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Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Features the Nebula Award-winning novella "Lost Girls."
In these modern myths and tales for the young and the young at heart, Jane Yolen transforms the impossible into the familiar and real. Among the outlandish wonders are an Alice grown tough in Wonderland, a dear--but dead--mother's homecoming, a bridge that longs for a goat-eating troll, and a mutiny among Peter Pan's troops.
In these modern myths and tales for the young and the young at heart, Jane Yolen transforms the impossible into the familiar and real. Among the outlandish wonders are an Alice grown tough in Wonderland, a dear--but dead--mother's homecoming, a bridge that longs for a goat-eating troll, and a mutiny among Peter Pan's troops.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 1997
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855 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
987 books3,249 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 2, 2022
Quite a fun set of stories. Enjoyed it more when I was younger.
February 26, 2017
Well, this 175 page took me a while to finish as you can see.
All because of cursed Watership Down that I had to read for school.
My mom bought me this book last year some time because I wanted to find some examples of short stories so that I could write one of my own to go in our school's writing contest, but never got around to it. And now this year rolls around and I am presented with the same opportunity for the writing contest, so I decided to read it to generate ideas!
It was wonderful. I enjoyed Jane Yolen's books all through my child years and continue to enjoy her in her novels and chapter books. The way she creates the character, even in 14 pages, is so amazing! As the reader, I finished each short story loving the character.
My favorite story was a tie between Mama Gone, Winter King, and Lost Girls.
4.5/5 stars rounded to 5/5 stars
All because of cursed Watership Down that I had to read for school.
My mom bought me this book last year some time because I wanted to find some examples of short stories so that I could write one of my own to go in our school's writing contest, but never got around to it. And now this year rolls around and I am presented with the same opportunity for the writing contest, so I decided to read it to generate ideas!
It was wonderful. I enjoyed Jane Yolen's books all through my child years and continue to enjoy her in her novels and chapter books. The way she creates the character, even in 14 pages, is so amazing! As the reader, I finished each short story loving the character.
My favorite story was a tie between Mama Gone, Winter King, and Lost Girls.
4.5/5 stars rounded to 5/5 stars
March 7, 2013
A nice enough collection of middle grade short stories, without a common theme other than the genre (fantasy). I haven't read that much Jane Yolen, but usually like what I do read. The stories here were mostly decent enough, but not really memorable. I bet I would have eaten it up when I was in the target age group, though. There wasn't a truly bad story in the bunch, though Lost Girls just didn't do anything for me. I'd say the standout story in the collection was Mama Gone, an unusual vampire story. I give Yolen a lot of credit for using strong and varied voices in her stories. The main characters have grit, especially the girls, which is always very nice to read. I think I may have read one or two of these stories before, in other collections, but I'm not sure.
September 30, 2018
I'd seen this title floating around so often, and had read so many other works by Jane Yolen, that when I picked this book up from the library, I was half-convinced I had read it already. Only one ("Mama Gone"), though, did I actually remember when reading, and most I was positive I had never come across before.
As a collection, it's eclectic. While the stories all have some element of "the impossible," their genres range from sci-fi, to horror, to fantasy, to magical realism. Many are coming of age narratives where a girl (and in one story, a boy) finds their inner resilience, and several deal with coming to terms with loss, but then there are several that have nothing at all to do either theme.
In the introduction, Yolen writes that fantasy stories are metaphors by which authors come at real problems. That truth is at the heart of what makes good fantasy resonate with its readers. But too many of Yolen's "metaphors" in this collection are clunky and trite, the bald moral badly disguised under its fictional wrappings. "Tough Alice" is predictable and boring. What "Phoenix Farm" gains in simplicity, it loses in obviousness. The best stories in the collection are those where Yolen gets too swept up in the atmosphere and the story to focus on the meaning, like in "Wilding," which has a similar "message" to several others in the collection, but still feels like a breath of fresh air with its vivid and unusual setting, or when Yolen simply has such an unusual perspective on an old tale that its charm can't be resisted ("The Bridge's Complaint"). My personal favorite was the last piece, "Lost Girls," even though the message was front and center, because the story itself took such interesting turns, and Darla felt like a fully realized and rounded character, and one who actually knew herself.
