Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Review: Cyclops by Rachel Meehan


CYCLOPS
The Chronicles of Curious Creatures
Book Two
by Rachel Meehan
Cherry House Publishing
Picture Book Humor
ages 4+
53 pages







How would it feel if every day, 

All the people ran away 
If all they saw was a monster wild 
When you were really meek and mild, 
If you had not one single friend 
With whom your leisure time to spend. 
For Cyclops this could be his fate 
As a monster men just love to hate....





MY TIDBITS



One-eyed beasts, who have the strength to crush an army of thousands--well, not necessarily. This lovely book introduces cyclops in a beautiful ballad style tale which will have kids wanting to read it again and again.

This is the first in a series of monster books. The text is done in rhymes, which flow very nicely and slide over the tongue as smooth as a song. In other words, this can be read by kids alone but works wonderfully as a read-aloud.

The story itself is unexpected and grabs--a cyclops who lives on an island is captured by pirates and sold to a circus. It gives a new twist to this creature, which usually is seen as a brutal beast. The text is written white on black, and in this case, that works just fine.

But the biggest treat in this book are the illustrations. They are unique enough to grab little readers' attentions (big ones too) and lead through the story, adding just the right amount to make fantasies soar. It's fun simply to flip through them and enjoy the artwork all on its own.

Summed up: This is a lovely read for young monster friends, and one I can highly recommend.





Curious about how the wonderful illustrations are created?
Watch and See!!!






And here she is. . .
RACHEL MEEHAN!!!


I live in rural, southern Scotland and have been writing fiction for a number of years, concentrating on the young adult genre.  I originally trained in the visual arts and always have some project on the go.  I like plot-driven writing that has its context in real life although I often stray to the edges of sci fi........My own YA writing concentrates on strong female leads, stays away from romance and has the occasional bit of conflict, social issues and adventure.  I recently finished the Troubled Times series, which deals with climate change.  Cyclops, is my first illustrated book although I am working on two more.
I love reading fiction especially, young adult, end of the world and dystopian novels.  My favourite authors include Gudrun Pausewang, John Christopher, Alex Shearer, Patrick Ness, Kevin Brooks and John Wyndham.  I have a keen interest in the environment.
I live with my husband, in a house is situated well above sea level where we grow much of our own food and generate some of our own electricity.
I check my garden and surrounding areas regularly for signs of triffids......
 https://www.amazon.com/author/rachelmeehan
 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7075545.Rachel_Meehan

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