The Seven Ravens

The seven ravens are seven brothers transformed into birds by their father's impetuous curse after they have neglected their baby sister. When Anna grows up, she sets off on a great quest to free the boys from enchantment. Wildsmith tells this simple but powerful tale in twenty or so paragraphs of clear, spare prose printed in bold type onto pages bright with dramatic imagery. The tale includes motifs that fortunate readers and listeners will recognise from other quests: an epic journey to the end of the world; encounters with personifications of sun, moon and stars; an enchanted bone that grants access to a glass mountain and its mysterious guardian. These episodes are depicted in a deeply enjoyable blend of kaleidoscopic colour-play and careful, detailed drawings. Anna is depicted as a contemporary child in dungarees and trainers who wanders amongst myths and miracles: an apt symbol of what the book offers the young reader. Very highly recommended for shared and individual reading.