- a slightly-fictional summary of Charles Dickens’ childhood
- weaves many of his novel characters and topics into the book
- convo: mentions ghosts & spirits, a family lives in a debtors’ prison
Type: picture book biography
Ages: 5-9
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: John Hendrix
Readers who are less familiar with his novels might be a bit confused during parts of this book. It doesn’t always flow well as the author attempts to insert various components of his writing into her writing.
However, I certainly appreciated aspects. The illustrations were excellent and portrayed Victorian England quite well. The author hit on some points that aren’t always mentioned in juvenile biographies of Dickens, and it engages the reader in unique ways.
The challenge to portray such a large life in such few pages must be a daunting one. Even with this in mind, I was ultimately under-impressed by the result. The final summary was even a weird twist on “making children’s dreams come true,” as if Dickens lived a fairy tale life and young readers should expect the same. It seemed a silly way to wrap up the book.
There is no concerning content (nor book spoilers), so it’s a safe one to check out from the library. Who knows, you might love it!