The Flint Heart

The Flint Heart by Katherine Patterson & John Patterson, illustrated by John Rocco (Walker Books)

PB RRP $24.95

ISBN 9781406341492

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabitha, and husband John Paterson Sr. bring to life a ‘freely abridged’ version of Eden Phillpotts’ wonderful fantasy fairy tale, The Flint Heart, written in 1910.

The story begins during the Stone Age when the flint stone was fashioned then discarded because of its ability to make the owner evil. It moves forward to a hundred years ago, to Dartmoor in England.

The owner of Merripit Farm, Billy Jago, offers to help move some stones on a hill. As he digs at a grave with his son Charles, he unearths an unusual stone which he puts in his pocket. In no time, the flint has hardened Billy’s heart. He becomes cruel, abusive and violent to everyone he meets, but mostly to his family.

Charles wants his father back; the kind loving one. He visits the Pixie’s Holt to get his father a present in the hope that he will return to who he was. It takes repeated trips into fairyland before Charles finally manages to take back and dispose of the flint heart. Immediately, life returns to normal.

The flint heart passes through two other hands with the same result until the King of the pixies and fairies, finds a way to be rid of the flint heart forever. During the course of ownership, we meet many amazing characters that achieve great feats. But what stands out is the courage and philosophical approach of the children and the personified characters of Ship the dog, and Bismark, the hot water bottle, made in Germany.

The tales of the flint heart’s ownerships are themes of power, ambition, and jealousy, and the negative outcomes that these emotions bring. Point of view is a pivotal issue, so there are many twists and turns and changes in perception throughout this multi-layered fairy story.

Katherine, a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, has won the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, along with a string of other awards including the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for writing and the Astrid Lindgren Award for Lifetime Achievement. The Flint Heart, filled with adventure and fantasy, is ideal for the 7+ age group.

Swim That Rock

Swim That Rock by John Rocco and Jay Primiano (Walker Books)

HC RRP 24.95

ISBN 9780763669058

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

  

Jake at fourteen years old has experienced a growth spurt of eight inches from one summer to the next. Self-conscious of his height and uncoordinated, he is seen as a freak. His dad disappeared months ago while qhahogging and is presumed drowned. Because his body was never found, Jake believes he will come home. While his mother struggles with depression, their mortgaged family diner is under threat of repossession by the local loan sharks if the repayment in not made on time.

Jake learnt a lot from his dad and is determined to use that knowledge to keep what is left of his father’s life, dreams and memories alive. This determination leads Jake to accept work salvaging and qhahogging at night from a man known only as the Captain, and who knows everything about illegal fishing and avoiding capture. The money pours in, but can Jake make enough in time to save the business?

This is an enjoyable, uplifting and humour-filled story about family, hope, friendship, community, and quahog fishing. The story is set in Narragansett Bay, New England and propelled by fantastic characters, such as Gene, and Jake and his best mate Trashman Tommy, the king of recycling. Its strong prose is illuminated by the unique sub-stories woven through the main storyline like delicate lace.

I learnt a lot about quahogs of which I knew nothing, and the illustrations positioned on the inside of the covers and on the end pages, gave complete clarity to the fishing references.

How to Train a Train

How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco (Walker Books)
HC RRP 24.95
ISBN 9781406350784
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Some children have cats for pets; others have dogs which they train. But what happens when a child wants a train for a pet. How do you train a train? How can you know which one suits you?

The reader is taken through an imaginative adventure full of the fantasy of choosing a train. That train then becomes the child’s companion in all things. The text is not to be taken literally of course, but the imagination can make anything real.

The magnificent illustrations by John Rocco begin with the covers that depict the children riding trains as if they were horses. The colours are sensational and sit proudly amidst the illustrations on the glossy paper. Some are full page illustrations and the minimal text is happy to give space to the visual depiction of the story.

Children who love trains will be excited by this book for it has been beautifully designed and produced, and is definitely one for lovers and collectors of fine children’s picture books.