2/04/2009
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
1- A shape shifting 1000+ year old snake imprisoned in a clay jar far beneath the earth imagining finding her missing daughter when she is released.2- A bitter, scarred man set out to kill a giant alligator.3- A gentle make-shift family of a chained hound dog and a mama cat and her kittens who live carefully underneath the man’s ramshackle house.Three wildly different stories are artfully woven together like a tapestry to tell a gothic Southern tale about what love can do for the human spirit.This is an animal tale at heart that tugs at your heartstrings. The fantasy elements blend in as though your grandmother was exaggerating one of her favorite tales from long ago.In the beginning the chapters of each character are so short it’s difficult to keep the reader interested. However, as the mystery begins to unravel, the reader begins to imagine how each story could possibly be connected. Patience is a virtue while reading this yarn.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I would like to second this book. This was a book that grabbed me from the beginning - the rich language and imaginative creativity of the author shouted NEWBERY. The cat and dog family hooked me immediately and thinking about the other characters and how they were interconnected intrigued me. Joe and I read this book out loud to each other. The trees, birds, even the rivers were characters in this story and the author brought them all to life. David Small's illustrations are just right and well placed.
ReplyDelete