I'm still not totally certain of how to review picture books and this is my first picture book I've read as an adult outside of some good old Dr Seuss (it's the rhymes, guys, who can resist a rhyme?

I think the art in this book was amazing. Like truly stunning, I just wanted to marvel at the pictures as I read it. The dedication to the drawings shone through and I know picture books use the pictures to aid the story and it totally made the story so much better and any child (any adult) would have wanted to look at them.

I found the story to be short and simple and strangely sweet. Hortense hated her shadow and seeing the lengths she went to to lose it was extreme. It was sweet, though, and totally the kind of book you can see reading to children. I'd really read it more for the pictures than the story, though.

Hortense’s shadow follows her everywhere, copies everything she does and never leaves her. She hates it. Only when she is rid of it, and finds herself in desperate trouble, does she discover it's true value.

Stunning, delicate illustrations not only complement, but add depth and narrative to this wonderfully original fairytale. The muted colour palette and white space add to the ethereal feel, with lots of intricate detail to explore and enjoy. The message of true friends always being there for you no matter what shines through.

Great for fans of The Fox And The Star and Under The Same Sky.

ebook proof courtesy of Penguin Random House UK Children's Books via Netgalley.

Well this is so beautiful and haunting, my little one got a bit scared half way through and I was a tiny bit worried, but things turned out wonderfully at the end - phew! The illustrations are just lovely, and the story is clever and thoughtful, we talked a lot about shadows and being frightened and who looks after us etc. It was a really good read for a wide range of ages, and we will be reading it again and again I'm sure.

Beautifully illustrated with a cute premise. Will definitely be picking this up when it's released!

Didn't make much sense to me. Sorry. A little girl hates her shadow. Meh. Illustrations were lovely. Just the story didn't work for me.

This is such a beautiful book: both in the gorgeous pastel illustrations and in the wonderful prose. Hortense, like many children (and not too few adults) is scared of the ghastly shapes that her shadow makes. Her shadow follows her everywhere, so she does all she can to rid herself of it. But then, one dark night when all seems lost, it is her shadow that saves the day (or night!), and Hortense realises that “if (the shadow) is sometimes dark, cross, silly, jagged or blue, well sometimes Hortense is too”.
This book will thrill all – young or old. Underneath the fairy tale story, it is about a young girl coming to terms with her appearance, and all facets of her being – the good, the bad and the ugly – each has a part to play in making the child into a rounded human being.
The story makes me think of Adelbert von Chamisso’s novella “Peter Schlemihl”. Peter sells his shadow to the Devil, and thence is completely ostracised from society as a person with no shadow is held to be untrustworthy, however much money he has. Hortense realises just in time that her shadow is part of who she is.

Do I want children? No sure. Would I have children just to give them pretty names, dress them up, and read picture books with cute illustrations to them? I guess so! Good thing I have a godchild I can read this to instead. Hortense and the Shadow is a great example of children's graphic design and will serve me as an attempt to turn that one-year old into an art afficionado. Not much of a deeper message to find between the rhyming lines, but there doesn't have to be one in everything.

Daughter didn't show much interest in this one, sorry

What a perfectly adorable and yet deceptively dark read!

This is a small picture book about a girl called Hortense and her discontent with the shadow that follows her wherever she goes. Despite the limited text the reader truly gets a feel for this darling little protagonist and the accompanying art work only enhances the beauty of this small but impressive read.

The art had a whimsical quality reminiscent of the illustrations from some of my most beloved fairy tales anthologies. The tale itself also evoked the same qualities and, for this reason, the two combined to give this a timeless and universal appeal.

Hortense hated her shadow. Everywhere she went, it went. Everything she did, it did. And every time night fell it grew, tall and dark and crooked.
So Hortense decided: the shadow must go !

It was cute ! The illustrations are wonderful ! The story is simple but original !
It was a cozy snowy winter story ! I recommend this book to talk about fear, dark with children !

I was sent an early copy of this beautiful book in return for my honest and independent review.
I absolutely love children's picture books and this was a joy to review.
Have you heard the saying ' Oh she's afraid of her own shadow' well this lovely story is about a small girl who is.
It follows her journey in words and stunning scenes to see how she overcomes this fear.
I would recommend you buy this in hard copy so that you can truly immerse yourself into this story.
Great to have a copy in any primary school or home bookshelves. I'm certainly going to get mine.

A beautiful book. Stunning illustrations and a wonderfully fun and meaningful story.

Hortense and the shadow is a very sweet and charming picture storybook about a girl and her shadow.
Hortense, at the beginning, becomes very annoyed with her shadow as it is everywhere she goes, making her look out of proportion. She does what any child would do and tries to hide her shadow, with one day managing to separate herself from it. Now seemingly free she soon finds that it would be nicer to have it back than to have to face some bandits alone. They are reunited with a beautiful message.

The story presents itself a lovely little message about how comforting and companionable a shadow can be when one is alone, and how it can much fun you can have with it. Also that it is nothing to be annoyed at or afraid of. It is delivered alongside some absolutely gorgeous illustrations, that I personally would love prints of for my walls. All in all a beautiful little book that I'm sure kids and adults will just genuinely adore.

Shadow-phobia.
This book actually makes me feel rather uncomfortable - why would a young child hate her shadow? I've always encouraged my children and grandchildren to think of their shadow as a friendly presence, not something to be scared of.
Then, when Hortense slams the window sash down, the shadow howls and kicks and scratches at the glass, well, by this time, no wonder she's petrified by her shadow.

The art work is cute, with a Russian feel, cold and snowy, and this book appears to be well received by other reviewers. As yet my granddaughter is still a bit young to really test her reception to it, although I'm in no hurry to give her shadow-phobia. Maybe this is just one that I'll let pass by.

Actual rating 3.5

I found this little book to be really cute but lacking a bit of substance.

The illustrations are beautiful and the story is lovely but there's just not enough of it. I also felt that the bandits situation felt really weird and unnecessary.

I liked Hortense and the last couple of pages are gorgeous 'And if it is sometimes dark, cross, strange, silly, jagged or blue, well sometimes Hortense is too' is a lovely ending point.

This is such a beautifully illustrated picture book. It was creative and perfect for imaginative young readers.

An unusual picture book about a little girl called Hortense who inexplicably hates her shadow. The illustrations set in a wintery looking forest had a Russian feel to them and were interesting. However, perhaps due to the nature of the galley copy, the text seemed a little jumbled initially making it hard to be sure I was reading it in the correct order on my Kindle Fire. Despite this,I think the story would appeal mostly to ages 5-7 and could be used to bring interest to a topic on shadows if considering for the curriculum. Some more sensitive children may find it slightly scary as Hortense seems to be frightened of her shadow and very keen to escape from it. The interlude with the bandits is the turning point over which Hortense learns the value of her shadow and begins to enjoy it. I can see how this might lead to a few enjoyable hours of shadow play with the children.

I thought that this book would be excellent for use in the classroom - in particular discussions around issues such as fears and to promote an engaging approach for teaching grammar for writing.

A wonderfully illustrated story with an enchanting tale based around a young girl and her shadow.