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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful and magical story about overcoming obstacles, February 23, 2006
This review is from: Hanne's Quest (Hardcover)
Mem Pockets, a kindly old lady, lives quietly and contentedly on her family's farm in the tiny village of Moolland, on a small Scottish island. The tranquility of the farm, Mem Pockets, her dog Daisy, and all the hens is suddenly shattered when a letter arrives with some distressing news --- taxes on the farm are overdue, and the farm will be sold if they are not paid promptly. But Mem Pockets does not have the money to pay them.
The Scaldy hens all huddle together and discuss the dire situation. Wise Old Pegotty repeats and explains a rather vague poem that gives the hens hope but puts a huge burden on little Hanne, who must carry out several extremely difficult tasks. Only then might she be able to lay gold eggs that Mem Pockets could sell.
Hanne gathers all her courage and quietly leaves home before Mem has a chance to notice her absence. The little hen is frightened and lonely. Already she misses the cozy henhouse and the companionship of her hen friends. She has not yet laid any eggs, and not only must she complete all the tasks mentioned in the ancient poem, she has to lay three golden eggs.
Hanne must first travel to the ancient barrow where she has to eat three grains from the Old Ones' meat. Then she must travel a great distance to the Standing Stones and eat three grains from the Hidden Ones' meat. Finally, she must travel to the Great Green Sea and eat three grains from the Sea God's meat.
Hanne has never even been off the farm, and the idea of traveling to unknown faraway places is both thrilling and frightening. The brave little hen does get some much-needed help along the way. A little mole named Pieter, Keeper of the Barrow, gives Hanne kindness and encouragement at the beginning of her quest. Then Hanne arrives at the Standing Stones after five days of tiring travel. The Stones come to life, and once again Hanne receives the help she needs. She travels on west for several days until she reaches the Great Green Sea and is saved from peril by a large sea turtle, Old Murdaugh.
Now that Hanne has eaten all the required grains at each destination, she still has to find her way back home. She's tired, hungry, and not a little lonely. And the task of having to lay the golden eggs is still ahead of her once she reaches her much-loved friends and henhouse.
The author, Olivier Dunrea, takes the reader on a magical journey with that shy little hen. The story itself is not a new one --- that of overcoming obstacles and putting the common good ahead of one's own comfort and security. However, it is lovingly told and the charming illustrations, also by the author, add a great deal to the enjoyment of this delightful children's book.
--- Reviewed by Carole Turner
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT saga!, February 17, 2006
This review is from: Hanne's Quest (Hardcover)
My son and I came across this book and were captivated by the cover art. It was an unexpected surprise to see artwork in a book written for my son's readling level (he is in the 4th grade). We read the book together over the course of nine days (one chapter per night) and felt compelled to write our review:
This book/story is THE best! (to quote my son). I never would have thought that one small, black hen would have kept us turning pages as we followed Hanne on her epic quest to save the farm. My son especially loved the scary, dark barrow scene. He has a fear of the dark and this little hen's bravery has boosted his own courage. The story does not shy away from "dark, scary scenes" and the ending was particularly gripping and tense. I never would have thought that a hen could make me pause and take stock in life as to what is important. Loyalty does count for a lot in life.
Being the smallest (my son is small for his age) doesn't necessarily mean possessing less courage or believing less in yourself. This book is different from anything we have read. We really liked the beautiful illustrations. My son is an aspiring artist and pores over the artwork in this book every night. He doesn't miss a single detail.
From the two of us all we can say is: What a GREAT read if you like quest adventures. We look forward to reading more of Dunrea's epic sagas. Please hurry up with the next one!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chicken to the rescue, August 28, 2006
This review is from: Hanne's Quest (Hardcover)
This sounds a little odd to say, but I can't think of a better way of introducing this book than to say the following: From the creator of "Gossie", "Ollie" and "Gossie & Gertie" comes an epic quest novella... about a chicken. If that doesn't trip smoothly off the old tongue it's little wonder. Dunrea and his corresponding publisher Philomel (a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group) decided to do things a little differently with this small folksy book. It's a nice story with a steady heart and a practical soul. It also treads some overly familiar ground, however, so if you're looking for something with a storyline that doesn't sound like something you've heard many times before, consider searching elsewhere. It's a pleasant little story that is sure to endear itself with some. Just make certain that the person you purchase it for belongs to that selfsame "some".
For years and years Mem Pockets has run her little farmhouse and chicken coop with a staid and loving hand. In that time she has made a habit of collecting eggs from her remarkable Scaldy hens to sell them at market. Nothing shakes her pleasant world until the arrival of a letter informing her that she owes quite a lot of back taxes. Mem is distraught, not having the money at hand and knowing that within thirty days she will be forced to leave the home she loves, to say nothing of the chickens. The hens, for their part, realize that something must be done. After a quick conference it is understood that a single hen must go on a quest of great peril. If she survives the barrow, the Standing Stones, and the Green Great Sea, she will have the ability to lay three golden eggs. Only a chicken of the purest heart born in the darkest phase of the moon can go, and that hen, believe it or not, is the youngest of the brood. She is a little black chicken by the name of Hanne, who carries with her a quiet strength. Now, in spite of her size and timid nature, Hanne will set off to save the farm and help Mem Pockets. Whatever the cost.
Dunrea writes with a slow steady hand. Your average reader gets the feeling that he's working at his own pace and feels little need to hurry-scurry through the various plot element too quickly. It's reminiscent of the old "Wind In the Willows", but for a much younger set. There's also a nice low-key wisdom to the characters in this book. When a mole informs Hanne in the barrow that, "Things are never black as they may seem", the book leaves enough room for little ones to draw their own conclusions. Perhaps a little more confusing (as in, "What is the author trying to say?") is when that same mole later states that, "We cannot choose our Fate in this world". Make of that what you will.
There are some lovely things in this book. Comfortable things. Though it is never given a country, the feel of the story is very British, albeit the Britain of small islands and villages. There's a pagan feel to the tale that makes it all very interesting too. Mem Pockets celebrates Midsummer's Eve and on the Winter Solstice, "the old woman sat up all night with the hens and told them about the Mystery of the Death of the Old Year". Good wins over evil, as would be expected, and in the end the bad guy is arrested for... um... being a bad guy, I guess. It's a little unclear. Ditto how the chickens reproduce without any roosters around.
In the School Library Journal review of this book, the reviewer noted that, "Dunrea's hens and chickens are infused with charm; folk-art galleries would provide a better setting for his art than a chapter book". Certainly there are some strong similarities between this book and Bruce McMillan's, "The Problem With Chickens". I thought Dunrea did a lovely job with many full-color pictures in this book, making it so that it doesn't really fall readily into any one category. The pictures, lush evocative gouache, complement the story to a tee. I felt they worked with the story, as a readaloud. So no objections here. One on one readers might find them a bit young for their liking, I suppose.
It's no coincidence that booksellers like Barnes and Nobles and Amazon.com have chosen to pair "Hannne's Quest" with Kate DiCamillo's simultaneous release, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". Both books share a sense of nostalgia, "Tulane" for the supposed "classic" children's books of the past and "Hanne's Quest" for low-key folktales about doing what is right. Both books are also so steeped in this nostalgia that they fail to make a convincing case for why they themselves are original works of art and not mere copies of older titles. The ideal customers of "Hanne's Quest" are the grandmothers and aunts of kids who want to give their young relatives something that squeaks of timelessness. There is a possibility that "Hanne's Quest" will be deeply beloved of the youngsters who receive it, true. There is, however, an equal possibility that it is the kind of story that will never see the light of a second or third read. I believe the book is deserving of consideration, but I do not think it needs much more than that. Nicely written but not something that will stick in your mind very long after you, or the child you read it to, finishes with it.
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