Eva is the daughter of a poor but good man. When she goes to work for her rich but despicable uncle, she is horrified when he cheats her out of two year’s wages. Enraged, Eva’s father takes his brother to court and wins, thanks to Ever Clever Eva and her witty mind. This makes such an impression on the Judge, he makes her his wife. But Eva’s clever ways don’t end there.The White Wolves series of books, published by A&C Black, London, are a brilliant collection of Year 5 readers featuring three styles of story – Myths, Legends and Traditional Stories, Stories from Different Cultures, and Playscripts.
Ever Clever Eva by Andrew Fusek Peters, falls into the Different Cultures category, and is an engaging retelling of a traditional Czech tale. It’s so lovely to hear the retelling of any classic folk or fairytale, especially one that is so humorously and cleverly told. The gist of this tale has many layers, and Fusek Peters manages to tell it clearly and with much entertainment.
This delightful tale is nicely scattered with Teresa Murfin’s scribbly, Quentin-Blake-esque ink illustrations – a style kids will enjoy, and at 80 pages, it’s also a book that is brief enough yet detailed enough to hold the attention of any fifth grader… and folk-tale loving parent.Title: Ever Clever Eva
Author: Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrator: Teresa Murfin
Publisher: A&C Black, London
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 978 0 7136 8883 2
For ages: 6 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction
