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A review by katykelly
The Adventures of Alfie Onion by Vivian French
5.0
I read this with my librarian and parent hats on, looking for a read that my own son might enjoy listening to, or that school students would find enticing. I've never read a Vivian French but seen her titles a lot on the 'Beginner/Younger' shelves of the public libraries I've worked in and considered her a writer of standard/average storylines to build reading confidence.
Well, I was pretty impressed. This mocks fairy tales, takes their best conventions, builds a very likeable and realistic young hero and puts a twist on the usual plot structure to not end up becoming totally sexist and predictable.
Highly enjoyable!
A young girl grows up reading fairy tales, and wanting to meet her dream prince and live in luxury. Finding this ideal does not come to her, she goes out to seek it, following the rules and marrying a seventh son, hoping to one day give birth to the seventh son of a seventh son, a child destined to become a her, marry a princess and allow her to live in luxury.
Her own seventh son - Magnifico - is anything but. But his younger brother (the eighth son) Alfie, pushed out as companion/luggage-carrier to his brother on a quest to find a princess to marry, may just have what it takes to create for himself a promising future.
With talking dogs, horses and magpies (themselves tagging along to nab themselves shiny treasures), ogres, trolls and sleeping princesses, a fairy tale plot unfolds. One that you won't find the usual dry and humourless quest.
Alfie makes a rather sweet and infinitely eager protagonist, his brother hard to like, but yet I felt sorry for him for being forced to live out his mother's dreams. The animal characters flesh out the cast nicely, and there's a feeling of Shrek, a modern and twisted fairy story, where atypical heroes get to come out on top and turn the world topsy-turvy.
I think both girls AND boys will like this - after all it IS a fairytale but it also features a young man, ogres and a taking horse.
Illustrated throughout, with lots of short chapters, it's not too long for a newly confident reader to manage by themselves, and it's one I'll want to read to my son (aged 5) in a year or two's time when he's ready for stories that use and twist traditional tales.
Much, much better than I was expecting. I would say ages 7-11 will enjoy the humour and unpredictability of this light-hearted adventure.
With thanks to Walker Books for the review copy.
Well, I was pretty impressed. This mocks fairy tales, takes their best conventions, builds a very likeable and realistic young hero and puts a twist on the usual plot structure to not end up becoming totally sexist and predictable.
Highly enjoyable!
A young girl grows up reading fairy tales, and wanting to meet her dream prince and live in luxury. Finding this ideal does not come to her, she goes out to seek it, following the rules and marrying a seventh son, hoping to one day give birth to the seventh son of a seventh son, a child destined to become a her, marry a princess and allow her to live in luxury.
Her own seventh son - Magnifico - is anything but. But his younger brother (the eighth son) Alfie, pushed out as companion/luggage-carrier to his brother on a quest to find a princess to marry, may just have what it takes to create for himself a promising future.
With talking dogs, horses and magpies (themselves tagging along to nab themselves shiny treasures), ogres, trolls and sleeping princesses, a fairy tale plot unfolds. One that you won't find the usual dry and humourless quest.
Alfie makes a rather sweet and infinitely eager protagonist, his brother hard to like, but yet I felt sorry for him for being forced to live out his mother's dreams. The animal characters flesh out the cast nicely, and there's a feeling of Shrek, a modern and twisted fairy story, where atypical heroes get to come out on top and turn the world topsy-turvy.
I think both girls AND boys will like this - after all it IS a fairytale but it also features a young man, ogres and a taking horse.
Illustrated throughout, with lots of short chapters, it's not too long for a newly confident reader to manage by themselves, and it's one I'll want to read to my son (aged 5) in a year or two's time when he's ready for stories that use and twist traditional tales.
Much, much better than I was expecting. I would say ages 7-11 will enjoy the humour and unpredictability of this light-hearted adventure.
With thanks to Walker Books for the review copy.