Kirkus Reviews
“The colors are luminous and the figures ethereal in Willey’s double–paged full–bleed images.”
Book Description
A new folktale from the incomparable Joan Aiken, beautifully enhanced by the mesmerizing illustrations of Kate Greenaway Award–nominee Bee Willey.
From the Publisher
Joan Aiken tells the story of Window and her brother, Handle, who live in a small house in a wooded hollow. Each autumn, when the leaves fall, the little house is buried right up to its bedroom windows, so each year, Handle must sweep the leaves away. But one day, Handle breaks the news that he must go away on a long trip. Window, whose injured leg prevents her from doing the raking, is afraid that she cannot survive without him. Before he leaves, Handle gives Window a little wooden dragon, promising his sister that it will look after her. And so the little dragon sits on a shelf, waiting for the time when it can come to Window’s aid… A spellbinding storybook from a master hand. Prize–winning author Joan Aiken wrote more than 100 books for young readers and adults, including The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Night Birds on Nantucket. Aiken, who died in 2004, was awarded Britain’s distinguished MBE for her services to literature. Bee Willey is the illustrator of Bob Robber and Dancing Jane, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award.
From the Inside Flap
The incomparable Joan Aiken has created a beautiful fairy tale for older picture book readers
This is the story of lame Window and her sailor brother, Handle, who live in a small house in a wooded hollow. Each autumn, when the leaves fall from the trees, the little house is buried right up to its bedroom windows, so each year Handle must sweep the leaves away. But one day, Handle breaks the news that he must go away on an extra long trip. Window is sad, and desperately worried that she cannot survive without him.
Before he leaves for the harbour, however, Handle gives Window a little wooden dragon and promises his sister that the dragon will look after her. And so the little dragon sits on a corner shelf, growing dusty, and waits for the time when he can come to Window’s aid.
Wooden Dragon FROM THE PUBLISHER
A new folktale from the incomparable Joan Aiken, beautifully enhanced by the mesmerizing illustrations of Kate Greenaway Award–nominee Bee Willey.
SYNOPSIS
Joan Aiken tells the story of Window and her brother, Handle, who live in a small house in a wooded hollow. Each autumn, when the leaves fall, the little house is buried right up to its bedroom windows, so each year, Handle must sweep the leaves away. But one day, Handle breaks the news that he must go away on a long trip. Window, whose injured leg prevents her from doing the raking, is afraid that she cannot survive without him. Before he leaves, Handle gives Window a little wooden dragon, promising his sister that it will look after her. And so the little dragon sits on a shelf, waiting for the time when it can come to Window’s aid… A spellbinding storybook from a master hand. Prize–winning author Joan Aiken wrote more than 100 books for young readers and adults, including The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Night Birds on Nantucket. Aiken, who died in 2004, was awarded Britain’s distinguished MBE for her services to literature. Bee Willey is the illustrator of Bob Robber and Dancing Jane, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award.
FROM THE CRITICS
Kirkus Reviews
An odd little posthumous tale from Aiken. A brother and sister, Handle and Window, live in a house in a hollow, surrounded by trees. When the leaves fall in autumn, they bury the house up to its bedroom windows. But Handle sweeps them up and makes a big bonfire. Window cannot help him, as she is lame, but she tells stories to him and to the townsfolk who come to listen, "and often they were cured of their sickness or their sadness or their worry." But Handle is a sailor, and must go to sea, leaving a little carved wooden dragon for his sister. Window obsesses over the leaves that will fall the next autumn-what if Handle isn't home by then? And sure enough, the house is buried under leaves the next year. The terrified Window dreams that the forgotten wooden dragon will save her. She awakens, dusts him off, and discovers he loves to eat-leaves! The colors are luminous and the figures ethereal in Willey's double-paged full-bleed images, although the dragon doesn't seem quite like the text description. The whole has the feeling of references so intimate that they don't entirely cohere for an outside audience, but children may be seduced by the radiant color and quirky characterizations. (Picture book. 6-9)
Art & Photography
Book Info
