Delilah's Dream, by Ian Trevaskis & Janine Dawson

Delilah sat alone in the henhouse and laid a creamy-smooth egg, and dreamed.
She dreamed of a life beyond the farmyard gate; a life full of wild and wonderful adventures.
When she told her sisters of her dreams, they cackled and laughed. Hannibal shook his comb and told her not to be silly, that she was just an ordinary, everyday farmyard hen.

Delilah isn’t like the other hens. She dreams of doing big things – but nothing bigger than one day flying. The other chickens scoff at her dreams, but Delilah is undeterred. Then, when a fox visits the farmyard late one night, it is Delilah, and her adventurous spirit, that saves the day.

Delilah’s Dream is a gorgeous picture book story about following dreams, self-belief and friendship. With gentle text by Ian Trevaskis, and watercolour and ink illustrations by Janine Dawson, Delilah and her friends come to life with humour and a mild message.

Very cute.

Delilah’s Dream, by Ian Trevaskis and Janine Dawson
New Frontier, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Hopscotch – Mudsa's Stone, by Ian Trevaskis

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

An ancient scroll, a rhyme, a game of hopscotch and a quest are the key elements in Hopscotch: Medusa Stone, an intriguing book from Ian Trevaskis and another of the great books coming out of Walker Books.

The opening plunges the reader right back into the Trojan War. It then moves back to the present, to Hannah’s move to Pelican Bay, before leading the reader to want to learn how she ended up back in the ancient time. It’s all because of Jake Peters, a boy from her school. It also raises questions about how Kostas the giant of Pelcan Bay fits into what happens.

The humour in the story works well and sounds so typical of the age group. Hannah and Jake are in year nine. According to Jake, Adam Price, the local heartthrob with the girls is ‘a legend in his own lunch box.’

It is while playing a game of Hopscotch that Jake disappears and becomes trapped in another time. Only Hannah has a clue of how to find Jake. Hannah meets the Game Lord and is required to test out and play his new game to rescue Jake. In doing so she has three different adventures based on Greek myths and even travels with Odysseus.

She also has to bring back three items from these adventures. In the course of these adventures, Hannah decides being involved in violence for real is a lot different and more scary and gruesome than just watching it on TV. She wants out of the whole situation but knows without her there is no way for Jake to return home. So she agrees to play again in an effort beat the giant Cyclops and to rescue Jake.

The story is full of action and clever in the way it integrates the mythical characters into the story. It sets up a great contrast with the present day and Pelican Bay.

At the end of the novel are some author’s notes which give further information about the ancient Greek civilization and the characters and gods of Greek Myth. This could be just the sort of book that will cause a young person to further investigate Greek Myths. After reading Hopscotch: Medusa Stone, my guess is readers from 11-14 will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment, Hopscotch: Golden Scarab.

Hopscotch: Medusa Stone

 

Hopscotch: Medusa Stone, by Ian Trevaskis
Walker Books, 2009
RRP PB $16.95

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.