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Time and the Tapestry: A William Morris Adventure
What kind of adventure begins in the living room on a rainy Monday afternoon? It depends. Say you just found out that Granny, who raised you, is going to lose her house because there's nothing valuable left to sell except an unfinished tapestry. And say that your pet blackbird Mead starts talking and swells up to the size of large motorcycle, and that you suddenly find yourself on his back falling into what you could have sworn was just an old rug covered with pictures of knights galloping through forests. If that's your situation, then this adventure could be weirder, scarier, and more amazing than anything you ever imagined.
Time and the Tapestry tells the story of a 13 year old, would-be artist Jen and her not-quite-as-nerdy-as-he used-to-be- 10 year old brother Ed. They find themselves adrift in 19th century England, unable to make their way back home until they've gathered the missing pieces to make that tapestry whole.
It's great that they can ride on Mead's back. But not so great that his feathers are falling off, too fast to count. Great that they keep meeting up with the rugmaker himself, Jen's hero, British radical William Morris. But not so great that he always seems to be yelling at somebody or tossing something at them. Great that as they travel from London to Oxford to Iceland, they begin to figure out a way to save the Tapestry (and Granny's house along with it). But downright terrifying that Mead's going to be grounded soon, leaving them trapped with Morris and his wacky daughter May in a Victorian London that may be filled with cranky artists and loveable animals, but....it's a long long way from home.
The scenes set in Canterbury, Oxford, the English countryside, Trafalgar Square, Iceland, and Boston will enchant those drawn to the tapestry of history. Along with its magnificently detailed illustrations, this expertly woven tale threads together the best of classical fantasy with a tale of modern-day adventure that will captivate readers of all ages.
First-time children's book author John Plotz--who's spent years studying, teaching, and dreaming about William Morris--brings the story of Arts and Crafts to life with a yarn about a world where the power of imagination may just be strong enough to bring dragons, flying birds and enchanted books to life.
Time and the Tapestry tells the story of a 13 year old, would-be artist Jen and her not-quite-as-nerdy-as-he used-to-be- 10 year old brother Ed. They find themselves adrift in 19th century England, unable to make their way back home until they've gathered the missing pieces to make that tapestry whole.
It's great that they can ride on Mead's back. But not so great that his feathers are falling off, too fast to count. Great that they keep meeting up with the rugmaker himself, Jen's hero, British radical William Morris. But not so great that he always seems to be yelling at somebody or tossing something at them. Great that as they travel from London to Oxford to Iceland, they begin to figure out a way to save the Tapestry (and Granny's house along with it). But downright terrifying that Mead's going to be grounded soon, leaving them trapped with Morris and his wacky daughter May in a Victorian London that may be filled with cranky artists and loveable animals, but....it's a long long way from home.
The scenes set in Canterbury, Oxford, the English countryside, Trafalgar Square, Iceland, and Boston will enchant those drawn to the tapestry of history. Along with its magnificently detailed illustrations, this expertly woven tale threads together the best of classical fantasy with a tale of modern-day adventure that will captivate readers of all ages.
First-time children's book author John Plotz--who's spent years studying, teaching, and dreaming about William Morris--brings the story of Arts and Crafts to life with a yarn about a world where the power of imagination may just be strong enough to bring dragons, flying birds and enchanted books to life.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2014
268 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 18, 2014
I'm trying to decide whether this book was good-ish, but with major flaws, or crappy with some redeeming moments.
Pro: I like the premise a lot, which is of course why I picked it up, and the vocabulary is much more developed than you often find in children's books - something I appreciate, because one of my particular pet peeves is how adults always underestimate children and freak out about the possibility of them reading something that's "too hard" for them.
Con: So the vocabulary is good, but the style, both narrative and dialogue, was often very awkward and unsophisticated. I skimmed most of the middle because it just didn't feel necessary, and was annoying to read. There were honestly sentences that sounded straight out of the stories I used to write in middle school, and I will tell you now that those things were utter garbage. So that's a pretty big flaw.
Con: The whole thing was disorientingly medieval-feeling, with the fonts and the tapestries and everything, but the book actually takes place mostly in the second half of the 1800s. I realize that this is because William Morris, the subject of the story, was really into the Middle Ages, but it just made things feel slightly off.
Pro: Toward the end, there were some surprisingly deep discussions on socialism and capitalism, personal growth, and the meaning and accessibility of art. The protagonists are 13 and 9 years old, so the audience for this book is young, and I love that this author chose to introduce such grownup topics to them.
Okay, so while I was reading the book, I intended to come here and say it was terrible. But the more I talk about it, the more I think it might actually be okay, especially for its target audience. Still only going to give it two stars, but I don't think I'd knock it out of someone's hand if I saw them with it.
Pro: I like the premise a lot, which is of course why I picked it up, and the vocabulary is much more developed than you often find in children's books - something I appreciate, because one of my particular pet peeves is how adults always underestimate children and freak out about the possibility of them reading something that's "too hard" for them.
Con: So the vocabulary is good, but the style, both narrative and dialogue, was often very awkward and unsophisticated. I skimmed most of the middle because it just didn't feel necessary, and was annoying to read. There were honestly sentences that sounded straight out of the stories I used to write in middle school, and I will tell you now that those things were utter garbage. So that's a pretty big flaw.
Con: The whole thing was disorientingly medieval-feeling, with the fonts and the tapestries and everything, but the book actually takes place mostly in the second half of the 1800s. I realize that this is because William Morris, the subject of the story, was really into the Middle Ages, but it just made things feel slightly off.
Pro: Toward the end, there were some surprisingly deep discussions on socialism and capitalism, personal growth, and the meaning and accessibility of art. The protagonists are 13 and 9 years old, so the audience for this book is young, and I love that this author chose to introduce such grownup topics to them.
Okay, so while I was reading the book, I intended to come here and say it was terrible. But the more I talk about it, the more I think it might actually be okay, especially for its target audience. Still only going to give it two stars, but I don't think I'd knock it out of someone's hand if I saw them with it.
August 20, 2022
This could have been a great book. A children's fantasy book like Wizard of Oz (one part was so reminiscent, I was waiting for someone to say "You were there and you were there, and YOU were there too), where children travel to a fantasy world through a tapestry and have lots of adventures and go through ordeals. Or a biography of William Morris, either written for children or adults. OR a book for adults and possibly older teenagers about the philosophies of what is art and who is it for (you could probably write something like that for children too, but you'd have to be a pretty good communicator to translate those complex astral thoughts to something kids would enjoy). The problem with this book is that the writer tries to do all of these things.
The children's fantasy book suffers from the authors reluctance to describe the characters being in any real danger. The action tends to exist offstage between chapters. He'll end a chapter on a page turner with the character about to face danger, then you turn the page and the danger is suddenly over. Readers, especially kids, need to see how protagonists solve problems. But the author seemed to think action would take away from the telling of Morris's story.
William Morris isn't exactly a famous person, at least not in the US. Maybe English schoolchildren learn about him. I'd seen his tapestries in books but honestly never knew his name. When I picked up this book, I thought he was a fictional series character. The author starts the book as if he thinks his readers know who Morris is, are dying to know everything about him, and as if all kids and their grandmothers normally sit around talking about Morris and about textiles in general. The first chapter is rushed because of this. I needed a lot more info before getting into the biography. Like, why I should care about Morris before hearing all about him. His life, as presented by the author, wasn't all that interesting.
The philosophies about art (supposedly Morris's feelings) was probably the best part of the book, but presented so esoterically and so late in the book that I didn't care by that time. I think most kids would skip over those parts.
Not at all recommended, especially for children.