As a collection, it's eclectic. While the stories all have some element of "the impossible," their genres range from sci-fi, to horror, to fantasy, to magical realism. Many are coming of age narratives where a girl (and in one story, a boy) finds their inner resilience, and several deal with coming to terms with loss, but then there are several that have nothing at all to do either theme.
In the introduction, Yolen writes that fantasy stories are metaphors by which authors come at real problems. That truth is at the heart of what makes good fantasy resonate with its readers. But too many of Yolen's "metaphors" in this collection are clunky and trite, the bald moral badly disguised under its fictional wrappings. "Tough Alice" is predictable and boring. What "Phoenix Farm" gains in simplicity, it loses in obviousness. The best stories in the collection are those where Yolen gets too swept up in the atmosphere and the story to focus on the meaning, like in "Wilding," which has a similar "message" to several others in the collection, but still feels like a breath of fresh air with its vivid and unusual setting, or when Yolen simply has such an unusual perspective on an old tale that its charm can't be resisted ("The Bridge's Complaint"). My personal favorite was the last piece, "Lost Girls," even though the message was front and center, because the story itself took such interesting turns, and Darla felt like a fully realized and rounded character, and one who actually knew herself.
December 8, 2017
THINGS is a fun collection of short stories of the fantastical, ranging widely in theme and tone. It struck me that some of the lines in a couple of these stories seemed oddly familiar, like distant echoes. Then I noticed that most of the stories were published in previous anthologies ranging from the late '80s through the mid-'90s. Considering that starting in about 1990, I spent a good 5 years reading nothing but books with the words "scary," "unexplained," and "mystery" in the title (and often all three at once), I realized that I had indeed encountered some of these tales before.
February 9, 2015
This review is pretty much stolen from Emilie after she wrote a recap of the Book Club of Doom's April meeting wherein we talked about the stories in this collection. But, well, edited.
Tough Alice A modern day revisit to Wonderland. Most of our group appreciated the references and clever wordplay in this story, but felt that a lot was lost from the original tone of Alice in Wonderland when taking away the Victorian context. A bookend to the collection with Lost Girls, another re-telling of a classic literary tale which closes the book.
Mama Gone A family vampire tale. The reviews seemed mostly positive, and both the title and the story was one of the more memorable from the bunch. This story (and others from this collection) features a child narrator who takes on responsibility when the adults in their life do not.
Harlyn’s Fairy A fairy story. More interesting family dynamics! The meat of this story came from, in my opinion, the Harlyn’s perception of reality and measuring of her own mental stability (compared to her mother’s, who suffers from mental illness) as she encounters the fairy, as well as hiding her knowledge from the adults present. Two of us had recently read The Fairy Ring and it resonated with this tale strongly.
Phoenix Farm A story about a broken home and financial straits. We all lost a lot of respect for the story due to its ending.
Sea Dragon of Fife Almost a ballad about a battle at sea. I liked this one. It was better than Moby Dick or The Old Man and the Sea which I think are boring sea-tales to read.
Wilding Futuristic tale in which one can pay to be more animal for a short while. The best world building overall, most of us agreed, and the most “teen dystopia” of the bunch.
The Baby-Sitter A ghost story. The scariest. This was probably the most appropriate story for its short length.
Bolundeers A deceased father, a compost pile, two siblings, and a noise at the window. A lot of discussion regarding the ending.
The Bridge’s Complaint The Bridge retells the Billy Goats Gruff. We had some great discussion regarding gender in this story. The Bridge is not gendered, so how we read gender into it was pretty interesting. This was also the only story which was not told from an explicitly juvenile or young adult perspective.
Brandon and the Aliens Aliens invade and a boy takes them on. On his bike. We didn’t discuss this story much at all.
Winter’s King A boy is born cold. After he is orphaned, he takes to the wild. Mixed reviews on this one. Derek thought this was the most traditional seeming story, most classic of tales.
Lost Girls A Nebula-Award winning short story about a modern-day girl who is kidnapped by Peter Pan and surprised by the political situation in Neverland. Overall the reaction to this story was warm, especially compared to the others in this collection. It really shows what Yolen could do if she decided to write longer stories.
Tough Alice A modern day revisit to Wonderland. Most of our group appreciated the references and clever wordplay in this story, but felt that a lot was lost from the original tone of Alice in Wonderland when taking away the Victorian context. A bookend to the collection with Lost Girls, another re-telling of a classic literary tale which closes the book.
