The Magic Place

LoveReading4Kids Says

Clementine - though she is usually called Oiya (Oy, you) by her dreadful Aunt and Uncle – has dreams of a magic place she may have once known.  Her only friend is the cat Gilbert (called Giblets by Aunt Vermillia and Uncle Rufus) as Clementine has a Cinderella-like existence working all day and then being locked away in the cellar at night.  She glimpses the sky through looking up the chimney in her cellar, until one day she looks out of a window in the house and sees the magic place she has imagined… Then follows a great adventure through the Great Black City as Clementine miraculously escapes and tries to find her magic place.  Clementine is a very determined little girl, many would have given up in her circumstances, but she knows she can fine her magic place.

The book is a very tactile object, a lovely size for smaller hands as they get involved in this wonderful adventure.  Black and white illustrations on virtually every page – Wormell is feted for his wood cuts and lino cuts – with a nod to the style of Gustav Doré, give this an authentic Dickensian feel.  The generous illustrations paired with the fast-paced story make this a book children will enjoy reading for pleasure!

Tricia Adams

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