The children's fantasy book suffers from the authors reluctance to describe the characters being in any real danger. The action tends to exist offstage between chapters. He'll end a chapter on a page turner with the character about to face danger, then you turn the page and the danger is suddenly over. Readers, especially kids, need to see how protagonists solve problems. But the author seemed to think action would take away from the telling of Morris's story.
William Morris isn't exactly a famous person, at least not in the US. Maybe English schoolchildren learn about him. I'd seen his tapestries in books but honestly never knew his name. When I picked up this book, I thought he was a fictional series character. The author starts the book as if he thinks his readers know who Morris is, are dying to know everything about him, and as if all kids and their grandmothers normally sit around talking about Morris and about textiles in general. The first chapter is rushed because of this. I needed a lot more info before getting into the biography. Like, why I should care about Morris before hearing all about him. His life, as presented by the author, wasn't all that interesting.
The philosophies about art (supposedly Morris's feelings) was probably the best part of the book, but presented so esoterically and so late in the book that I didn't care by that time. I think most kids would skip over those parts.
Not at all recommended, especially for children.
November 12, 2024
You know what... life is too short to drag myself through reading a book that I hate. I'm abandoning this at 100 pages in (even though it kills me to quit at the halfway point). I just can't do it anymore.
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?! I was expecting a light-hearted fantasy romp about two children and their pet bird restoring a magic tapestry to save their granny's home. Which I still believe is the core plotline but it is entirely bogged down and ruined by what seems to be a biography of William Morris, narrated from the peanut gallery by these two children and their bird. If you came for the granny-saving story, you're going to be disappointed. If you came to learn about William Morris, you're also going to be disappointed.
So Granny reads the kids a poem which tumbles them headfirst into the Tapestry. Every chapter sees Jen and Ed jump forward in time, fetch the next 'object' to complete the tapestry from the poem, suffer through an explanation of the current phase of Morris's life, followed by a shameless grab of the item in question, and another time skip. There's some kind of B Storyline involving Mead (the bird) losing feathers every time he 'uses his time travel powers,' but I'll be honest... I completely don't care.
The writing is so disjointed and intercut with historical nonsense, location changes, and time jumps that when Jen started talking about Eva, I didn't even know who that was! (Her best friend, apparently.) All of these characters annoy me, even Mead who I would usually adore.
It's a shame that this book is such a wreck because it's absolutely gorgeous and the illustrations inside are almost photo-realistic. (The one star is only for the artwork.) Steer clear of this book, unless you feel like hearing three people read an uninteresting biography and constantly pause to give their opinions on it. 1/5
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?! I was expecting a light-hearted fantasy romp about two children and their pet bird restoring a magic tapestry to save their granny's home. Which I still believe is the core plotline but it is entirely bogged down and ruined by what seems to be a biography of William Morris, narrated from the peanut gallery by these two children and their bird. If you came for the granny-saving story, you're going to be disappointed. If you came to learn about William Morris, you're also going to be disappointed.
So Granny reads the kids a poem which tumbles them headfirst into the Tapestry. Every chapter sees Jen and Ed jump forward in time, fetch the next 'object' to complete the tapestry from the poem, suffer through an explanation of the current phase of Morris's life, followed by a shameless grab of the item in question, and another time skip. There's some kind of B Storyline involving Mead (the bird) losing feathers every time he 'uses his time travel powers,' but I'll be honest... I completely don't care.
The writing is so disjointed and intercut with historical nonsense, location changes, and time jumps that when Jen started talking about Eva, I didn't even know who that was! (Her best friend, apparently.) All of these characters annoy me, even Mead who I would usually adore.
It's a shame that this book is such a wreck because it's absolutely gorgeous and the illustrations inside are almost photo-realistic. (The one star is only for the artwork.) Steer clear of this book, unless you feel like hearing three people read an uninteresting biography and constantly pause to give their opinions on it. 1/5
April 15, 2018
An interesting story built around a William Morris tapestry. Jan and Ed live with their Granny. Granny is about to lose her house. Over time, she has sold off everything of value except for a tapestry that is unfinished and an allegedly done by William Morse. Through a quirk of fate, Jan and Ed find themselves drawn into the tapestry and arrive in 19th century England in attempt to locate the pieces to finish the tapestry.
