Blurb
BLANKA VON FROCK When you want more but you have all you need, it’s Blanka von Frock, whose tale you should read. She bullies her sisters in their frozen windmill, and her greedy demands give the village a chill: “I want what I want and I want it today, so listen up sisters and do as I say” D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales is a series of peculiar modern fables from author D.M. Mullan and illustrator Kirsteen Harris-Jones. With a classic rhyming style and wonderfully quirky illustrations, each book centres around a unique little individual and tells their story all whilst being part of a wider, interconnected, world.
My Review
Thanks to Kelly at Love Books Tours and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I read another of the series earlier in the year and enjoyed it very much.
Thoughts on the cover and writing style.
I like the line drawings and splashes of colour in the illustrations. I enjoyed the rhyming structure and repetition. I think the lesson is about not being selfish. Blanka has such an expressive face and each of the sisters is an individual. The lesson is that it’s better to have what you need and not always what you want.
What characters did I like or dislike?
There’s only one named character, Blanka, who has six unnamed sisters. They all live together in a windmill and Blanka is the youngest and bossiest, having been found in the street wrapped in a blanket and adopted by the sisters. They do what she wants because they love her, but she’s greedy for everything. She learns that she can’t have everything and no one likes to be cold. I think it’s a rather sweet story and Blanka is probably a better person for almost being eaten by a giant quilt.
Would I read more by the author?
I have already read Hector and agreed to read this one, so yes, I’m willing to read more by the author and illustrator.
About the Author
D.M. Mullan is a world-travelled author from County Derry, Northern Ireland. Now living in Belfast with her family, the author will launch the ‘D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales’ series in 2021; her first work for children.
About the illustrator
Kirsteen Harris-Jones is an illustrator with a colourful past. She’s worked at a variety of creative, graphic and animation studios since 1990. Her work has been published by Random House, Egmont, Bloomsbury, Little Tiger, and more.
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