Puffin (9+) 9780241651964 (Hardback)
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A seemingly endless winter threatens Fia’s village. She sets out on a quest to find the Deer Mother, and bring forth the winter solstice with her snow deer Solas at her side. There’s a timeless quality to the writing in this seamless verse novel. Readers are taken on a real journey from darkness into light and feel every icy moment of the hardships encountered along the way.
The ancient feel of the story of Fia and Solas the snow deer is significantly enhanced by the striking and unique illustrations. Subtle body-language and eye contact really capture the closeness of their relationship. There’s an aesthetic and technical brilliance in the use of light and dark with white space being used to great effect to simultaneously represent snow and make pops of colour feel both vital and warm. Paleolithic art aesthetics help evoke place and time, and a pervading sense of the cold lingers throughout
Themes:
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Dermot Flynn is originally from Ireland, where he studied at Dublin’s NCAD. En route to London, he completed his MA at the University of Brighton. He now teaches and works as a freelance illustrator for clients such as Publicis, Target USA, the Guardian, The Irish Times, Carton LeVert, McCann, DDB, Dentsu, 180 Amsterdam and Adidas. In his spare time he plays the cello, cycles and skates around London.
Eilish Fisher grew up in a 200-year-old haunted farmhouse in the Vermont, but has lived most of her life in Ireland so considers herself both a Vermonter and Irish and brings the legends and history of both to her writing. She has Degree in English, History and Medieval Irish Studies, a Master’s degree in Early Medieval Irish History and Literature and a Doctorate in Medieval English Literature from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUI Maynooth). She has also received both a Words Ireland mentorship and a full Literary Bursary Award from the Arts Council of Ireland.
The book "Fia and the Last Snow Deer" was a great tale that is my favourite book I have read so far on my 'shadowing journey'. This is a very accessible book for people that may be dealing with learning difficulties such as dyslexia because the layout of the words and the font in the book is very clear and easy to read, which makes it a very good nominee for these Carnegie Awards! I also think that the plot is fabulous as it has a close not just emotional connection with a special, one-of-a-kind animal but there are strong themes and feelings of a spiritual connection which is part of one of the morals of the story. My section of the storyline was the part where Fia realises that family isn't just about competition and rivalry but also about a deep connection deep beyond the human core. In summary, this book is a fantastic book sheerly due to how such a fantastical (as in fantasy) sequence of paragraphs can not only have a resemblance in the fictional world but the real world also which helps the audience connect deep-feelingly with the metaphorical events within the novel.
Maryam
HGS Book Club