Customer Reviews

The Other Side of Yore

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

 

 

I like books of fantasy for kids. I feel they are important. Most children love a good, rousing story, including 63 year old ones like myself, and getting the young ones to read is getting more and more difficult each year. This wonderful little story is bound to grab any kid of any age and keep him going from front to back.

The story is a quest story whose setting is the world of Terramore. This world is inhabited by a wonderful assortment of creatures, from toads, to frogs to foxes, snakes, lizards, insects of all sorts and some critters I am not real sure about. Our hero, Frawg Findig III, a very special frog in many ways, finds himself caught up in an adventure, an adventure, which must be had in order to save their world. We already have plenty of plot summaries here, so I will not dwell on that further.

The book is quite well written. J. Lynon Layden's prose approaches lyrical at times here, and once you catch on to his syntax, you will find it delightful. His imagination has created and entire world, an alien world to be sure, yet one that is not as alien as you might think at first glance...it is all around us. For such a short story, his character development is quite remarkable and he is able to convey the characteristics of his characters using very few, but very effective words. I like that. The poetry sprinkled here and there throughout the book is absolutely delightful, some being more song than poetry.

The illustrations by Kenny Savage are in black and white and are quite effective and detailed. They are actually a delight to the eye. I would have liked to have seen them in color as I feel they would have been beautiful, but suspect this would have been cost prohibitive in the production of the book.

As a retired person, needing something to keep me from being underfoot all the time, I do a tremendous amount of substitute teaching at local school. I took this book with me and "forced" a number of the young folks to read at least the first two chapters, and indeed read them to the entire class on several occasions. There was not one student that did not want more. This of course is the ultimate test for this genre...do the kids like it and will they read it. If response here is any indication, the answer is a yes for this book.

I do hope we get more of Frawg from this author and this illustrator. This work is a joy to read but it does leave you with wanting more. Highly recommend this one.

Such imagination and thought went into this book. I read it to my three children (4, 8, and 12) who could not wait for the next reading session. I also looked forward to seeing how the story would unfold. There are also many excellent illustrations that added to the experience. Great positive message is a bonus. This is not just a book to read to children but also one adults can enjoy!

I don't get many children's fantasy books to review, and I am not by any means an authority on this genre; however, I did read the book and can recommend it as enjoyable family reading material.

The Other Side of Yore is an enchanting adventure story about Frawg's journey with his friends into Mudgunkland to save the world of Terramore from destruction by Cobraxas, a snake. All the flowers are dying, poisoned by the green smoke from the dark swamps, and the good King's daughter, Princess Lilypad, has fallen into a deep sleep.

Included in this story are thirteen artfully illustrated drawings by Kenny Savage, plus poems, riddles and songs to delight children of all ages.

It is a delightful story-well-edited and designed-which I'm sure children will enjoy. Joseph Layden has been writing professionally for over ten years as a freelance journalist. The Other Side of Yore is his debut Children's Fantasy novel,and I wish he and Kenny much success in their creative efforts.

"The Other Side of Yore" is a thrilling adventure story written for young children, and one that adults will find entertaining as well. The book puts out a strong message about being heroic, even in the scariest moments, all wrapped up within a story that children will want to hear again and again. Author J. Lyon Layden and artist Kenny Savage have created a lasting work that will surely take its place among the great family books, such as "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter." I highly recommend this book to kids and adults alike!
Grade: A

This is a cheep copy of the original. The book is great I think orginaly but this version is not so good. The pictures are all black and white. Not even gray scale and so the art work is unidentifyable. Only purchace if the kids won't read it themselves.

What a great book! The adventure keeps my grandchild asking me to read, "Just a little while longer". It also teaches children to believe in themselves! I hope there is a continuation of the excitement in another book!

(To the tune of "A Frog He Would A'Wooing go")


Frawg sailed in a tortoise shell, mm mm, mm mm,
A gath'ring spores and medicines,
And selling his spices and plant specimens, mm mm, mm mm.

He met up with a dragonfly, mm mm, mm mm,
Searching for nectar for his kin
Frawg came to his rescue by scooping him in, mm mm, mm mm.

The flowers are dying in Terramore, mm mm, mm mm,
No insects left to chirp or cheep
The King's daughter Lily has fallen asleep, mm mm, mm mm.

The Hua plant was still alive, mm mm, mm mm,
It flowered only once per year
With pollen that could banish hunger and fear, mm mm, mm mm.

Frawg took some pollen and went to the King, mm mm, mm mm,
Who begged his friend to lend a hand
To destroy the snakes and heal Mudgunkland, mm mm, mm mm.

He gave him a scimitar made of gold, mm mm, mm mm,
And sent him with a bullfrog guide
With Leapin and Hoppin right there by his side, mm mm, mm mm.

So off they rode to face the foe, mm mm, mm mm
The armadillo and weasel too
Were happy to sign up with this motley crew, mm mm, mm mm

Cobraxas is the Lord of Snakes, mm mm, mm mm,
We all know he's behind all this
He's tending his cauldron with a creepy hissssssss, mm mm, mm mm.

Soon there is fighting in the South , mm mm, mm mm,
The tree frog army sounds the horn,
While Frawg and his team seek out the Whistlethorn, mm mm, mm mm.

When they get to Cobraxas' lair, mm mm, mm mm,
Frawg makes use of a magic cloth ,
Confirming that many cooks DO spoil the broth, mm mm, mm mm.

What's next in line for the tale from Yore, mm mm, mm mm,
The very next thing we'd like to see
Is a movie made for the whole world to see, mm mm, mm mm.

Now this is the end of this little song, mm mm, mm mm
A little song one verse too long
Buy this one today and you wouldn't go wrong, mm mm, mm mm



Amanda Richards, May 1, 2007