The story presents life in 19thC England that is both interesting and easy to understand. Their mode of transport is a blackbird called. Mead. I found the story to be interesting and it moved along at a good pace but whether Jan and Ed found the pieces for the tapestry, you will have to read the book for yourself. The illustrations are in black and white and are reminiscence of early manuscript art. I received this as a review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review but I probably would have bought if browsing in a bookstore.
The story presents life in 19thC England that is both interesting and easy to understand. Their mode of transport is a blackbird called. Mead. I found the story to be interesting and it moved along at a good pace but whether Jan and Ed found the pieces for the tapestry, you will have to read the book for yourself. The illustrations are in black and white and are reminiscence of early manuscript art. I received this as a review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review but I probably would have bought if browsing in a bookstore.
January 18, 2022
I wish I could have liked this book more than I did. I was familiar with all of the historical figures before reading it, but I imagine the book would seem confusing to someone who didn’t have prior knowledge. The plot had some loose parts and seemed rushed in sections, and I felt like the character development of the main protagonists was wanting. The general idea was okay, but it seemed a bit sloppy in writing and delivery.
September 6, 2021
Picked this up at the Cleveland Museum of Art, lovely fantasy adventure with lots of historical detail on William Morris and his life and times.
October 1, 2014
I believe this book was written for young ones, but it reads, vocabulary-wise, like it is written for older people. The language is probably around 9th grade level reading. However, this doesn't detract from the story which has been carefully crafted, just like the tapestry in the story has been. It is a mixture of biographical information about William Morris and fairy tale, however, the fairy tale story is what keeps the reader reading. The author is quite adept at making the reader want to be a part of the new land the characters encountered when they "fell into" a beautiful tapestry, created by William Morris, but will a variety of pictures missing. So when they are in the tapestry they are suddenly "on a quest." But I dare not say more because I don't want to ruin the story for you. Read it! You will find it interesting! Thank you Goodreads and Firstreads for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
October 18, 2014
Thank you to goodreads giveaways and Bunker Hill Publishing for allowing me access to this title.
This story had a really different kind of flow to it. The quest the main characters embark on takes you to a different world and time.
I'm not sure about the end. While the story did resolve, I think that it was missing some explanation. It left me trying to figure out the relation between the quest for the tapestry and Granny.
It's didn't really give you an opportunity to relate to the characters. Maybe it was more about the journey.
3 1/2 stars because I did like the story, but I didn't love it.
This story had a really different kind of flow to it. The quest the main characters embark on takes you to a different world and time.
I'm not sure about the end. While the story did resolve, I think that it was missing some explanation. It left me trying to figure out the relation between the quest for the tapestry and Granny.
It's didn't really give you an opportunity to relate to the characters. Maybe it was more about the journey.
3 1/2 stars because I did like the story, but I didn't love it.
September 13, 2014
I receive a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. This was a story about a girl and her brother taking a fantastical journey inside an unfinished tapestry with their pet bird. This book took me a few chapters to get into, but then it was entertaining. It had good imagination and time travel through history while the children were trying to solve the mystery of the unfinished tapestry. I liked the way the ending wrapped up and connected back to the beginning. A good book for young readers who like fantasy.
December 14, 2014
If you want to know about William Morris' life, this is going to read much better than your standard biography. Unfortunately, while it seemed like the author wanted to make the story exciting, it never really got off the ground. I got about 2/3 of the way through the book, but in the end I couldn't finish it because I just didn't care what happened next.
July 27, 2014
I so wanted to like this more than I did. The entire book, I felt as though I was on the wrong side of the joke, and nothing really helped to dispel that feeling.
November 24, 2014
4 stars more for the William Morris stuff than the actual plot or storyline.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews