Cider Apples

by Sandy Nightingale

At the magical moment between the old year and the new, a young girl and her grandmother enlist the aid of some fairies to save their apple trees

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the apple theme (which made me think autumn, since apple season starts in September where I live), this story takes place on New Year's Eve in England. The little girls' grandparents are going to lose their farm if the apples don't come in, but after some fairy-magic, a happy new year seems to be in sight.

I somehow wasn't totally captivated by this one; it didn't totally work as a fairytale, though it wasn't bad, either--a bit choppy, I think. And I think the illustrations of the woods and fairies were more appealing than those of the humans.

[R. C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a neat story, but not great for a seasonal unit. An older couple is worrying about their apple farm in midwinter. On New Year's Ever, some magic occurs that makes apples appear the very next day, in the snow. The elements of magic are fun and traditional, but read this to a kid who is big enough to not get confused and/or has the right temperment not to be annoyed by the confusion.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations are the highlight of this tale about a failing apple farm. The narrative is a bit weak, but our girls loved the fairies. The fact that apples appeared in the middle of a snowy orchard is odd, but all the more magical. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grandma and Grandpa may have to sell their cottage. The apple orchard isn't doing well. So on New Year's Eve, Holly learns of a special way to save the orchard. Will the fairies help in time to save the cottage? Well, of course! the pictures are well-drawn and the characters are good, but the plot is a little weak. Still, my daughter liked it.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl and her grandmother are guided to wassail their old orchard by their talking animals. A nice story about fairies, apples and holiday magic.

[The Loco Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a peculiar children book! With mystery and magic, the author has created an interesting tale focusing on magic, hope, and happiness.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting a Autumn story with Cider apples, but this is set around Christmas and New Years. It's a little holiday story. A girl lives on an Apple orchard and the trees are old and dying. Between the old and new years, a wise cat and horse say there is an evening of magic and if they take a potion they give them, it can save the trees.

Guess what, there are dancing fairies in this story. Yoohoo. I mean, at one point there are a ton of dancing fairies. So, needless to say, I loved this part of the story.

The artwork is nice. It has one page of words on like a script and then the other page is all illustrations and drawings. The story is fast and the plot is wish fullfillment.

Someone recommended this book to me. I got it ILL from the library. Goodreads used to tell you at the bottom if someone recommended it to you and I miss that feature. They have removed some good features over time. Anyway, thanks for the rec. I appreciate it, even if I don't remember you.