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You are here: Home / Archives for retelling

Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms by Rey Terciero ill. Megan Kearney

June 14, 2022 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Jun 2022

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“Nonstop adventure and colorfully illustrated panels keep the pages of this Swan Lake reimagining turning, while quieter moments underscore the budding friendships among the three heirs. Odette has light-brown skin and red hair, pale goth Dillie has a prosthetic leg, and Siegfried has dark-brown skin and blue and purple hair. A fun, ballet-inspired hero’s journey, full of heart, trials, and good humor.” KIRKUS

A swashbuckling retelling of Swan Lake:

Odette and Dillie are supposed to be enemies. Their kingdoms have been feuding since before they were born. But when the two princesses meet each other at the lake that separates their castles, it’s clear they were destined to be best friends. Odette-who lives with a curse that magically transforms her into a swan when the sun rises-is happy to find someone who treats her like everyone else. And Dillie has finally met someone who understands her dream of having an adventure instead of sitting on a throne. When they discover that Odette’s curse is the reason for tension between their families, they decide to follow an ancient legend that could lead them to someone who can set everything right. As they travel through enchanted lands, meet new allies, and fight terrible foes, Odette and Dillie are put to the ultimate test. But when the time comes, will they choose their deepest wishes or the fragile fate of their world?

Megan Kearney is a Toronto-based cartoonist with a background in animation.

Follow the writer (real name Rex Ogle) on Instagram:

 

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Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, Classics, Illustrated Tagged With: graphic novel, retelling

Arthur: The Always King by Kevin Crossley-Holland ill. Chris Riddell

November 22, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Nov 2021
Times Children’s Book of the Week  20 Nov 2021

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“Crossley-Holland writes like a dream and has the knack of making these stories, which could have felt stuffy in less elegant hands, feel fresh and relevant, while Riddell’s stunning, colourful illustrations — showing handsome warriors, towering castes, fraying wizards, young lovers bring the myths fighting back to life.” The Times
“An absolute treasure of a book.” Chris Soul
BfK 5-Star review

A definitive retelling of the legends of King Arthur, from Carnegie Medal-winner Kevin Crossley-Holland and former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.

Be enthralled by the world of Arthurian legend in this lavishly illustrated, masterful retelling. From King Arthur’s childhood to his final battle, the timeless tales of the sword in the stone, the quests of the Knights of the Round Table and the wizardry of Merlin are woven together into a breathtaking feat of storytelling. An extraordinary collaboration between the world-renowned Kevin Crossley-Holland and the three-time Kate Greenaway Medal-winner Chris Riddell, this is a beautiful edition to be treasured by all ages.

Follow Chris Riddell on Instagram:

 

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Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, Classics, Gift, Poetry/Tales Tagged With: retelling

A Dancer’s Dream by Katherine Woodfine ill. Lizzy Stewart

December 20, 2020 By achuka Leave a Comment

From the author of the bestselling The Sinclair Mysteries, Katherine Woodfine, and Waterstone’s Book Prize winner, Lizzy Stewart, this sumptuous and magical retelling of The Nutcracker will transport you on a journey fay beyond the page.

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Filed Under: Illustrated Tagged With: ballet, dance, dancing, retelling

Blueblood: A Fairy Tale Revolution by Malorie Blackman ill. Laura Barrett

October 7, 2020 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 7 Oct 2020

A feminist retelling of Bluebeard.

Nia has met the man she wants to marry. Marcus is kind, clever and handsome, with a beard so dark it is nearly blue-black. Nia demands a single promise from him – that Marcus will never enter her study in the basement, her private space.

But when Marcus’s curiosity begins to mount Nia feels more and more uneasy. Will he betray her? Can he accept that no means no? Can a woman ever have a room of her own?

Laura Barrett is an illustrator inspired by the darker side of folk and fairy tales, and enjoys working in the medium of traditional Scherenschnitte (paper cutting). She ‘enjoyed flicking through fashion and interior design magazines as inspiration for talented protagonist Nia’s sharp eye for design.’
Follow Laura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurabarrettuk/

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Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, Classics, Illustrated, Poetry/Tales Tagged With: retelling

Neil Gaiman To Retell Norse Myths

June 30, 2016 By achuka Leave a Comment

New York TimesThe novelist Neil Gaiman has been fascinated by Norse mythology since he was a boy. When he was about 7, he read Jack Kirby’s comic “The Mighty Thor,” about the hammer-wielding Nordic god. He moved on to Roger Lancelyn Green’s “Myths of the Norsemen,” which he read it over and over until the book fell apart.

So when an editor from W. W. Norton asked if he would be interested in writing a book about Norse mythology, Mr. Gaiman was wildly enthusiastic.

“To get the opportunity to retell the myths and poems we have inherited from the Norse was almost too good to be true,” Mr. Gaiman said in a statement released by his publisher. “I hope the scholarship is good, but much more than that, I hope that I have retold stories that read like the real thing: sometimes profound, sometimes funny, sometimes heroic, sometimes dark, and always inevitable.”

Mr. Gaiman’s forthcoming book “Norse Mythology,” which Norton will publish next February, is an almost novelistic retelling of famous myths about the gods of Asgard. The book will explore the nine Norse worlds, which are populated by elves, fire demons, the Vanir gods, humans, dwarves, giants and the dead. There are ice giants and elves, familiar deities like Thor, Odin (the wise and occasionally vengeful highest god) and Loki (the giant trickster), and a frightening doomsday scenario, Ragnarok, where the gods fight a fire giant with a flaming sword in an apocalyptic, world-ending battle.

via Neil Gaiman Delves Deep Into Norse Myths for New Book – The New York Times.

Filed Under: Blog, Books Tagged With: legends, myths, retelling

Russell Brand and Neil Gaiman’s childhood reinventions

November 29, 2014 By achuka Leave a Comment

Lucy Mangan compares Russell Brand’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and the Spindle, both illustrated by Chris Riddell – guess which one she prefers…

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/28/russell-brand-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-neil-gaiman-the-sleeper-and-the-spindle

Filed Under: Blog, Books Tagged With: retelling, review

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