Mama Gone A family vampire tale. The reviews seemed mostly positive, and both the title and the story was one of the more memorable from the bunch. This story (and others from this collection) features a child narrator who takes on responsibility when the adults in their life do not.
Harlyn’s Fairy A fairy story. More interesting family dynamics! The meat of this story came from, in my opinion, the Harlyn’s perception of reality and measuring of her own mental stability (compared to her mother’s, who suffers from mental illness) as she encounters the fairy, as well as hiding her knowledge from the adults present. Two of us had recently read The Fairy Ring and it resonated with this tale strongly.
Phoenix Farm A story about a broken home and financial straits. We all lost a lot of respect for the story due to its ending.
Sea Dragon of Fife Almost a ballad about a battle at sea. I liked this one. It was better than Moby Dick or The Old Man and the Sea which I think are boring sea-tales to read.
Wilding Futuristic tale in which one can pay to be more animal for a short while. The best world building overall, most of us agreed, and the most “teen dystopia” of the bunch.
The Baby-Sitter A ghost story. The scariest. This was probably the most appropriate story for its short length.
Bolundeers A deceased father, a compost pile, two siblings, and a noise at the window. A lot of discussion regarding the ending.
The Bridge’s Complaint The Bridge retells the Billy Goats Gruff. We had some great discussion regarding gender in this story. The Bridge is not gendered, so how we read gender into it was pretty interesting. This was also the only story which was not told from an explicitly juvenile or young adult perspective.
Brandon and the Aliens Aliens invade and a boy takes them on. On his bike. We didn’t discuss this story much at all.
Winter’s King A boy is born cold. After he is orphaned, he takes to the wild. Mixed reviews on this one. Derek thought this was the most traditional seeming story, most classic of tales.
Lost Girls A Nebula-Award winning short story about a modern-day girl who is kidnapped by Peter Pan and surprised by the political situation in Neverland. Overall the reaction to this story was warm, especially compared to the others in this collection. It really shows what Yolen could do if she decided to write longer stories.
May 20, 2013
The only reason this book even got a 2 stars is because I loved the stories "The Baby-Sitter", "Mama Gone", and "Bloundeer". In that order! Jeez I seriously hated this book I mean half the time it's like WTB (B for book lol) are you talking about! It takes a lot to please me and this book wasn't it Nah-uh no way! sigh well perhaps the next book I'm reading will be good! So read at your own risk! I mean I picked this book up with HIGH hopes! Yeah all hope shattered!
January 28, 2020
An entertaining collection of short stories. Included are a variety of fantasy, spooky, and science fiction stories. Yolen writes a story about Alice (from Wonderland) and a feminist take on Peter Pan. In this latter story, Darla wakes up in Neverland, finds herself as one of several Wendys, and starts a labor strike. The stories are well-written; some are humorous, others spooky or dramatic.
October 21, 2016
3.5 stars. A few original stories, with a variety of themes, a couple of which were even a bit spooky! I liked the retellings the best, especially the retelling of Peter Pan and the one about Alice. Worth a look, but not too many "fairy" tales here
July 27, 2023
This is a neat book from the same author as Dragon's Blood!
...I'm sort of not sure how to write this review as another, not as good, book keeps coming to mind, and I'd rather not just lambast that book without good reason... like, several of my favourite books are collections of short stories, because I can get through all of a story without losing track of what happens, like how Sammy Jankis likes commercials.
This one has some neat feminist takes on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, too, plus... I'd say only two I could have done without reading, but they aren't bad as such, just not to my taste.
COMPARATIVELY, the other book of short stories I read was clearly self-published by a local; good printing quality, content... ehhhh, I think a couple would've been neat "family" stories like from parent to child, but the one that made me stop reading was about a Latino boy who got lynched and... that's it, that's the story. (Note: author's Scottish)
Definitely prefer Yolen's stories! I'd love to read more, but her author's note makes it sound like pulling teeth just to get these written. :( I'll keep an eye out anyway! (Apparently there are OVER 400 to choose from, better get started!)
...I'm sort of not sure how to write this review as another, not as good, book keeps coming to mind, and I'd rather not just lambast that book without good reason... like, several of my favourite books are collections of short stories, because I can get through all of a story without losing track of what happens, like how Sammy Jankis likes commercials.
