My reasons to read feature:
Lovely story about acceptance
Beautiful artwork
Fairy-tale atmosphere while reading

This is not my usual genre, but i was surprised how I enjoyed reading it even if it wasn't a five star rating for me. 
This book was adorable, but also quite dark. It is impressive how a lot was condensed into this short book whilst still remaining interesting and delivering important messages to young readers.

This was delightful to read. The illustrations were really cute and, although the words were occasionally hard to find in their scattered fashion, I thought the story was wonderful. This is definitely something my little sisters would turn to again and again. I loved the story and the meaning behind it, for sure would recommend it to anyone who has or knows kids who may sometimes feel alone.

This was very short, beautifully illustrated and deceptively dark read! Hortense begins to hate her shadow that follows her everywhere she goes so does everything she can think of to get rid of it. Once successful she soon discovers when bandits surprise her in the woods,  that her shadow is the very thing she needs most – it was her protector.

The illustrations were amazing and though there was very little in the way of words to read, the artwork really sets the scene without the need of words at all. The e-book version of this story just does not do the illustrations any justice at all and can only imagine how whimsical it would look in hard book format.

A beautiful and deceptively dark read about a girl and the roubled relationship she has with her own shadow. It definitely had the whimsical feel of a fairy tale with a crucial message running through its core: accept yourself and the things you can't change and grow to love them. An important and moving read for the young or old.

It was ok i guess. It took me absolutely ages to trawl through it because i constantly lost interest and found something better to do.

I read the digital version of this and found the story absolutely delightful. Without giving anything away - while this is a children's book, the story will appeal to and resonate with young and old. I bought the HB as a gift and the HB version is absolutely stunning - the story is the same of course, but the illustrations elevate it to a whole  other level.

An amazing and beautiful book that I want to read again and again. The illustrations are dreamy and beautifully painted and the story captures the imagination of the child and its shadow.

It's lovely and I'd defintely buy it for my child relatives if it were available in my language!

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65146> 
Young Hortense thinks having a shadow spoils
her play

Beautiful illustrations, but the story could have been better developed, particularly the ending which was more than a little rushed. While it might be a children's story, it still could be taken further, especially since the basic concept is so lovely.

This is a very beautiful fairy story. I really loved it.

I'll read anything. Up to and including kids' picture books.

Hortense hated her shadow. Everywhere she went, it went. Everything she did, it did. And every time night fell it grew, tall and dark and crooked.

So Hortense decided: the shadow must go! Only later, alone in the wolfish woods, she learned that a girl without a shadow is far smaller... a fairy tale about light and shadows.

The artwork drew me to the book and it is beautiful. Seriously. Just look at that front cover. It's like that all the way through.

But on top of that, there's a sweet story about self-esteem and acceptance. It has its dark moments and gets scary at some points, but overall it's a lovely magical tale and I recommend it.

Through the dark and wolfish woods, through the white and silent snow, lived a small girl called Hortense. Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing... Hortense hated her shadow.

J

Note: I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Verdict: nice story, beautiful artwork

Read if you like: picture books with a darker tone

Hortense and the Shadow by Natalie and Lauren O'Hara

A stunning fairy tale both for its story and its illustrations. I have always had a fascination with fairy tales and enjoy coming across new ones that I can use in the classroom. I loved the format and eerie atmosphere of this tale and it is just dark enough to be intriguing and the perfect antidote to the fluffy Disney fairy tales we associate with the genre, today.

Hortense And The Shadow
By Natalia and Lauren O'Hara
Published by Puffin Books, 2017


Hortense is sweet, sassy, brave and clever. However, she really, really hates her own shadow and to her annoyance, no matter how hard she tries, she can never escape it - until one day, she somehow manages to cut off her shadow.

Overjoyed to be free at last, she is so very happy... but one night, she falls into mortal danger, and the only thing that saves her is her shadow and she realises how mistaken she has been all along.

This is a short but delightfully illustrated young children's book, deliciously scary in parts, and very reminiscent of an Eastern European type of folk story. It can be read on multiple levels and is an interesting story to read out loud and discuss with children; I liked it very much.

Hortense And the Shadow by Natalia and Lauren O’Hara is a truly beautiful book. It is definitely a case where you should judge a book by it’s cover.

The blurb describes it as a fairy tale about light and shadows and this is essentially what it is.

Hortense is a kind little girl and happy apart from one thing: she doesn’t like her shadow and she thinks her shadow doesn’t like her. She tries everything she can think of to get rid of it until one day she succeeds.

Then something happens to make her realise that maybe her shadow isn’t so bad after all and maybe is quite a useful thing to have around.

“Through the dark and wolfish woods, through the white and silent snow, lived a small girl called Hortense.”

Hortense And the Shadow is written in the style of the old fairy tales. It is short and sweet but definitely packs a punch.

My favourite thing about it are the exquisite illustrations. My favourite illustration is right in the beginning where Hortense is stood with some wolves.

Hortense And the Shadow is short and sweet, simple and beautiful. A pleasure to read.

I have found this book so difficult to review which is why I’ve put off writing this review for a while.  ‘Hortense and the Shadow’ is a beautiful picture book with such stunning illustrations that really captured me.  These images along with the description made me feel excited about reading this book, but somehow it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

Hortense, a young girl, lives in the woods in her home.  She’s good, kind and brave as she helps animals who are injured, but Hortense can’t help but hate her shadow and tries to get rid of it.  I won’t go into too much detail of the plot as the story is very short, but Hortense has a deep dislike of her shadow as it changes shape and follows her wherever she goes.  It’s only when she loses her shadow that she realises how important it was.  I have to say that as this story began I was really enjoying it.  I read through the NetGalley description that the authors had been inspired by their grandmother’s old folklore stories from eastern Europe and I think this is what really influenced me to want to read this book as the setting does indeed remind me of Eastern European stories I’ve heard from my own family, however the story did not finish the way I had hoped in fact the tale felt very short, far too short.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful!  They all look a little folk-like and look like beautiful paintings, though they keep to a cold wintery palette which gives the story a certain feel.  There’s a lot of detail in each picture and there are some key things to spot, some people, in the earlier pages which at first make you wonder why they are there but it soon becomes clear when you read the plot.  I’ve only seen the digital version of this book so I can’t comment on the quality of the pictures on paper but they look like the ones on the front cover and really are beautiful to look at and they are worth looking back at more than once.

I won’t give away the ending (although I’m going to add a bit more detail/mini spoiler in this paragraph) and although I did like the satisfying end, it all happened too quickly for me.  There is a build up of suspense involving bandits, the build up taking the majority of the book’s length with the characters reappearing in the background often, but then the story moves forward suddenly with the bandits and then it’s all over.  It felt very rushed and it was disappointing as I wanted there to be more and a greater emphasis of Hortense’s time without her shadow.

Despite the rushed plot that spoiled the ending for me, I still give this three stars as I just can’t help but love the illustrations and the Eastern European folk setting of this book.  Although the story could have said more, it’s a good story for kids to read, or to read to kids, who might feel afraid of their own shadows or of darkness and shadows in general.
 -Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy.

A whimsical and beautifully illustrated story about a young girl and her shadow. Definitely one to buy - be it for children who would simply love it -or perhaps even for adults who just want to escape the real world of 2018 for a few hours.

This is a truly beautiful book inside and out, the artwork is stunning from front cover to back and the writing was just as wonderful .  
Near to the end it becomes quite dark but most fairy tales aren't as innocent as they seem !  
Parents ... you need to  buy this and read it with your children !  It contains important life lessons and teaches them to love themselves .