Hortense and the Shadow

This haunting, folk tale-style debut from two sisters combines delicate, wintry images with dark thoughts. Hortense lives in a mansion that looks very much like a Russian Orthodox church, with onion domes, turrets, and ornate furniture. Hortense is "kind and brave," but she's locked in conflict with her own shadow. She's not just irritated by it: "Hortense hated her shadow." The O'Haras draw Hortense with a spidery black line looking angrily at her shadow on the snow--it's long, gray, and menacing. In a convulsion of despair, Hortense dashes through a window and slams it behind her, casting her shadow from the house altogether. But when bandits arrive one night, it's her shadow who saves her. It's an allegory of reconciliation with the dark emotions human beings inevitably harbor; if Hortense's shadow is sometimes "dark, fierce, strange, silly, jagged, or blue, well... sometimes Hortense is too," the story concludes. Some readers may be unsettled by the depth of Hortense's obsession, made all the spookier by garden tracery and architectural embellishment right out of Rebecca, but children who love eerie stories will be fascinated. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

Gr 1-3-- This picture book, the first creation by the O'Hara sisters, has the look and feel of a classic fairy tale. Hortense, a young girl lives in a snowy woods filled with wildlife. She is kind and brave, but there is one thing she absolutely detests--her shadow. It is tall and crooked and constantly following her around. She tries to hide it and run from it, until fated a day in the park when she realizes that her shadow hates her, too. Hortense hatches a plan and finally separates herself from her shadow, severing it with a closed window pane. Life goes on and Hortense is seemingly happy, until she meets a group of bandits in the night. Luckily, her shadow saves the day by becoming different intimidating figures (even a bear) and scares the bandits away. Hortense is grateful and realizes that her shadow is indeed a brave part of her that shows her how big she can be and how far she can go. Dreamy, detailed artwork is stylized and evocative, playing with light and shadow in its minimal palette and impressionistic scenes. It is extremely well executed and does the heavy lifting in creating the mood and shifting emotions of the story. VERDICT A uniquely told tale with beautiful illustrations, this is a recommended purchase for all libraries. Great for reading aloud and discussing with students.-- Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh