Frazzy Dazzles

Review

Rating: 10

I have never been very good at playing my cards to my chest. I have never bothered to learn to play poker because I know that I would be taken to the cleaners every time. If anyone has been reading this blog for a while they will know of my love of children’s books and especially their illustrators. I think that it’s a crime against humanity that such fabulous images are trapped inside dust covers only to be seen if they’re sought out. I guess for that reason we open a lot of children’s books in our house. Seeking out the beauty within.

I have to admit I had never had the opportunity to read a Roddy Doyle book before. I now intend to remedy this void in my experiences. His story is honest, sad, happy and from the heart. I was eager to read on once I found out he had drawn on the experiences and stories of his own family to weave this tale. I would be lying if I said it left me unmoved. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that it brought me to tears. The story of a young girl’s journey to find her mother’s face. Lost to her years before with the passing of her mother. Given back to her magically by a stranger in the park. An awakening that brought together three generations of her family. Allowing them to laugh again.

To quote the dust cover…’For anyone with a loved one they long to remember, Roddy Doyle’s story is like a balm to the heart and a feather in the knickers.’ Nobody could have said it better.

Now for the illustrations…..Again I have never made a secret of my love of the art of Freya Blackwood. She is my favourite artist of all time. Her images are simple. Never overworked. Never trying too hard. Crisp, clean and alluring. Her use of colour and shape is only eclipsed by her eye for detail and the amount of thought and imagination that goes into every image. There’s a beauty radiating from within these pages that seems criminal to contain. I have been fortunate enough to meet Freya. I have seen her work first hand. She is a truly gifted woman. We are all the richer for the fact that she choses to share her gift in the world of children’s literature.

For me this is a children’s book in many respects. Perhaps it’s one of those books that had to be…to help people deal with the elements of our lives that are beyond our control. More than that I think it’s a book for adults. To help us see the world through the eyes of a child and remind us that sometimes big things happen to little people. It makes you take a step back and try understand the concept of loss within their little lives.…lives that have only been short and viewed through little eyes.

A wonderful read. I guarantee you will find something out about yourself by the time you have finished this book.