Beautifully illustrated, this book tells the story of a little girl who wants to get rid of her shadow. It shows the shadow as a part of the girls' self she is afraid of but in the end embraces as a helpful trait to fight danger. This is a lovely, original story of high quality.

Hortense and the shadow is so much more than I expected, it starts out dark and I begin to wonder whether this will be a book I would like. I was never a fan of the dark fairytale as a child, but as I turn each page I begin to fall more and more in love with Hortense and her shadow. It is one of those stories that when you have read it once that you will want to read it over and over and it will become a favourite.

“Though Kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing. Hortense hated her shadow.” Hortense really doesn’t like her shadow – it is with her always, it is crooked, it is with her in holes, and behind columns – no matter what she did it is everywhere she is. Eventually Hortense manages to get separated from her shadow and it is then when she finds out she needs it the most and just why her shadow was with her always.

The illustrations are simply beautiful, they remind me of an old china plate, with intricate patterns in white and blue with the odd small pop of yellow, red, pink and grey. Each time I read through the book I discover something new, and at a closer look I notice that hiding throughout the book are some hidden people that we meet later in the story…keep a lookout for them.

This story is memorable and beautifully heartwarming, and like all fairytales it delivers a message. In this book, the message I get from it is that sometimes the parts of yourself that you like the least because they are strange, silly, weird or flawed, are the best parts that make you the beautiful person that you are and are usually that way for a reason that we sometimes don’t see.

I highly recommend this book and can see it being a treasured, modern day fairytale for the avid young reader.

The illustrations in this are beautiful and add depth to the words. This is an ideal story to use with lower Key Stage 2 when investigating how illustrations and words can work together to draw a reader in. This would also work well for introducing new vocabulary such as 'ottoman' - most of my children wouldn't recognise that word and would enjoy identifying its meaning with the support of the illustrations.
This is also a great book for a parent to read with a child at home. Shadows can be scary for children so it's an ideal bedtime story for kids to know their shadows will protect them.

The book is very brilliant in it's weirdness about a girl who decides her shadow hates her so tries to escape from it. I think it was brilliant and ready enjoyed it. I also thought the artwork on the pages was very well drawn and added a lot to the book

Beautifully illustrated and an exciting story. Loved the images and the story is one to share. I like the idea of making the dark less scary as I was terrified as a child.

Atmospherically elegant with illustrations that completely compel an obsessive adoration. I want to surround myself with this beauty!

-Jesica Sweedler DeHart

Hortense and the shadow is a children's book aimed for the age group 5-7 years.
It is an interesting read about a girl called Hortense. She dislikes her shadow and is annoyed it follows her everywhere she goes. It takes a scary event for her to appreciate what she has lost. A shadow may be scary at times but it can also have advantages.

This is a creative story with a difference. I really enjoyed this book. It has a hidden meaning behind the story which could be adapted to fit children's fears.

5 stars out of 5.

*ARC received in exchange for a fair review*

Hortense and the shadow is an absolutely lovely story, it's about a little girl who hates her shadow so it goes away. Beautifully illustrated with lots of pictures for the children to see.
Wonderful story that I've had to read 3 times in one sitting with my little girl
Highly recommended

Hortense and the shadow was a less than 5 minute read for me. If I had had a younger child to read it to, I'm sure the experience would have been longer. In saying that, I did enjoy this fairytale type of story. I'm not sure if I have my culture correct, but it gave me Russian fairytale vibes, similar (but simpler and more child friendly) to The Bear and the Nightingale.
There's not too much to it and I wouldn't agree with the publisher that it is like the Grimm fairytales because this wasn't a dark read at all. It is more like the other comparision they made: The Fox and the Star.
The illustrations are so stunning. I'd love to own prints of some of these.
Ultimately, although I enjoyed it, it wasn't great enough for me to think about purchasing it, especially because it will cost around £10.99 for 30ish pages. It is stunning though, and I feel perhaps someone who loves little books like this, or perhaps have children, would want to own a physical copy.
I ended up having to read this as a protected pdf on my PC because all the imagry and words got jumbled up when I tried to read it on my tablet.

It takes a special book to invoke such a whimsical and loving feeling within a few words and brilliant illustrations. This book is marvelous in every way.

This is a beautiful book and the illustrations are simply wonderful. Hortense hates her shadow and is cross that it follows her everywhere she goes so she decides to get rid of it. However one night she discovers what a gift her shadow is to her and how much she needs it. This is a book about embracing every part of ourselves and one I will read over and over. Thank you NetGalley and Puffin Books for giving me a free copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review

This was a delight. The story is simple enough to appear to be a long-lost, middle European folktale, except it seems to be brand new. A girl in the woods and the snow and the (occasional) dark decides she's had enough of her shadow, so gets rid of it. The visuals are just as fine - perfect for laying out this or any Christmas, as it just looks sparkly and lush. Sometimes the jumble of words are not always easy to find on the page, but this will be a book that's turned to more than just a few times.

Gorgeous, majestic and cozy snowy winter art with story about a good girl finally accepting her shadow and its gifts. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.