IMPECCABLE PETUNIA I;CLAWS, PAWS, FEATHERS & Jaws and IMPECCABLE PETUNIA II; THE TWO TAILS by KATIE CHRISTINE with illustrations by JONATHAN EDWARD.
The yard sat silent in the crisp evening air, blanketed by the glow of the emerging moon. The trees shifted in the gentle breeze, while the roof of the hen house creaked.
- Memorable Moment; Book I: Page 31
She'd peer into the shadows, positive she'd heard something. In those moments, she knew it was him. He was waiting, watching, planning. One day the sun would melt into the horizon, like it does every day and with the night, ho would return, his one eye sparkling - jaws gleaming in the moonlight.
Memorable Moment; Book II: Page 145
READ FOR A CHALLENGE? ... No.
MY THOUGHTS ... Its no big secret that truth be told I'm not generally into 'animal' stories but contacted by the author I had the feeling Impeccable Petunia was going to be a very different kind of animal story. And was I right or was I right?
Encompassing so many different themes (loneliness, bullying but also friendship and loyalty to name but a few) but basically the story of what it is to be different, to be a bit of an outcast, to go against the grain. This is the story of a hen the likes of which you've never met before. The story of a hen struggling to find her place not only in the pecking order of the chicken coop but also in that of the human world.
Original, creative and I'd suggest suitable for all but the youngest of readers, Petunia's story is one that adults as well as children (at whom the books are primarily marketed) will relate to, the characters credible, the barn yard easily comparable to the school yard (or indeed perhaps even the workplace).
Book I, Impeccable Petunia: Claws, Paws, Feathers and Jaws, at just over 100 pages by far the shorter of the two books, is a great introduction to Petunia and co and came as quite a revelation in that I hadn't expected to find a story that, relatively simple on the face of it, was actually quite deep; that funny on the one hand was not without peril on the other.
Readable as a standalone novel in its own right but better still read after book I. Double in length, more gritty and with several new characters, the story, altogether more fleshed out, really hits its stride in book II, Impeccable Petunia: The Two Tails before its ending which though open ended leaves us in little doubt that this isn't the end of the road for Petunia ... or is it? As if I'm going to tell you. You'll have to read the book (or, better yet, the books) to find out.
12 comments:
I'm a bit wishy-washy in my opinion of books featuring animals, but you do make these sound appealing.
I think that animal stories can work very well. Evan when written for children they can work very well.
The book titles are neat.
Tracy,
The two Petunia books sounded like
a very poignant and creative approach
about how it feels to be an outsider.
Thank you for your honest and excellent
review.
Raven
I'm partial to the name Petunia, and both of these Petunia stories sound thoroughly charming. The fact that they are also illustrated enhances their appeal. Lovely review, Tracy!
Glad you enjoyed them. I don't usually read animal books anymore either.
Well I confess that it's the first time I hear about these
I get wary of animal stories because I always manage to snag the sad ones. This doesn't sound sad per se, but I can see that it might be with the deeper issues coming out. Glad it gave you a bit more.
At first glance I thought these were cozy mysteries. I like the idea of a barnyard compared to a schoolyard and what unfolds there. Great review!
Hi Tracy,
Speaking from a purely personal perspective, animal books just aren't for me!
Having said that, I admire the quality of the narrative, if the excerpts you shared are anything to go by and can quite see that there is quite a deep underlying message in the stories.
The artwork is also amazing, although as Illustrator Jonathan Edward is the author's husband, I'm sure there is plenty of collaboration to achieve the perfect end result.
I also preferred the version of cover art for the first book, which is shown on Goodreads …
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14327919-impeccable-petunia-part-1
As always, a lovely review and I hope that you are feeling better and stronger each day, especially with the lovely Easter sunshine we all enjoyed :)
Yvonne
xx
I do enjoy stories with animals when they're done well and it sounds like these are. I hope you're doing better!
I read the first book in this series many years ago. So glad to hear you enjoyed the books. I didn't realize that there was a second book out there. :) Thanks for sharing!
~Jess
I hope you are felling better! These sound good and like they touch on some important issues.
Post a Comment