Title: Oddfellow's Orphanage
Author: Emily Winfield Martin
Illustrator: Emily Winfield Martin
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: January 24, 2012
Genre: Children's books, Early Chapter book
How I Got It: from NetGalley for review
Goodreads Summary:
What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! This unusual early chapter book began life as a series of full-color portraits with character descriptions. Author/illustrator Emily Martin has fleshed out the world of Oddfellow's with an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. And in that, Oddfellows is like any other school where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big the world really is.
Emily Martin brings a very strange place to life with her unique style of both art and writing.
What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! This unusual early chapter book began life as a series of full-color portraits with character descriptions. Author/illustrator Emily Martin has fleshed out the world of Oddfellow's with an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. And in that, Oddfellows is like any other school where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big the world really is.
Emily Martin brings a very strange place to life with her unique style of both art and writing.
Martin's Oddfellow's Orphanage is filled with interesting characters, a sweet writing style, and some delightful details. My review copy was filled with some lovely pencil sketches that were prominently marked "Art Not Final" so I'm not quite sure what the finished result will be. If the final printing includes more detailed versions of the sketches I think children will enjoy the illustrations. If we're lucky enough for the final art to be in color then I believe the book will have more of whimsical feel to compliment Martin's world.
Oddfellow's Orphanage is written as a series of vignettes focusing on life at the orphanage throughout the year. We follow a young mute girl named Delia as she is brought in by the orphanage's founder Oddfellow Bluebeard who is "as gentle and kind as the other Bluebeard was cruel". The children are taught by a collection of quirky but kind teachers. Some of the subjects they study are fairytales, astronomy, and M.O.N.S.T.E.R.S (Mysterious Or Nonexistent Subjects Thoroughly Examined Really Scientifically). This is an orphanage, so each child has lost their family and this is touched on throughout the book and in the illustrated character descriptions that separate each chapter. Martin is very gentle in this regard, but the orphans do remember their family and one chapter, "A very Curious Tradition" (about Haircut Day) focuses a bit on a boy's loss and grief.
While a quick read, Oddfellow's Orphanage is not at all a fast paced book. While I wouldn't describe it as adventurous, I think the stories would appeal to younger readers. Martin's writing is gentle but occasionally comes close to being saccharine. There isn't a lot of action but there are surprises and enjoyable details in the idyllic setting. The orphans come from a variety of backgrounds from circuses and onion fields to wealthy and poor city families. There are dancing bears, talking onions and hedgehogs, mystical beasts, and some general fun. Oddfellow's Orphanage is an early chapter book that I think would make a nice bedtime read aloud for younger children.
Oddfellow's Orphanage is written as a series of vignettes focusing on life at the orphanage throughout the year. We follow a young mute girl named Delia as she is brought in by the orphanage's founder Oddfellow Bluebeard who is "as gentle and kind as the other Bluebeard was cruel". The children are taught by a collection of quirky but kind teachers. Some of the subjects they study are fairytales, astronomy, and M.O.N.S.T.E.R.S (Mysterious Or Nonexistent Subjects Thoroughly Examined Really Scientifically). This is an orphanage, so each child has lost their family and this is touched on throughout the book and in the illustrated character descriptions that separate each chapter. Martin is very gentle in this regard, but the orphans do remember their family and one chapter, "A very Curious Tradition" (about Haircut Day) focuses a bit on a boy's loss and grief.
While a quick read, Oddfellow's Orphanage is not at all a fast paced book. While I wouldn't describe it as adventurous, I think the stories would appeal to younger readers. Martin's writing is gentle but occasionally comes close to being saccharine. There isn't a lot of action but there are surprises and enjoyable details in the idyllic setting. The orphans come from a variety of backgrounds from circuses and onion fields to wealthy and poor city families. There are dancing bears, talking onions and hedgehogs, mystical beasts, and some general fun. Oddfellow's Orphanage is an early chapter book that I think would make a nice bedtime read aloud for younger children.
Some parts I liked:
The boat was large, but not large enough to dream of being called a ship.
Hugo, the little hedgehog, was orphaned at a cery early age. Consequently, he became quite attached to a coarse-bristle scrubbing brush. When he was rescued by Headmaster Oddfellow Bluebeard and separated from his beloved brush, he quickly attempted to build a nest in the headmaster's facial hair, which in texture bore a slightly less striking resemblance to his departed mother. With time, Hugo has grown more independent and much larger, as his stomach seems to be bottomless.
Verdict:
Oddfellow's Orphanage is a sweet early chapter book would make a nice read aloud for younger children as well. While not action packed, Martin's quiet stories are filled with detail and curiosities that will keep children involved. The pencil sketches in my galley hint at some fantastic final illustrations that are hope will be in color. The episodic chapters are nice, and Martin's writing comes close to being cutesy and sentimental but I think it's only something an adult reader would notice. While nice, Oddfellow's Orphanage isn't for everyone, so I recommend picking it up at your local library if you think it's a fit for your family.
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1 comments:
This sounds sweet.
January 17, 2012 1:37 AMPost a Comment