Title: Instructions
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Charles Vess
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99 RRP
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781408808641
For ages: 6 - 10
Type: Picture book
About: When you head into a magical, fairytale land, through a gate at the depths of the garden, it’s important to know what to do.
This book is a set of instructions for just that occasion.
First, we enter the castle, and then we are taken past the twisted oak tree, a tower with princesses, past the giants and witches and dragons, and back home again.
It’s all new, but strangely familiar, as we’ve seen these scenes in many fairytales before.
The story concludes with advice to “ride the wise eagle” and “ride the grey wolf” – lovely metaphors to encourage readers to face challenges and dream.
This is a charming little book, illustrated in the style of old fairytales and transporting children to intriguing, far away lands.
It may take a couple of reads to get the gist of the story, but it is well worth the effort.
This book is available online
Author website
