Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia and Lauren O'Hara - Review for Primary Teachers
Hortense and the Shadow is a debut picture book from sisters Natalia and Lauren O'Hara. It is a haunting, folk-tale like story. The protagonist, Hortense, is 'kind and brave' but she is sad. She hates her shadow. It follows her everywhere she goes, does everything she does and it grows 'tall and dark/and crooked' when night falls. She believes her shadow hates her too. However, one cold night, when bandits surprise her in the woods, it's her shadow that saves her. Hortense then realises that rather than being a nuisance, her shadow is vital part of her and so, in the style of all good fairy tales, all ends happily ever after.

The story's themes ( self-esteem, self-identity and finding inner strength) are developed subtly.
Although the story is not written in rhyming text, it certainly has a poetic feel about it. The book is marketed for children aged 5-7 years. However, the language and style of the story has a lot a potential for use in the KS 2 classroom. The descriptions of the setting have a fairy tale quality about them 'Through the dark/and wolfish woods,/through the white and silent snow.' These could be explored not only in terms of the noun phrases and alliteration but also the rhythm which gives them that timeless quality. Investigations which collect examples from other fairy tales (old and modern) would help develop and awareness of these features which children could then be encouraged to use in their own fairy tale composition.

The story was inspired by stories told to the sisters by their Polish Grandmother and this is evident in the watercolour illustrations, which are reminiscent of Polish fairy tales. The buildings have the feel of Eastern Europe with onion domes, turrets and ornate furniture. There is also a slight Gothic feel with all the garden tracery and architectural embellishment.

Hortense feels as though 'someone is watching her' and careful examination of the illustrations show that she indeed being watched, as the bandits are hidden within the wintry blue and grey illustrations. Sometimes they are easier to spot as one of them wears a red hat. Younger children will enjoy trying to spot the hidden bandit on the page.

Some of the vocabulary used throughout the book would prove challenging for most children within the targeted age range. The placing of the words on the page using 'word painting' might also prove challenging for some children. As Hortense's shadow grows, so does the size of the text. As Hortense falls down the steps the text also 'falls' down the steps. A great deal of the text is also positioned on top of the illustrations and as a result changes colour. None of these things should put you off reading this exquisite book. They make it an ideal book for sharing with children either as a class read or as a group read. They provide an abundance of opportunities to talk about the book and invite multiple readings.

Natalia and Lauren O'Hara are two sisters who love fairy tales and that sent out to write their own. Hortense is their first picture book and if it is a taste of what's to come then we are in for a treat.
Hortense's story is everything a fairy tale should be; here we have a little girl who lives in the woods and gets along with every animal and plant. She is not afraid of wolves or even of the darkness of the night, what Hortense fears the most is her shadow.
No matter what she does or where she tries to hide Hortense's shadow follows her everywhere and maybe that's not necessarily a bad thing as our heroine is set to find out.
This is not so much a story about facing your fears as it is a story of acceptance. Hortense hates her shadow because "Everywhere she went, it went. Everything she did, it did. And every time night fell it grew, tall and dark and crooked.". The Shadow is part of Hortense, even if she doesn't want to admit it and it's important that our heroine understands that and learns to live with her. And the story gets the point across in a delicate and beautiful manner.
I have to admit that I did congratulate the publisher on their choice for the illustration. Lately when checking the children section I see more and more illustration that seem like a variation of Quentin Blake's and Tony Ross's (that already look a lot like Quentin Blake's in my opinion!) which only blends the books into one big collection. And makes Christmas shopping a nightmare for adults who don't know exactly what their children want to read.
Hortense's illustrations are different. They are whimsical, they certainly do not look like Quentin Blake (please be assure I have nothing against his illustrations!), which automatically sets this book apart. These are a different type of drawing and the colour pallet used is soft and snowy, just like the woods where our heroine lives.
For me it's important to fall in love with the pictures in a picture book as they set the mood for the story. And these illustrations achieve just that!
Beautifully and whimsicaly illustrated this is a cute and short fairy tale with a very important message.

Firstly the illustrations are amazing, they're extremely intricate, delicately coloured full page pictures with plenty of detail that would be great for keeping a child's attention. The story has a point, Hortense doesn't like her shadow and goes to great lengths to try and get rid of it but during the book learns she's just misunderstood her shadow so its slightly fable-esque in that respect without being overly long or dragged out. The prose is mainly short sentences that flow really nicely so would be great for children that are just starting to join in with reading along but I didn't feel like the language had been 'dumbed down' at all which I like as it gives them a couple of challenges to try and sound out along the way. I don't have children but I gave this 5 stars based on how much I now want to read this to my friend's children.

Requested this by mistake but my niece was visiting and read it with her we both enjoyed it very much.

It's always nice when I happen across a very quick read, especially as illustrated picture books and graphic novels are really catching my attention this year. I'm mostly reading them for the art of course, which is beautiful, but this was described as having a fairy tale vibe and I was not disappointed. What I loved was at the beginning, while Hortense is fussing about (and trying to get away from) her shadow, there are real threats hidden in almost every picture. What a clever, sinister addition to the drawings! I went back repeatedly to make sure I had found them all! I liked the story too, and the message behind it: don't waste time being suspicious or afraid of things that can't hurt you. That being said, I really thought this story was going to have a darker ending than it did. The threat really wasn't that big a deal and the ending a little anti-climactic. A great story for children though!

