photocopying. 

Inspired by the incredible artwork in Miss Hickory, I couldn't help wanting to do some sketches from the book myself, which were all done by black and white lithography (although color is possible with the method). I even did one in color, though only the cover of the book has color in the first edition. Does anyone else want an apple now, too? <grin>

  

Miss Hickory Black & White Sketch and Colored Pencil Rendering by @Karen Wiesner

 

Miss Hickory's Corncob House by @Karen Wiesner 

If you do an internet search with the words "Miss Hickory illustrations", you'll see some of Gannett's original designs, including one of Squirrel holding Miss Hickory's still scolding head just before he takes a bite of it. Never fear, Miss Hickory may end up headless, but she's also "heedless, happy" that way. Clearly, her head had been holding her back. 

Children and adults alike will find a timeless, magical world to explore in this well-deserving Newbery Medal Winner. The lesson to be learned (as all these old books had some kind of moral to impart, which I heartily approve) is not to hold yourself back from who you're meant to be--not with the promise of comfort nor with the hurtle of fear of the unknown. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website and blog here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog and her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/

{Put This One on Your TBR List} Book Review: The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke by Karen S. Wiesner

 

{Put This One on Your TBR List}

Book Review: The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

by Karen S. Wiesner

 

 

Susanna Clarke is the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an enormous, epic fantasy that was the author's debut novel. More of that world is explored in the author's short story collection, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories. I reviewed both of these previously. You can read them here: 

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2023/09/book-review-jonathan-strange-mr-norrell.html 

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2023/11/karen-s-wiesner-put-this-one-on-your_02046837301.html 

Clarke's first novel in this alternative history world felt incomplete to most who read it because it ended on what I consider a cliffhanger. The author intended a sequel set a few years after the first. Though readers had to expect the follow-up to take a long time to write (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell took ten years to complete), we later learned Clarke is plagued by chronic fatigue syndrome. She's reported that the fate of the sequel is still “a long way off” but may also never be finished because of her condition. I truly hope she someday has the strength to complete it. In the meantime, we've been given a new story set within that magical world, The Wood at Midwinter. I purchased the hardcover as soon as it was published in 2024 (it was read on BBC Radio 4 around the time of Christmas 2022). Illustrations were done by Victoria Sawdon (I couldn't find out much about her online, though she's seems to be active on several social media sites I'm not subscribed to). This tale is so brief, anything I said about it would be to practically tell the whole story, so it might be best to just include the back cover blurb as a summary: 

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees--and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst--and the path of her life is changed forever.

The illustrations are elegant, delicate, and pivotal to the story (which makes it a little sad that the illustrator's name wasn't on the cover!). Grounded in folktale, this charming fable sets the scene for winter's frozen beauty. Slightly sad and very sweet, it would make the perfect gift for Christmas. Also, I tried to view it as a simple children's story. In that way, it doesn't require any aspect to be fleshed out more than it is between the few words and breathtaking illustrations included. If you don't go into it expecting more than that, you won't be disappointed. 

If not for the author's afterword (nine pages out of a total of a mere 60), there's simply no way to link this to the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell beyond the very tenuous connection to "magic in the midst". As Susanna Clarke is also the author of one of my favorite stories of all time (Piranesi--read my review here: https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2023/10/karen-s-wiesner-put-this-one-on-your_0415966123.html), I'll gratefully take this and any story from her. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

Find out more about her books and see her art here: http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor 

Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/