This one has some neat feminist takes on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, too, plus... I'd say only two I could have done without reading, but they aren't bad as such, just not to my taste.
COMPARATIVELY, the other book of short stories I read was clearly self-published by a local; good printing quality, content... ehhhh, I think a couple would've been neat "family" stories like from parent to child, but the one that made me stop reading was about a Latino boy who got lynched and... that's it, that's the story. (Note: author's Scottish)
Definitely prefer Yolen's stories! I'd love to read more, but her author's note makes it sound like pulling teeth just to get these written. :( I'll keep an eye out anyway! (Apparently there are OVER 400 to choose from, better get started!)
June 27, 2017
TWELVE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST
I began this beautiful day by finishing Jane Yolen's TWELVE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST . . . and then had breakfast. I was going to discuss favorite stories from the collection, but found I couldn’t choose, all so good, even or especially the introduction and afterward, insights into the process of creating good writing.
I’ll share a few lessons, if I can manage it without spoiling any endings. A hero needs courage and laughter, sometimes it’s better to rise up out of the ashes, singing,
sometimes the hero can best serve by equipping others with good tools, love can conquer much
I love the homage to well-loved tales, with Alice and Max and Wendy standing up for fairness, and the Bridge’s view of trolls and goats.
I love knowing of Yolen’s Big File of ideas that need to germinate until they find their story. I’ve read that Bradbury had a drawer of outtakes for later use . . . a good lesson in not giving up on what Kristin Lems sings of as a “not yet”
I recommend this book and its insights to readers young and old, older, oldest . . . age brings even more insights. ;-)
I began this beautiful day by finishing Jane Yolen's TWELVE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST . . . and then had breakfast. I was going to discuss favorite stories from the collection, but found I couldn’t choose, all so good, even or especially the introduction and afterward, insights into the process of creating good writing.
I’ll share a few lessons, if I can manage it without spoiling any endings. A hero needs courage and laughter, sometimes it’s better to rise up out of the ashes, singing,
sometimes the hero can best serve by equipping others with good tools, love can conquer much
I love the homage to well-loved tales, with Alice and Max and Wendy standing up for fairness, and the Bridge’s view of trolls and goats.
I love knowing of Yolen’s Big File of ideas that need to germinate until they find their story. I’ve read that Bradbury had a drawer of outtakes for later use . . . a good lesson in not giving up on what Kristin Lems sings of as a “not yet”
I recommend this book and its insights to readers young and old, older, oldest . . . age brings even more insights. ;-)
May 6, 2018
This set of short stories was fine. It is definitely written for a more middle-grade audience in mind, and I read it while in college, so that's probably why most of these stories did not stand out or stick with me.
I will say that the stellar story for me in this collection was "Mama Gone," a southern gothic story about a girl whose mother dies and comes back a vampire. Yolen's voice comes through very strongly in this story, winding fairytale elements with southern gothic very well, as she does in another of her books, Snow in Summer. Its poignant tone and the grappling of love and grief within the story exemplify it as one of the best short stories here.
I borrowed this book from a friend (before she had gotten around to reading it) and informed her that "Mama Gone" was the best story, and when she got done with the book, she agreed. I wish that Yolen had delved as deep in her other stories.
I will say that the stellar story for me in this collection was "Mama Gone," a southern gothic story about a girl whose mother dies and comes back a vampire. Yolen's voice comes through very strongly in this story, winding fairytale elements with southern gothic very well, as she does in another of her books, Snow in Summer. Its poignant tone and the grappling of love and grief within the story exemplify it as one of the best short stories here.
I borrowed this book from a friend (before she had gotten around to reading it) and informed her that "Mama Gone" was the best story, and when she got done with the book, she agreed. I wish that Yolen had delved as deep in her other stories.
February 24, 2019
Twelve wonderful short stories that "have a containment that nevertheless suggests infinity". The compression of theme, plot, and character development sets the short story apart from the novel. Yolen is the master of this genre. Of her twelve, all address the "impossible" rendering it a possibility because the writer conceived it. Yet the probability remains that of impossibility. Her characters are rich if not memorable. Alice (borrowed from Lewis Carroll), the motherless child, Harlyn whose imagination births fairies and magic, fatherless child rising/born again from the ashes, dragon hunters, young adolescents looking for Maurice Sendak's "Wild Things", and others. Several boarder on the psychologically disturbing in their tension; several are pure joy. A more complex and rewarding collection is not to be found.
