A Shadow

by Gitte Tamar

Are you afraid of the dark? Come on a journey, and Follow a spooky shadow's haunting call. Read if you dare, and be prepared to be transported through a whimsical, gothic tale with illustrations.

Genres: Gothic, Childrens, Picture Books

44 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Brigitte, "Gitte," Tamar was born in a small rural Oregon town. Growing up, she was enthralled by scary tales featuring poetic tones and consistently gravitated towards writing darkened narratives. In the different storylines, Brigitte explores the harsh realities of social issues faced by today's generations. This includes the dark outcomes brought on by peer pressure, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, childhood trauma, and abuse. She feels it is essential to share narratives that refrain from sugarcoating the topics society tends to shy away from.

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea what the villan in this book does, wants or is about but even as an adult this creeped me out a little lol. The illustrations are basic but very weird. Perfect for halloween if you have a brave kid👍. This is a short book that rhymes ok but it has the spook factor. I dont know why but i feel the authors other work will be proper crazy. In a good way. I may need to read her other storys. If i dare to

I recieved an ARC for free from Booksirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ashley ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens and Gitte for allowing me an ARC.

The graphics were spooky and chilling with a creepy tale that rhymed and spooked my little one. The chilling tale of getting up to mischief with your shadow. Ominous and whispering thoughts to the reader, it gave Tim Burton or Johnny the Homicidal Maniac Vibes (child friendly nonetheless!)

This has also brought to my attention that she has a more adult version of a shadow story, which I will have to check out.

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written and beautifully presented children's flip book.
I'm sure many a child would enjoy reading this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[I'mogén · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens and the publishers for an e-arc. All opinions remain my own.

I'm sure a child would be thrilled by the up and down rhythm of this. It had quite a mesmerising beat.
The illustrations were creepy, which I loved and had me feeling as though I was being sucked into the pages, but there wasn't much substance to the story overall.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén

[Elodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.***


I am a lifelong Weirdo with a generous portion of my heart devoted to gothy, dark, and creepy crawly things. I was pretty darn excited about this book, because I have a bajillion nibblings and I do love finding interesting, out of the ordinary children's books to encourage their budding eccentricities, quirks, peculiarities, and idiosyncrasies, thereby ensuring that I will eventually have my own army of oddballs and free spirits who will be my MINIONS and PLAY KAZOO IN THE CAR and help me unleash BENEVOLENT CHAOS across the ENTIRE UNIVERSE by simply being the UNIQUE, AMAZING, FUNKY KOOKY WACKY TACKY OUTRAGEOUS OUTLANDISH OFF-THE-WALL EXTRAORDINARY FREAKS THAT THEY NATURALLY ARE!!!

Ahem. Pardon me. I got excited. And possibly swallowed a thesaurus.

L'anyhoodle, I saw this book and was pretty enthusiastic about it. The art is creepy and dark, and reminded me of some other gothy favorites - Tim Burton, Edward Gorey, Roman Dirge - as well as some of the early internet creepypasta memes like Salad Fingers and Don Hertzfeldt's "Rejected". (God, I'm old.)

I loved the first few pages, and then... I'm not sure what happened? The story seemed to change into something entirely different than what I'd been reading up to then. I'm really not sure what I was supposed to take out of the book, other than a vague idea of "being weird is cool" (which, yes). Some of the images had stuff happening that didn't match the text. Who's the dude? Why is the lady saying that? What am I even looking at here?

The thing is, I really still like the feel and look of this book. I figured maybe it was me, that I hadn't paid enough attention or.... I dunno. But I reread it a few days later and had the same outcome. Am I missing something? Either way, I liked this, but I wish I liked it more.

[Paula Sabol (Never Choose Fantasy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shadow by Gitte Tamar is a children's picture book with a beautiful message for all. The images found in the book are not your typical cheery images with vibrant colors but instead gloomy and dark and filled with shadows. This book is an anthem for diversity, revealing nothing inherently wrong with being different. The Shadow reminds me of that mischievous little voice that niggles in the back of the head, reminding you of things you'd like to do but don't do out of fear of other's reactions. That dark imagery is a little creepy but also has an old gothic appeal. This book isn't for everyone, but I am sure it will speak to many. It's a perfect addition for Halloween and those days and nights when you crave a little darkness! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. A Shadow is ideal for kids and adults, but you know your children best, and if they are scared easily and do not enjoy dark and scary things, this may not be an ideal choice for them.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Omega · Rating 4 out of 5]

''To those who embrace their creativity, you have been put on Earth to make a difference.''

A Shadow, written by Gitte Tamar, is a short and illustrated story that will make you smile while reading it. It has a sense of nostalgia: you are a little kid and you don't want to go to bed because ''I am an adult'' And so, your mom or dad narrate a spooky story so you can behave.
Loved the gloomy, dark aesthetic of this book. Also there are some characters that reminds you the old age of horror animation on Youtube. To quote one ''Salad Fingers''.
The only flaw of it it's the format: it has the ''flip book'' format, but the PDF version ruins it a bit.

