Review of The Caroler
6 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Caroler" by Liza Martini.]
The Caroler is an endearing children's folktale by Liza Martini. It provides a modern perspective based on the classics of E.T.A. Hoffman. The story began at Rickshack’s Knickknacks and Knovelties Summer Tent Sale. A sad, porcelain Christmas caroler named Carol and a Glorious Angel tree topper known as Glory sat on the table with other figurines. Carol hoped to someday sit on the shelf of a lovely family during the Christmas season. Along came the Nicklaus family, who purchased Carol and a few of her friends!
They happily traveled to a bright, cheery home and were placed in a crate in a dim storage room. There, they met a cantankerous wooden nutcracker dressed in military uniform. His name was Colonel Christoph Zacharias Drosselmeier. He taught them about each family member and shared his tragic life story as they sat in the crate together. Life in the Nicklaus household was much more than Carol expected. There was a Gracing hour when the light of Grace would shine through the window, and all of the toys with human attributes came to life! They were able to move freely around the house. But Colonel Drosselmeier warned them not to get caught or they’d become insentient. Carol and her friends experienced a variety of adventures. They explored the house, interacted with the humans, helped each other out of trouble, and faced grave danger. Read this story to share their whimsical experiences and witness the amazing transformation of the characters!
There are many aspects of the story that I enjoyed. I liked the eclectic group of characters. Carol was proper, loving, and caring. Glory was helpful, curious, and venturesome. When they met Colonel Drosselmeier, he displayed a choleric disposition. However, he softened up and became a good listener who often gave sound advice. They all had to watch out for the odd housekeeper, Mrs. Houserings. She was a loner who did not like chit-chat. The imaginative little girl in the house was named Marie. She loved playing with her toys. Her brother, Wil, was a lively, boisterous young boy who liked to put the toys down the laundry chute. I also admired the author’s writing style. Her descriptions were so vivid that I could easily imagine the settings and characters. She also included advanced vocabulary throughout the story. I learned new words, such as riposte, coruscation, halberd, and excelsior. Martini also introduced the German language of Mrs. Houserings. Finally, I was delighted to hear the hymns in Carol’s songbook. “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” and “Good King Wenceslas” reminded me of my childhood when I sang in church with my family.
I only have a single note to improve the story. It would be significantly enhanced if Martini added illustrations. The cover was so beautiful. The colorful picture of Carol and Colonel Drosselmeier caught my eye. I would have enjoyed seeing what Glory, the other toys, and the human characters looked like. However, perhaps it was the author's intention for readers to visualize the illustrations using their imaginations.
I gave this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The author wrote a heartwarming story, and the editing was flawless. It was a magical tale of friendship, kindness, love, and sacrifice. Due to the advanced vocabulary and the violent battle, I recommend it to middle school children and older. The Caroler would be an entertaining and uplifting winter book for families to share.
******
The Caroler
View: on Bookshelves |
The Caroler is an endearing children's folktale by Liza Martini. It provides a modern perspective based on the classics of E.T.A. Hoffman. The story began at Rickshack’s Knickknacks and Knovelties Summer Tent Sale. A sad, porcelain Christmas caroler named Carol and a Glorious Angel tree topper known as Glory sat on the table with other figurines. Carol hoped to someday sit on the shelf of a lovely family during the Christmas season. Along came the Nicklaus family, who purchased Carol and a few of her friends!
They happily traveled to a bright, cheery home and were placed in a crate in a dim storage room. There, they met a cantankerous wooden nutcracker dressed in military uniform. His name was Colonel Christoph Zacharias Drosselmeier. He taught them about each family member and shared his tragic life story as they sat in the crate together. Life in the Nicklaus household was much more than Carol expected. There was a Gracing hour when the light of Grace would shine through the window, and all of the toys with human attributes came to life! They were able to move freely around the house. But Colonel Drosselmeier warned them not to get caught or they’d become insentient. Carol and her friends experienced a variety of adventures. They explored the house, interacted with the humans, helped each other out of trouble, and faced grave danger. Read this story to share their whimsical experiences and witness the amazing transformation of the characters!
There are many aspects of the story that I enjoyed. I liked the eclectic group of characters. Carol was proper, loving, and caring. Glory was helpful, curious, and venturesome. When they met Colonel Drosselmeier, he displayed a choleric disposition. However, he softened up and became a good listener who often gave sound advice. They all had to watch out for the odd housekeeper, Mrs. Houserings. She was a loner who did not like chit-chat. The imaginative little girl in the house was named Marie. She loved playing with her toys. Her brother, Wil, was a lively, boisterous young boy who liked to put the toys down the laundry chute. I also admired the author’s writing style. Her descriptions were so vivid that I could easily imagine the settings and characters. She also included advanced vocabulary throughout the story. I learned new words, such as riposte, coruscation, halberd, and excelsior. Martini also introduced the German language of Mrs. Houserings. Finally, I was delighted to hear the hymns in Carol’s songbook. “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” and “Good King Wenceslas” reminded me of my childhood when I sang in church with my family.
I only have a single note to improve the story. It would be significantly enhanced if Martini added illustrations. The cover was so beautiful. The colorful picture of Carol and Colonel Drosselmeier caught my eye. I would have enjoyed seeing what Glory, the other toys, and the human characters looked like. However, perhaps it was the author's intention for readers to visualize the illustrations using their imaginations.
I gave this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The author wrote a heartwarming story, and the editing was flawless. It was a magical tale of friendship, kindness, love, and sacrifice. Due to the advanced vocabulary and the violent battle, I recommend it to middle school children and older. The Caroler would be an entertaining and uplifting winter book for families to share.
******
The Caroler
View: on Bookshelves |
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