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A review by heylancie
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
3.0
This review features spoilers!!
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ I love that this book featured a world map and Japanese history, and a glossary (albeit, at the end, not at the start, which would've been more helpful!).
○ I liked that there was eventually a reason for Kensuke's initial hostility.
○ I also liked the 'lifestyle' elements - the appreciation/gratefulness for nature, and therefore patience.
○ I liked Michael's happy ending - it is a children's book after all!
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ The phrasing and vocabulary was sometimes quite advanced and formal for a children's book, sometimes even I struggled to understand the meaning from context!
○ I find it deeply frustrating and disappointing that it seems very unlikely this is based off a true story. Then why name the main character after the author?! Andy why include a 'letter' which was 'received' by the author after the first publishing of this book, from Kensuke's son, and even specify he LAUGHS like his father?! I believed this book was based off a true story for about ten years, having read this in primary school in the early 2010s. I couldn't even fully confirm this isn't based off a true story, but I suppose solid evidence would be available on the author's Wikipedia if it had have been real. This point is detrimental to the book's rating.
< N E U T R A L > :
○ The references to being 'loopy' and 'mad' were also alarming, but more reasonable and acceptable for the time this was written in.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ WRITTEN ON: C250123
TRANSCRIBED ON: G110623
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: Less than 4 hours
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ I love that this book featured a world map and Japanese history, and a glossary (albeit, at the end, not at the start, which would've been more helpful!).
○ I liked that there was eventually a reason for Kensuke's initial hostility.
○ I also liked the 'lifestyle' elements - the appreciation/gratefulness for nature, and therefore patience.
○ I liked Michael's happy ending - it is a children's book after all!
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ The phrasing and vocabulary was sometimes quite advanced and formal for a children's book, sometimes even I struggled to understand the meaning from context!
○ I find it deeply frustrating and disappointing that it seems very unlikely this is based off a true story. Then why name the main character after the author?! Andy why include a 'letter' which was 'received' by the author after the first publishing of this book, from Kensuke's son, and even specify he LAUGHS like his father?! I believed this book was based off a true story for about ten years, having read this in primary school in the early 2010s. I couldn't even fully confirm this isn't based off a true story, but I suppose solid evidence would be available on the author's Wikipedia if it had have been real. This point is detrimental to the book's rating.
< N E U T R A L > :
○ The references to being 'loopy' and 'mad' were also alarming, but more reasonable and acceptable for the time this was written in.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ WRITTEN ON: C250123
TRANSCRIBED ON: G110623
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: Less than 4 hours
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