Overall, it was a good throwback to my childhood.

Good job, Gitte.

[stephanie cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shadow by Gitte Tamar is truly a whimsical, goth tale with fantastic illustrations. The illustrations throughout the book are a little different and not something you would typically see in a children's picture book but don't let that discourage you to read this. The illustrations are gloomy and dark with lots of shadows and that adds character to this story. This will be a great story to read during Halloween season as my kids love all things creepy and dark.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult, I enjoyed the rather creepy Babadook feel to this one. As a kid, it probably would have given me nightmares. And, then I would have asked to hear it again the next night.

Stylistically, this one's a treat: dark backgrounds, with white chaotic lettering that really pops; everything looks slightly off-kilter.

If you're looking for something a little unusual to read to the braver kiddies this spooky season, A Shadow may be what you're looking for looking for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the creepy read.

[Cristian Marrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An amazing and different children's book. The artwork is amazing. The colors, the writings a magic as it transports you to another side of life and growing up. It may seem scary as we grow up, but the font and swirling of the text serves you with remembrance and all that's within our life and shadows.
I definitely connected to this book, right from the very first page. It was a reading, that felt like a walk with my wiser self.

[Erica Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed A Shadow. The illustrations are wonderfully creepy and the tone of the writing is ominously delightful. This is not a picture book for the faint hearted. It is full of appeal for older children and teens. Any teacher exploring gothic writing could include this as part of a set of texts.

This is a creative, inspiring book. I felt like it would have been a great book if the odd error in punctuation was addressed.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Maria Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a kids book , which i was drawn too , for the creepy cover and great illustrations plus the strange name of the book , i loved her poetic tones through out the book ... the creepy poem was especially inspiring to read .. i thought it was a great book a poem for halloween reads for kids and adults alike . this book was very dark in the way of colour , loved the colour palette used through out the book too and seemed very fun as well . would definetly re read this as a 5 minute read ,.. and any small kids who like stories will love this on their shelves . . great book

[Atty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing Illustrations!

I love the gloomy, dark and gothic vibe! The shadows are a beautiful added touch. I love all things dark and gothic and this book did not disappoint. To add with October fast approaching it's the perfect time to pick this book up. It's perfect for children and adults. I highly recommend everyone pick this up.

Thank You to Gitte Tamar and BTW LLC, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this but it wasn’t one that my daughter was a huge fan of

The images and pictures used were a little dark for her and whilst we read it all, she did say at the end that she wouldn’t want to read it again, she is five and isn’t afraid of the dark but she is more a fan of rainbows and unicorns…

Whilst it wasn’t one for us, I wouldn’t let that put anyone off as we all have individual likes and tastes

It is 3 stars from me for this one

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lad called Daniel somehow gets to become a plaything of a character in the shadows, and enjoys being all gothic and pallid and silent as a result, in this book that is supposedly designed to reassure about being alone in the dark. It will patently fail miserably in that regard – the artwork is calling out to be given a rework job on Coraline, and as a child-friendly narrative it won't be entertaining to many at all, by my reckoning.

[Michael J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest problem was with the PDF formatting which made the story unclear in places. It was a good story and I think that children will enjoy it; but I found the format so difficult. It was good, but buy the physical copy. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Fairy Tale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very unique book. It had me feeling very intrigued and left me that way. It definitely has a very gothic feel about it. It would be great for a child who is a fan of the dark and scary, and something a little different.

*I received an advance review e-copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Destynnee Realta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming and spooky illustration tale, is beyond adorable. It is worth not 1, or 2 reads during the festive season of Halloween, but at least 31. ;)

But, really, the story is cute and not to spooky for kids and adults alike. The illustrations are colorful, and always seem to be hiding a little extra something.

I hope you all pick up one, and make it a yearly family read.

[Sami Henning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read but I really enjoyed it! It reminded me of the babadook. The art style was neat and I think it was interesting to see a book from the perspective of a shadow

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I liked that it keeps you guessing as to what the author is eluding to. I liked the illustrations and the cool font. A quick and fun read!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Shadow by Gitte Tamar.
A short story about a girl and a shadow.
This was a great story. I loved the illustrations. 5*.

[Monkeys Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It was amazing. It was so beautiful. I was hooked from the beginning. I was hanging onto every word.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the cover and read the description I requested a copy from Book Sirens in return for an honest review. I thought it was fun in a creepy little way. I was interested because it was about being “one of a kind” and accepting yourself for being who you are, even if you are a little different.

While the rhyming is well done and the illustrations certainly suit the mood, I had to read it a few times as I wasn’t sure the target audience of young children would understand it. It seemed a bit complex for a kid’s story.

I would love to see this developed further with a follow up book. As a mom to a child who was often left out for being different (and as a person who also doesn’t often fit in) I think we need more of these stories told in an engaging and interesting way.

Definitely I see the potential in this story line. I was not aware of other books by Gitte Tamar before reading this one. My interest is piqued and will be looking to read some of her other stories.