This glorious offering from an emerging talent in picture books, (and one we’re undoubtedly going to see more of over the forthcoming months) is set to be a debut that’s going to be hard to top.
‘Imelda & the Goblin King‘ by Briony May Smith, is a creative and inventive twist on a classic fairy tale story with a fabulously feisty leading lady.
Our protagonist, Imelda loves nothing more than spending the day with the fairies and their queen in the enchanted forest, until one day a grumpy goblin king turns up and ruins their fun, scaring the fairies away.
But being fairies, they decide to offer the goblin king a chance to mend his ways. An invitation to their fairy solstice celebrations.
Reminiscent of a classic fairy tale with a twist, this story has spreads gushing with finite detail from the tiniest blueberry to left over fish bones, Briony May Smith leaves no stone unturned in her stylish illustrations.
The rich and varied palette just cries out to be explored further and there is a warm glow about this whole book from the narrative to the pictures, it’s one you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Needless to say when the goblin king shows up to the fairy solstice his manners are no better and he claims the celebratory feast for himself.
There’s only one person who can come to the fairies aid. Imelda is a force to be reckoned with and surely she can come up with a plan to rid them of this evil goblin?
An engaging and clever reinvention of a classic and one that’s sure to adorn shelves everywhere.
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