January 30, 2018
This was a collection of short stories that I heard recommended on one of my Pop Culture Happy Hour podcasts. They are definitely appropriate for middle grades, and I enjoyed the riffs on classic tales, such as Alice in Wonderland, with a story called "Tough Alice" and a revisionist Peter Pan story called "Lost Girls". Jane Yolen is a talented writer who captures details and uses interesting points of view, such as the Bridge as narrator in a version of the Billy Goats Gruff story. Overall fun and quick read.
October 22, 2017
Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Jane Yolen
~short stories, children's, fantasy, strange, science fiction
This is a book of short stories, all by Jane Yolen. She runs the gamut here - sea monsters to a vampire mother to aliens who slurp; poignant to spooky to wild; a tough Alice in Wonderland to a science fiction Where the Wild Things Are to a sinister Peter Pan.
A lovely compilation of stories, especially if you're just looking for something quick to read.
Jane Yolen
~short stories, children's, fantasy, strange, science fiction
This is a book of short stories, all by Jane Yolen. She runs the gamut here - sea monsters to a vampire mother to aliens who slurp; poignant to spooky to wild; a tough Alice in Wonderland to a science fiction Where the Wild Things Are to a sinister Peter Pan.
A lovely compilation of stories, especially if you're just looking for something quick to read.
January 6, 2023
It’s been a long time since I’ve read something from Jane Yolen, and this was overall a lovely collection of whimsical stories. There were a couple of duds, I really wasn’t a fan of the alien story, but there were definitely some real winners here!
September 16, 2024
Like Saki for middle-grade readers, and I mean that in the best way possible. Even as an adult, I found these stories enjoyable with just the right amount of suspense and impossibility. The quality among them varies, of course, but I don't remember a true stinker in the bunch.
December 9, 2016
These were so much fun to read!! The only one I didn't like was the last one: Lost Girls. I didn't like her villainizing Peter Pan, I've always adored him growing up and even now.
December 23, 2019
There are a couple downright scary stories in this collection, but they're all a little too neat. I prefer Yolen's longer works.
sony-or-android
February 1, 2020Merlin Ebook
April 23, 2020
The stories are amusing, and could be good examples for reading/writing units on fantasy or fairy tales.
February 19, 2021
A quick read of 12 fantasy short stories geared for MS readers. Some were better than others, but all were entertaining.
July 4, 2021
Vampires and aliens and trolls! Oh my!
December 3, 2022
I love Jane Yolen's books.
Read
February 2, 2024How dearly I wish I found this when I was a kid.
Want to read
June 2, 2025Cutting is for The Bridge’s Complaint
By Jane Yolen
By Jane Yolen
January 19, 2017
3.5 stars
October 17, 2016
Twelve Impossible things before Breakfast
Jane Yolen
In these twelve amazing short stories, you get to meet amazing characters in different stories. Are these stories for everyone? there a little scary, gross, interesting in ways you can't imagine. They bring back characters from your childhood like Alice, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook that are full with imagination that brings a twist in stories! These stories are off-the-wall that even children that normally don't read fantasy will enjoy!
Lost Girls Short Story
Darla: Darla is very headstrong and knows what's best for her always. She's really confident with everything she does and fight's for what's right throughout the story.
Peter Pan: As you know Peter Pan when he is off to go fight Captain Hook to win the fight but, Peter Pan has different traits and acts different in what we see in the movie we all know about. He's acts like he owns Neverland in his own way and acts like he has no flaws and that he's perfect the way he is.
I recommend this book to boys and girls from grades 5-7. I think this because this story is very interesting and is very fantasy in a way that will blow your mind when you read this book as you cheer for the protagonist to get what's right and want to know what happens next.
I think people should read this book because people usually read the same books with different characters but don't really read short stories. People ask "Why short stories?" because they don't really find them interesting. This book is different with a lot of different settings and characters that people would never even hear from. It really leaves a mystery in the book for the readers to enjoy it.
I would rate this book 8-10. I think this because In this story, it was really amazing seeing all these awesome characters from my childhood as long as I could remember mixed with new characters and a lot more. But, I probably would want to see something more modern because I want to see new characters like they have now in the movies to make the stories more interesting.
