Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell

 ‘Odd and the Frost Giants’ may be a seasonal treat for a child, or just because you like beautiful books. It is a new edition of a book produced for World Book Day in the UK. Gaiman and Riddell’s latest collaboration is as impressive as ‘The Sleeper and the Spindle’ (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty by Snow White).

‘Odd and the Frost Giants’  sees Gaiman in his familiar territory of Norse mythology. The story centres around Odd who lives in a Viking village with his parents. Tragedy befalls Odd, and he is forced to forge his path away from the Viking village in a never ending winter. As with all Neil Gaiman stories, this book has disguised gods and an unlikely hero using his wits to beat a physically powerful and magical foe. It is a well-crafted story of hope and bravery and showcases Gaiman’s skill at reimagining folk tales. What makes this story beautiful are Chris Riddell’s illustrations. Riddell has a remarkable, expressive ability to create beautiful, emotive characters. His pictures alone were the reason I bought this edition. It is a gorgeous edition to admire on a winter’s evening, snuggled by a fire and free to dream of frost giants. 

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl (not just for children).

This is a great adventure story set in a steam punk version of Victorian England where clockwork robots work as servants, airships rule the skies and villainous villains do dastardly deeds to feisty children. 

Bunzl has achieved, in this story, a superb children’s adventure. It aimed at junior children, around 9-11, but has lots to enjoy for older readers and parents. The story begins with the crash of an airship, piloted by John Hartman crashing as it is pursued into the night. John sends his clockwork fox, Malkin, with a message to his daughter,  Lily. The airship crashes, John is presumed dead and Malkin flees into an unfamiliar darkness with hybrid half clockwork humans and their mechanical dogs giving chase. As he is a clockwork fox, Malkin rushes to find a safe place to hide before he winds down or before he is shot by those who give chase. Lily is unhappily residing at boarding school when she hears of her father’s disappearance. She is already an outcast for throwing the occasional punch and generally not conforming, so she receives little sympathy and is taken away by her governess, who is not all she seems. Back at home, Lily’s governess begins to asset strip the family mansion whilst searching for a perpetual motion machine John Hartman is rumoured to have perfected. Lily wants to run away but has no friends to run too, except her ailing godfather who lives in London. But is he all he seems?

Are you gripped yet?

The story is formulaic and holds few surprises for an older reader. The characters are simply drawn good or evil, with little complexity in between. The narrative is fast paced and everything about the story is plot driven. It has a cinematic quality and is certainly set for a big screen adaptation.What makes it worth reading is the brilliant creation of an alternate history and the inventive clockwork characters, such as Mrs. Rust the cook with interchangeable hands as culinary tools. I defy anyone to read the story and not wish they had a clockwork pet fox at the end.