Customer Reviews

The Lost Happy Endings

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A dark and powerful picture book for older children, Jane Ray's illustrations perfectly complement Carol Ann Duffy's beautiful prose. Duffy brings a fantastic lyricism to the language that is all too often lacking in children's books. The witch has "fierce red eyes like poisonous berries" and her touch "nipped like pepper". Children's literature is much richer for this partnership - more please!

We have used this book with more than 50 schools, the language is rich, the illustrations are inspiring and when you read to the point when she finds a golden pen the children cannot help but want to write. The beautiful descriptions help children to become lost in the world and their imagination takes them into the woods where Jub lives. They love to explore her home and how she lives. Children from age 5-11 have loved to listen to us telling the story and have become spell-bound.

I'm a school librarian, with a deep interest in P4C (Philosophy for Children) and was looking for books to add to the stimuli bank. This seemed a likely candidate, but I was a little wary due to some of the reviews. However, I thought I'd chance it for a little over £[..].

Books such as these are designed to make the reader (including young children) think. (Why IS that bit written in a different font, for example?) No doubt the people who have such negative thoughts about this are the same sort who won't read "Not Now, Bernard" because it "is about a little boy who is eaten by a monster". If the parents can't or won't think, what chance do the children have?

The lost happy endings' is a magical book with beautiful illustrations, My son loved it and even my daughter who is 25 was entranced by the lovely images. A short and clever story supported by fabulous pictures.

The Lost Happy Endings

Carol Ann Duffy's book is an outstanding masterpiece with beautiful illustrations and packed with powerful similes. This is the story of a six-fingered magical girl, who is the guardian of all the happy endings. Unfortunately, the happy endings are stolen by a haggard, demonic witch. After this every child in the land experiences nightmares and begins to wet the bed!!! In our opinion, this book is suitable for ages 7+.

By The Detectives
St Mary's C of E Primary School
Cadishead
Salford

It's beautifully illustrated and a very interesting story.

Some reviewers recommend this for older children because it might be a bit scary at points I suppose. What I can say is that our 4 years old loves it, reads at bedtime and has never complained about it. It comes out time after time.

Thoroughly recommend it!

We borrowed this book from the library this morning and I have just read it to my soon to be 5 year old (unfortunately, as a bed time story). The language used is brilliant, but the story is a bit too scary, including a pretty detailed description of how the witch burns to death, and what she looks like while on fire. Ive seen this book rated in the 0-5 age group, but entirely disagree and think it should be 7-9 and not for faint hearted children. I definately will not be buying this book. I am on here looking for a more cheery story by same author though.

I bought this for my daughter as we had seen it on a shortlist for some award. I think the concept was really good and we did enjoy reading this however, ..... it has a very scarey ending. That is ok for an 8 or 9 yr old but this book wouldn't really be read by a child of that age, it would be too babyish for them. Any younger and the child would be scared by it. It's an oddity really.

fab book my daughter loved this book, she read it at school and wanted her own copy to read, 5 star product

arrived before christmas which was good as was a present
was well packaged with no damage
very pleased with purchase