Customer Reviews

Life's Little Fable (Picture Books)

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

 

 

In reading the book, I found it laborious. Cornwell uses figurative language and metaphorical elements in her telling of the story. It also seems choppy and disjointed throughout. As an adult, I found myself rereading several pages to clarify what exactly the meaning was. I also lost interest in the book. I think that the elements of children flying and being unbound by gravity will be appealing to children, but I think the way that she delivers the story would confuse most elementary age children. The illustrations are beautiful, but I don't really see them portraying this magical world that Cornwell created. To me it looks as though the "land of the pond" is exactly like our world. Over all I would have to say, that the book was very disappointing.

While she gives it a good college try, I was very disappointed in this book. I had trouble reading it to myself and can not imagine reading it out loud to a group (which I do often as a librarian). The words did not flow smoothly as they really need to in a children's book. I was also disinterested in the story completely.

I am very well-versed in Children's Literature and find this book a huge disappointment. While the art work is lovely, the story line is so vague and abstract, an adult can barely follow what the meaning of it is, let alone children. There is really no understanding of what takes place, the purpose of the crocodile, or the pond for that matter, or what the whole point of the story is. The meaning of all the implications in the story never come through. Cornwell is outstanding with her Scarpetta stories and I can't get enough of them! But to be so unclear in a children's book means that children don't get anything from the story, and that's a shame.

Life`s Little Fables is a charming ,engaging book .written for children but I love it and the pictures I think are little works of art.I enjoy it over and over again. it is happy and colourful and uplifting.Joan Blacklock/uk

I am a huge Patricia Cornwell fan, but I did not enjoy this book at all. It was a little dark, but not in a fun way. And the moral at the end did not make sense to me.

Wonderful book for children, I enjoyed it myself. The picture's are beautiful, and I think adults enjoy it as much as the children do. Could you do some more childrens book's?

I bought this book quite a while back for my little boys, purely because I am such a huge fan of Patricia Cornwell's books and I wanted him to read and enjoy her books aswell. When I found out that she had wrote a childrens book I ordered it straight away and it was one of the best things I did. Rhys loves it, has included it in his top ten all time favourite books, and reads it all the time. We both love the story, the fact that it is actually a poem, the way it almost sings to you and that Jarrord realises that things are OK where he is and doesn't need to know what is on the other side or anything else. Truly a wonderful, delightful and enchanting sotry. By the way my little boy is now eight years old and as I said, still loves the book. So come on Patricia write some more - Please.

I am very well-versed in Children's Literature and find this book a huge disappointment. While the art work is lovely, the story line is so vague and abstract, an adult can barely follow what the meaning of it is, let alone children. There is really no understanding of what takes place, the purpose of the crocodile, or the pond for that matter, or what the whole point of the story is. The meaning of all the implications in the story never come through. Cornwell is outstanding with her Scarpetta stories and I can't get enough of them! But to be so unclear in a children's book means that children don't get anything from the story, and that's a shame.