Jane Yolen
In these twelve amazing short stories, you get to meet amazing characters in different stories. Are these stories for everyone? there a little scary, gross, interesting in ways you can't imagine. They bring back characters from your childhood like Alice, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook that are full with imagination that brings a twist in stories! These stories are off-the-wall that even children that normally don't read fantasy will enjoy!
Lost Girls Short Story
Darla: Darla is very headstrong and knows what's best for her always. She's really confident with everything she does and fight's for what's right throughout the story.
Peter Pan: As you know Peter Pan when he is off to go fight Captain Hook to win the fight but, Peter Pan has different traits and acts different in what we see in the movie we all know about. He's acts like he owns Neverland in his own way and acts like he has no flaws and that he's perfect the way he is.
I recommend this book to boys and girls from grades 5-7. I think this because this story is very interesting and is very fantasy in a way that will blow your mind when you read this book as you cheer for the protagonist to get what's right and want to know what happens next.
I think people should read this book because people usually read the same books with different characters but don't really read short stories. People ask "Why short stories?" because they don't really find them interesting. This book is different with a lot of different settings and characters that people would never even hear from. It really leaves a mystery in the book for the readers to enjoy it.
I would rate this book 8-10. I think this because In this story, it was really amazing seeing all these awesome characters from my childhood as long as I could remember mixed with new characters and a lot more. But, I probably would want to see something more modern because I want to see new characters like they have now in the movies to make the stories more interesting.
November 8, 2012
I enjoy reading short stories, so I picked this up as a way to sample Jane Yolen, an author I somehow missed out on. A nice collection of fantasy though I didn't care for the last story in the collection, "Lost Girls." It's the story of the lost girls in Neverland. Well, we all know that there are no girls in Neverland because, as Peter explains to Wendy in the original book, girls are to clever to fall out of their perambulators the way boys do, so they never get lost. But I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story.
However, this tale of an uprising among the oppressed female members of Peter's band (led by a modern "lost girl") was way too didactic for me. I give points to the author for portraying Peter as being an untamed, dangerous sort of boy. But the feminist plotline seemed tired, didactic, and boring.
However, I enjoyed the other stories, especially "The Baby-Sitter."
I also liked the afterward in which the author talks about the process of writing the various stories. I know that I would have especially enjoyed this had I read this book as a youngster because I was always curious about how authors worked.
However, this tale of an uprising among the oppressed female members of Peter's band (led by a modern "lost girl") was way too didactic for me. I give points to the author for portraying Peter as being an untamed, dangerous sort of boy. But the feminist plotline seemed tired, didactic, and boring.
However, I enjoyed the other stories, especially "The Baby-Sitter."
I also liked the afterward in which the author talks about the process of writing the various stories. I know that I would have especially enjoyed this had I read this book as a youngster because I was always curious about how authors worked.
November 27, 2023
Jane Yolen's stories are so unique and original, at least to me. They remind me a little bit of the stories of Bradbury, in that they feel so original, but other than that, there's not really a similarity. Yolen's voice is so unique, as are her stories. I never would've thought to retell 'The three goat's gruff' from the perspective of a bridge, or to tell a story about a rebellious uprising in neverland, nor the story of a house full of monsters, that requires a ritual to tame the beasts. Yolen certainly has a huge imagination, and honestly, it's inspiring to see!
Her voice, at least to me, is flexible, never loses itself in this collage of stories. I can tell that all of these stories are by the same author, even if they're told by different narrators, which is something that's very hard to do. All in all, I enjoyed the book immensely. Each story was gripping and unique in it's own way, and I wished I had finished it sooner. (I think it was just a sort of mood thing? That happens to me a LOT) Nonetheless, this book is a lovely collection of impossible things, specifically 12 impossible things, that one must have before breakfast.
(Sorry if that was cheesy xD)
Her voice, at least to me, is flexible, never loses itself in this collage of stories. I can tell that all of these stories are by the same author, even if they're told by different narrators, which is something that's very hard to do. All in all, I enjoyed the book immensely. Each story was gripping and unique in it's own way, and I wished I had finished it sooner. (I think it was just a sort of mood thing? That happens to me a LOT) Nonetheless, this book is a lovely collection of impossible things, specifically 12 impossible things, that one must have before breakfast.
(Sorry if that was cheesy xD)
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