What a perfectly adorable and yet deceptively dark read!

This is a small picture book about a girl called Hortense and her discontent with the shadow that follows her wherever she goes. Despite the limited text the reader truly gets a feel for this darling little protagonist and the accompanying art work only enhances the beauty of this small but impressive read.

The art had a whimsical quality reminiscent of the illustrations from some of my most beloved fairy tales anthologies. The tale itself also evoked the same qualities and, for this reason, the two combined to give this a timeless and universal appeal.

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 !

It was cute ! The illustrations are wonderful ! The story is simple but original !
It was a cozy snowy winter story ! I recommend this book to talk about fear, dark with children !

I was sent an early copy of this beautiful book in return for my honest and independent review.
I absolutely love children's picture books and this was a joy to review.
Have you heard the saying ' Oh she's afraid of her own shadow' well this lovely story is about a small girl who is.
It follows her journey in words and stunning scenes to see how she overcomes this fear.
I would recommend you buy this in hard copy so that you can truly immerse yourself into this story. 
Great to have a copy in any primary school or home bookshelves. I'm certainly going to get mine.

A beautiful book. Stunning illustrations and a wonderfully fun and meaningful story.

Hortense and the shadow is a very sweet and charming picture storybook about a girl and her shadow. 
Hortense, at the beginning, becomes very annoyed with her shadow as it is everywhere she goes, making her look out of proportion. She does what any child would do and tries to hide her shadow, with one day managing to separate herself from it. Now seemingly free she soon finds that it would be nicer to have it back than to have to face some bandits alone.  They are reunited with a beautiful message. 

The story presents itself a lovely little message about how comforting and companionable a shadow can be when one is alone, and how it can much fun you can have with it.  Also that it is nothing to be annoyed at or afraid of.  It is delivered alongside some absolutely gorgeous illustrations, that I personally would love prints of for my walls.  All in all a beautiful little book that I'm sure kids and adults will just genuinely adore.

Shadow-phobia.
This book actually makes me feel rather uncomfortable - why would a young child hate her shadow? I've always encouraged my children and grandchildren to think of their shadow as a friendly presence, not something to be scared of.
Then, when Hortense slams the window sash down, the shadow howls and kicks and scratches at the glass, well, by this time, no wonder she's petrified by her shadow.

The art work is cute, with a Russian feel, cold and snowy, and this book appears to be well received by other reviewers. As yet my granddaughter is still a bit young to really test her reception to it, although I'm in no hurry to give her shadow-phobia. Maybe this is just one that I'll let pass by.

Actual rating 3.5 

I found this little book to be really cute but lacking a bit of substance. 

The illustrations are beautiful and the story is lovely but there's just not enough of it. I also felt that the bandits situation felt really weird and unnecessary. 

I liked Hortense and the last couple of pages are gorgeous 'And if it is sometimes dark, cross, strange, silly, jagged or blue, well sometimes Hortense is too' is a lovely ending point.

What a deliciously dark story! I absolutely love the illustrations, which all add to the slightly creepy effect. This has a classic fairytale feel about it. I loved it! Not sure that it's quite appropriate to read to my toddler yet without scaring him to death, but as a teacher, I can really see the books used in primary schools. The book is perfectly aimed for 5-7 year old's but I can see older children unpicking the text in a school setting. There is enough depth to the story and imagination to provoke questions and explore further. Children are fascinated by their shadows and this story has a dark vibe which will definitely appeal to older children. 

Fab book. I'd love to see the paperback version as you don't get the full effect with the Ebook so I will look out for its release. Overall, a dark and twisted read that older children will love!

This is a beautiful story book for younger children to enjoy over and over again. 

The illustrations are simple yet complex but a lot of 'white space' is utilised where I think it would have suited the book better to fill it, a lot of the pages feel empty. But those that don't are gorgeous. 

The story is simple and sweet and at times quite funny. 

I think this would be a great story for children to read.

This is such a beautifully illustrated picture book. It was creative and perfect for imaginative young readers.

An unusual picture book about a little girl called Hortense who inexplicably hates her shadow.  The illustrations set in a wintery looking forest had a Russian feel to them and were interesting.  However,  perhaps due to the nature of the galley copy, the text seemed a little jumbled initially making it hard to be sure I was reading it in the correct order on my Kindle Fire.  Despite this,I think the story would appeal mostly to ages 5-7 and could be used to bring interest to a topic on shadows if considering for the curriculum.  Some more sensitive children may find it slightly scary as Hortense seems to be frightened of her shadow and very keen to escape from it.  The interlude with the bandits is the turning point over which  Hortense learns the value of her shadow and begins to enjoy it. I can see how this might lead to a few enjoyable hours of shadow play with the children.

I thought that this book would be excellent for use in the classroom - in particular discussions around issues such as fears and to promote an engaging approach for teaching grammar for writing.

A wonderfully illustrated story with an enchanting tale based around a young girl and her shadow.

I thought this book had a nice, old-fashioned feel to it but reading it on the Kindle didn't give me the best vision of what it will look like as a hard copy. I suspect it will be along Eloise lines which is fine although I think it might have limited appeal for today's picture book audience.

Delightful tale filled with gorgeous illustrations.
Young Hortense is fed up of her shadow, so one day traps it, cutting it off from her body. Little does she realise how useful her shadow is until she's in peril.
This is the perfect story for independent readers aged 7+, or bedtime for younger children.

This book is. Aimed at 5 to 7 year olds and tells the story of Hortense who hated her shadow. 
This is a fairy story all about shadows and light and Hortenses discovery that her shadow was very important when she was faced with danger in the woods. 

The illustrations are very dark but work very well with the story. 

This story could be useful exploring children's fears of the dark and the hidden meaning could be adapted to an individual child's fears. It was well received from my 5 year old readers who had a few questions after reading the book and was requested again which is always a good sign.

Hortense hates her shadow. That thing just won't leave her alone. It follows her everywhere. But one night when bandits attacked she realises she was wrong about her dark companion.

As always with my childrens book reviews it isn't really my opinion. It's my daughter's, now 6 and almost as passionate about books as her mum. She loved this. Initially I read this to her (with her commentary about the illustrations added) and then she immediately read it herself. We both loved the illustrations, they added to the other worldliness of the story which is pure unadulterated fantasy. When I asked her what she liked about it after she told me it was getting five stars she said she liked how it was about needing someone and getting them back, and how even if you argue you can make up. So it got her thinking which is surely half the point? I personally would give it five stars as well just purely on the enjoyment she got out of it.

I received this from Puffin and Penguin Random House via Netgalley for an honest review.

Hortense and the Shadow is a short picture book about a little girl who hates her shadow. At only 32 pages, it's incredibly short, however it does the job of describing Hortense and her tale very well, and rather eloquently. This read almost like a fairy or folk tale, although it conveys a very relevant message about acceptance and to never fear being alone. 

It's the illustrations that really bring the tale to life, and they go wonderfully with the story. Their beautiful, and compliment the winter aslect of the tale well. 

A great addition to any children's library.

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.