Lovely story about self acceptance - a little girl who hates her shadow learns that it is part of her and it can sometimes be a big asset. Simply, sweet and beautifully illustrated. What a gem of a book this is. So well presented and stunning - totally irresistible, any child would be delighted to own a book like this, definitely 5 stars, no doubt about it

This is the story of Hortense, a little girl who dislikes her own shadow so much she does everything she can to separate herself from it, until one day she succeeds. Eventually, Hortense learns that the darkness is not to be feared, and accepting herself and her shadow side means her life can be full and joyful. I loved the illustrations in this book. They give a vaguely Slavic air to the story and lend it an air of the more traditional fairy tales. The story is a good one, but there are so many brilliant stories out there (Black Dog by Levi Pinfold for example) that explore a more holistic acceptance of the shadow self, and are about accepting what we fear (The Dark by Lemony Snicket springs to mind) that this gets a little lost in an already generously populated genre for me.

A really beautiful book that deserves reading and re-reading. The illustrations are enchanting revealing the many ways Hortense tries to shake off her scary shadow. It really is charming and I'd definitely buy it for a little one... and sneak my own re-reads in of course.

This is a beautiful book.

The story follows the story of Hortense, a girl who wants to lose her shadow, her success and then her rescue thanks to her shadow. A story for kids that has a metaphorical purpose - don’t be ashamed or scared what you are or what you have, is the theme and it’s done to perfection.

I think sometimes the story doesn’t evolve as much as you anticipate, the plot certainly changes dramatically which seems strange, however I’m an adult and this book is going to be loved by kids for it’s quick and dramatic conclusion.

The artwork is beautiful though and captures the story beautifully as it unfolds. It’s the perfect book for Winter as this book paints it perfectly throughout, and really is the star of this book.

I liked it.

A lovely picture book.
Got to love some magical realism and some colourful bandits.
I feel this could be a favourite for a child.

This is a charming children's book with some delightful illustrations with an underlying message on how fears can easily be overcome. The layout of the book with the words spread across the pages and mixed in with the illustrations just add to the adventure for the reader as the story unfolds. I can also imagine many parents engrossed in the experience of reading this to their child who would be following both their words and the pictures on the turn of each page.

What a delightful book for children and I think they will love the story which really comes to life with the beautiful illustrations. I would definitely buy this for any children in my life!

As I have the grandkids every weekend, I tend to read them books before bed time. All the better if they are picture books. My granddaughter is almost 4 and my grandson is almost 6. They both chose the book as they were drawn to the cover. Both of them listened as the lead character Hortense grew tired of being followed by her shadow. It’s only when she devised a cunning plan to rid herself of her shadow that she realises what she has done. A delightfully dark story brought to life by the beautiful illustrations. Needless to say, this will be bedtime reading for a great many nights to come.

Hortense is a kind and brave girl, but she is sad as her shadow follows her everywhere she goes. She hates her shadow and thinks her shadow hates her too. But then one cold, dark night, bandits surprise her in the woods. Hortense discovers that her shadow is the very thing she needs most.

What a beautifully illustrated book this is. A beautifully written fairytale. A tale that children will love to read or listen to being read and adults will enjoy being read to their children. A story where a girl learns to come to terms with her appearance.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Children's and the authors Natalia O'Hara & Lauren O'Hara.

I read this book and was quite enchanted by its old world charm and period feeling, it reminded me of the old books of fairy tales that I loved as a child. Naturally any story of a child and their shadow will evoke Peter Pan but this story swept any comparison away. The drawings were loose enough to allow my imagination to fill in the gaps and I consider that to be a good thing.
I can imagine that this book could be a great jumping off point for shadow play, inspiring children to write their own stories and some elementary physics.
Highly recommended and certainly a book I will purchase for my grand daughters.

In this story, we follow the eponymous Hortense and her trials and tribulations with her shadow. Though she is scared of her shadow and its continued proximity to her, by the book's end, the character has self-belief, power and an adventurous spirit.

The illustrations are beautiful, suiting the fairytale-like qualities of the prose; making it a very appealing and readable book.

A fantastic book with great messages and themes throughout, for the education and enjoyment of little ones and adults alike.

Hortense and the Shadow was enthralling and exceptional!! The story just swept me away and I thoroughly enjoyed it, such a modern fairytale with a strong female lead. The book was beautifully and captivatingly illustrated.

I've heard nothing but brilliant things about this book and I was thrilled when I was approved to read and review it. Unfortunately I wasn't able to download it to any device. This will be a book I definitely look out for when I'm next in a book shop.

Loved this short fairytale: it has a nice, young but determined character, it's original, it flows nicely and is sure to delight all who read or hear it. I'll be reading it to my nephew this Christmas!

I seldom read children's literature these days, but I made an exception for this exquisitely illustrated book about a young girl who hates her shadow.

Sisters Lauren and Natalia O'Hara, from the north of England, have created a magical allegory with an old world feel. As youngsters they were excited by fairy tales and animal fables, and loved listening to their Polish grandmother tell stories on cold winter nights - and there is a palpable Eastern European look and wisdom to the spare narrative and snowy landscapes.

"Through the dark and wolfish woods, through the white and silent snow, lived a small girl called Hortense. Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing . . . Hortense hated her shadow."

A delightful Christmas gift for a young person with a lively imagination.