When I was a little girl our local library had this amazing window set into a concrete pipe that you could curl up in with a book and wile away the time while Mum and Dad took forever picking out their books. I would love to be able to still fit in that window, I would bring a quilt from home and read this book from front to back. Margaret Mahy’s Tale of a Tail {supplied for review by Kiwi Mummy Blogs} is kid-perfection. What else would you expect really from the undisputed Grandmother of children’s fiction?
Published posthumously, Tale of a Tail is a glorious wee novel. One of those magical bedtime tales that you will LOVE reading to your kids, “one more page” requests are guaranteed. Independent readers will also be easily entangled in the whimsy of this short novella, quite Roald Dahl-ish with it’s collection of neighbourhood characters, a splash of magic and wonder and undeniable humour. Be prepared.
Mahy’s fabulous writing brings to life the special powers of a dog with a very strange name, awakening the imagination of Tom who begins to see that “ordinary, everyday things could be just so astonishing if you really thought about them for just a second or two”.
Ethan (9.5yrs, advanced reader) found this book a fun, funny read with very endearing, mysterious characters – especially Mr Mirabilis! Kids 7+ will love listening to this beautiful tale, it rolls off the tongue and into their imaginations with ease. Five stars.
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