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stefhyena's review
5.0
When my kids were little we used to read all the Quentaris books, but it's been a while. I have not read book 1 of this spin-off series so I was a little lost at first but there was the usual magic and mayhem and characters that probably I should have recognised.
At the centre are Tab Vidler- a girl from an unenviable background whose superpower is communicating with animals as well as empathy and insight (the book shows it doesn't tell this). There is some deconstruction (gentle and filled with comedy) around property, theft, greed, and especially exploitation with a more productive way forward being shown to be communication and collaboration (there are enemies though and it also pays to be wary). Games and play are values in the book as are loyalty and kindness.
So it's "just a kids book" in plot but it does provide a counter-point to the most cynical discourses kids get exposed to. It does it without didacticism, it's just a nicer way of viewing the world. Possibly naive, then again in view of the actual challenges facing the world possibly bold and necessary. It also keeps children firmly in the centre of the story as social agents. The discussion over whether the people of another species/race are "ugly" was an interesting one, showing that it's a matter of perspective. Brugman allowed a lot of humanity to shine through diverse people in the book without painting humanity (or even childhood) as "innocent".
There's no heavy-handed vegan approach in the book but on the other hand it could be used as a support for someone whose family is part or fully vegan- there is a challenge to the idea that other species exist for exploitation or that it's healthy to cram meat into our bodies (whether you think this is connected in the book to sentience or just being is a matter of how you read it I guess).
As I recall from other Quentaris books I have read there is more here than meets the eye- the format and level are very child friendly but the books are not "dumbed down".
At the centre are Tab Vidler- a girl from an unenviable background whose superpower is communicating with animals as well as empathy and insight (the book shows it doesn't tell this). There is some deconstruction (gentle and filled with comedy) around property, theft, greed, and especially exploitation with a more productive way forward being shown to be communication and collaboration (there are enemies though and it also pays to be wary). Games and play are values in the book as are loyalty and kindness.
So it's "just a kids book" in plot but it does provide a counter-point to the most cynical discourses kids get exposed to. It does it without didacticism, it's just a nicer way of viewing the world. Possibly naive, then again in view of the actual challenges facing the world possibly bold and necessary. It also keeps children firmly in the centre of the story as social agents. The discussion over whether the people of another species/race are "ugly" was an interesting one, showing that it's a matter of perspective. Brugman allowed a lot of humanity to shine through diverse people in the book without painting humanity (or even childhood) as "innocent".
There's no heavy-handed vegan approach in the book but on the other hand it could be used as a support for someone whose family is part or fully vegan- there is a challenge to the idea that other species exist for exploitation or that it's healthy to cram meat into our bodies (whether you think this is connected in the book to sentience or just being is a matter of how you read it I guess).
As I recall from other Quentaris books I have read there is more here than meets the eye- the format and level are very child friendly but the books are not "dumbed down".
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