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A review by absentminded_reader
Winter Story by Jill Barklem
4.0
This is the first of the Brambly Hedge stories that I've ever read. In truth, there is not much of a story here. It's very old fashioned, even for the 80s when it was first published. However, even the old fashioned stories had plot and conflict. This book was very short on conflict. There are mice. There was snow. The mice became very excited about the snow. They prepared for a ball. The boys were naughty. They held the ball. Everyone danced until they were tired. The end.
That all being said, the illustrations were detailed and delightful. Clearly, this series is well known because of the remarkable artwork, and not the stories. Of course, there are seven other stories for me to review, so I can't judge the entire series by this one volume. I'd give this story ★★☆☆☆. However, the art is why this series exists. I found myself stopping frequently while I read to admire Barklem's craftsmanship. I'm ouldnt interest my daughter in reading the book with me, so I can't say what she thought of it. I'll likely look over the story to admire the artwork all over again. Therefor, ★★★★☆.
That all being said, the illustrations were detailed and delightful. Clearly, this series is well known because of the remarkable artwork, and not the stories. Of course, there are seven other stories for me to review, so I can't judge the entire series by this one volume. I'd give this story ★★☆☆☆. However, the art is why this series exists. I found myself stopping frequently while I read to admire Barklem's craftsmanship. I'm ouldnt interest my daughter in reading the book with me, so I can't say what she thought of it. I'll likely look over the story to admire the artwork all over again. Therefor, ★★★★☆.