Customer Reviews

Feathertop

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a delightful book, not the least because of its beautiful pictures. The wording is imaginative and evocative, and the story is based on a piece by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Its magical theme lets children indulge their natural penchant for imagination and the world of "what if...!" A thoroughly charming tale about a "charmed" gentleman who started life in a most unusual way.

This book was recommended to me as a tale similar to the Velveteen Rabit tale. I purchased it with that in mind to read to my first graders. Now, I understand the need for reading elements and plots to carry the reader to imaginary worlds. I am not an advocate of strict censorship because a book has one or two "bad words" in it. Nor am I a "goody-two-shoes". Having said that, I would highly discourage teachers reading this book in their classroom. I did not preview the book before I read it, which taught me a valuable lesson. I ended up previewing every line before I read it orally to my students. My children were very bored! This book is anything but appropriate for 4-8 year olds. The wording is very elaborate. It celebrates witchcraft when it implies that although the witch had evil intentions, she had fun doing it. Toward the end of the book, the girl who is the object of the scarecrow's affection goes to the witch. The witch tells her that, "All people in love are wizards and witches." Why did the author have to put that in the book? It has nothing to do with the story! The theme of the story is that all things can become real if you love them. This story has a very odd way of getting to that point. The book is too long and very much over a 4-8 year old's vocabulary. If the book was intended for young children, it story should have been met with sensitivity and discretion. I am very disappointed that such a good moral was ruined by the story's characters, events, and thoughts implied in it.