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lellowturtle's review
5.0
Lamellia: The Wizard in the Forest is a children’s fantasy book written by Gloria D. Gonsalves and illustrated by Silja Schüler. This book takes place in a magical world with sentient mushrooms. Queen Nobilia is locked up by the ruler of the realm, King Polipoli, for crimes against their daughter and the other mushrooms within the kingdom. The book takes the reader a journey with Princess Tiara and her new friends, the little brown mushrooms, to find their missing little friend. As a princess, she uses her kindness and power to complete a good deed which her father approves of.
I found this to be a cute, little children’s book. Gonsalves stylizes this book similarly to older fairytales. We have a princess encountering a problem, magic, and a princess going on a journey to help solve the problem. Along the way, we learn about a great power in the kingdom, the Wizard, who is feared. No one knows if the Wizard is mushroom or human, and the book takes an unexpected turn when we find out exactly who the Wizard is. This storyline, along with the identity of Princess Tiara, is reminiscent of Wizard of Oz for me. The elements are similar, but there is enough of a difference to make it a modernized version that is unique in its own way.
I also think, like classic fairytales, there are lessons within this book that children can learn from. One discussion point is how people can be found guilty without looking more into what occurred. Queen Nobilia was locked away in a tower for a crime that she may or may not have committed, and I think this is a serious issue that can be discussed on an appropriate child-like level. For instance, children often accuse people and find them guilty of things without asking, it could be turned into a lesson on finding out what happened rather than accusing. I found the villain to be interesting and would have liked to know more about the background of her character. There are other books, and I think this may be something that the author addresses in those. If not, I think Gonsalves has more to work with in the world she has created!
Along with the cute characters, the unexpected twist, the lessons, and magical world Gonsalves build, there are beautiful illustrations by Schüler. The art style pairs wonderfully with the book. It also reminds me of older fairytales and their illustrations, which, in my opinion, gives the book more charm. Overall, it was an adorable, enjoyable book. I would recommend this book for young children up to 8-years-old. I think not only could they enjoy the book but could also benefit from some discussions that come with it. I enjoyed this book as an adult, as well. It was more in line with fairytales I grew up with, and I think something like that never goes out of style, and this book could easily be a classic as well.
I found this to be a cute, little children’s book. Gonsalves stylizes this book similarly to older fairytales. We have a princess encountering a problem, magic, and a princess going on a journey to help solve the problem. Along the way, we learn about a great power in the kingdom, the Wizard, who is feared. No one knows if the Wizard is mushroom or human, and the book takes an unexpected turn when we find out exactly who the Wizard is. This storyline, along with the identity of Princess Tiara, is reminiscent of Wizard of Oz for me. The elements are similar, but there is enough of a difference to make it a modernized version that is unique in its own way.
I also think, like classic fairytales, there are lessons within this book that children can learn from. One discussion point is how people can be found guilty without looking more into what occurred. Queen Nobilia was locked away in a tower for a crime that she may or may not have committed, and I think this is a serious issue that can be discussed on an appropriate child-like level. For instance, children often accuse people and find them guilty of things without asking, it could be turned into a lesson on finding out what happened rather than accusing. I found the villain to be interesting and would have liked to know more about the background of her character. There are other books, and I think this may be something that the author addresses in those. If not, I think Gonsalves has more to work with in the world she has created!
Along with the cute characters, the unexpected twist, the lessons, and magical world Gonsalves build, there are beautiful illustrations by Schüler. The art style pairs wonderfully with the book. It also reminds me of older fairytales and their illustrations, which, in my opinion, gives the book more charm. Overall, it was an adorable, enjoyable book. I would recommend this book for young children up to 8-years-old. I think not only could they enjoy the book but could also benefit from some discussions that come with it. I enjoyed this book as an adult, as well. It was more in line with fairytales I grew up with, and I think something like that never goes out of style, and this book could easily be a classic as well.
haselrig's review against another edition
4.0
I received this children's book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
Living in Rural Michigan (a state that has a love affair with it's own native fungus, the morel), it's not often that I get to read something to my little one involving mushrooms, so I jumped at the chance to enter the giveaway for this beautifully illustrated story. The artwork is truly unique and gave the story a certain charm. Each species of mushroom presented in the story was able to contribute their own unique talents along the way which offers an easy opening for a parent to teach about the value of diversity without having to stray from the story.
My only real complaint (and the reason for four stars instead of five) had nothing to do with the story or art, but with the format of the book itself. It's a large, magazine sized soft-cover that won't hold up to much handling by an eager toddler.
Living in Rural Michigan (a state that has a love affair with it's own native fungus, the morel), it's not often that I get to read something to my little one involving mushrooms, so I jumped at the chance to enter the giveaway for this beautifully illustrated story. The artwork is truly unique and gave the story a certain charm. Each species of mushroom presented in the story was able to contribute their own unique talents along the way which offers an easy opening for a parent to teach about the value of diversity without having to stray from the story.
My only real complaint (and the reason for four stars instead of five) had nothing to do with the story or art, but with the format of the book itself. It's a large, magazine sized soft-cover that won't hold up to much handling by an eager toddler.
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