ABBOTT, Damian (text) Stacey Joseph (illus.) The Place Far Beyond Stanton and Abbott, 2013 unpaged $14.99 pbk ISBN 9780987478467
Princess Amika and the peaceful villagers from The Place Far Beyond are preparing for a celebration but a warring tribe is on its way. Amika’s pet wolves warn her that something is amiss. She readies the village for war and goes to confront the chief of the tribe. Fearlessly she stands up for her village. But her message goes unheeded by the chief and the tribe draws its weapons. Just when it seems all will be lost, Amika notices that . . .
This is a rhyming text in picture book format, although quite long. The rhyme is dedicated to the author’s daughter (Amika) and obviously written with love. Stylistically, the rhyme seems forced and out of rhythm at times. This book fulfils its purpose as a family tribute but could be more professional with further editing. The stylised illustrations are bright and quirky.
reviewed by Sharon Seymour
