Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson is a fascinating story based on a Charles Perrault fairy tale. Set in pre-colonial India, stepsisters Diribani and Tana individually encounter the goddess Naghali-ji. Afterwards, gems and flowers tumble from Diribani's lips when she speaks, but Tana speaks toads, frogs, and snakes. Each of these abilities is a gift, and when the girls are separated, they are determined to discover the purpose behind the goddess's blessings. Although it seems as though Diribani is the luckier of the two, she's not as happy as one might expect. Alternating chapters focus on one stepsister or the other; the sights, sounds, and smells of the different cultural settings and customs that the girls encounter are vividly described. Read along, and in your imagination you can join the journeys, too.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Not your typical fairy tale
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson is a fascinating story based on a Charles Perrault fairy tale. Set in pre-colonial India, stepsisters Diribani and Tana individually encounter the goddess Naghali-ji. Afterwards, gems and flowers tumble from Diribani's lips when she speaks, but Tana speaks toads, frogs, and snakes. Each of these abilities is a gift, and when the girls are separated, they are determined to discover the purpose behind the goddess's blessings. Although it seems as though Diribani is the luckier of the two, she's not as happy as one might expect. Alternating chapters focus on one stepsister or the other; the sights, sounds, and smells of the different cultural settings and customs that the girls encounter are vividly described. Read along, and in your imagination you can join the journeys, too.
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