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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Is Wishapick Actually a Great Children’s Fantasy Novel?

by Chautona Havig · 3 Comments

Wishapick is a new children's fantasy novel with accompanying musical soundtrack. Two children hold the key to changing the fate of a world. via @chautonahavig

I’ll never my first foray into fantasy. I was seven and my beloved teacher who wasn’t even five feet tall let out a lion’s roar that far outdid Aslan in the Narnia movie. It was many years before I read the rest of the series–an adult, actually.  C.S. Lewis said it best when he said, “…sometimes fairy stories say best what needs to be said.”

So when I had the chance to read and review a children’s fantasy novel, I had to jump at it.

Wishapick

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Is Wishapick Actually a Great Children’s Fantasy Novel?

No one wanted to love this book more than I did. The idea of a trunk as a portal to another world–one ruled by a monarch who keeps everything in darkness to shut out the true Light?  A sort of blend of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Alice through the Looking Glass… what’s not to love?

Hailed by reviewers as a delightful, powerful children’s book, Wishapick takes you on a journey into another world–to do battle for good against evil. Two children sent there to break an awful spell over the land by appealing to the true King.

The nuances of the imagery are both on-the-nose and obscure, which I think might help readers who have a strong grasp of the abstract to enjoy the book more while offering children who aren’t yet ready for those concepts a picture of what is going on as well.

I just wish I personally liked it more.

So many elements felt too parallel to both Narnia and Wonderland, that it didn’t feel as fresh and new as I’d hoped. Instead, I found myself struggling not to compare it to those and similar works.  When Lilly meets Mr. Tumalum just after arriving in Wishapick, well… It felt like a combination of Mr. Tumnus and Mr. Beaver.  The evil king.  Darkness all the time–never light (winter never spring?).

Yes, there were original bits, of course, but all in all, I’m sure there is a perfect audience for the book, but as much as I usually adore most fantasy, this one wasn’t for me.

Recommended for lovers of fantasy, voracious readers who love to draw parallels between books, and readers who enjoy an immersive experience in reading.  The author has teamed up with a musician and created music (click for a sample) to go with it. And remember.  Most readers seem to love it, so it may just be me.

Will it be the next great children’s fantasy novel?  I’d say that’s up to you.

WishapickAbout the Book

Book:  Wishapick

Author: Mary Martha Allen & Deborah Wynne

Genre: Middle-grade fantasy/fairy tale

Release date: September 2015

Darkness. Utter blackness. Was this why his mother had refused to let Jack unlock his father’s old trunk? It had been two years since his dad had died, and all Jack could think about was examining whatever treasures were stored inside the beloved trunk. But when he finally lifted the lid, he didn’t just fall in—he fell through it into a pit of rattlesnakes!

Trying to recall his mother’s stories about “the Breath of All Good Things”—anything to shed light on his current situation—Jack wishes he’d paid better attention rather than mock the tales as childish myths…and that he’d waited to enter the trunk with his sister, Lilly, so they could at least face this together.

Like L. Frank Baum’s Oz and C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, M. M. Allen brings to life the fantastical world of Wishapick—a land of courageous animals ruled by a cruel rattlesnake king who has condemned the villagers to live without light. Chosen as the reluctant hero to save the villagers, Jack must face terrifying creatures and overwhelming odds if he wants to help his new friends—and return home himself.

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Comments

  1. Emma says

    May 4, 2021 at 9:47 pm

    This sounds interesting–I wonder what other fantasy lovers think of it?

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      May 7, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      I was the only one who didn’t seem to. Check out the other reviews!

      Reply
  2. megan allen says

    May 4, 2021 at 8:22 am

    Thank you so much for sharing your review!

    Reply

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 Oh, boy! Patricia Bradley is at it again!  When you hear the lengths this author goes through to get things right, you can see why she’s so beloved. Listen in for a chat about On the Edge of Trust!

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Okay, so maybe Patricia didn’t ask a ranger where a good place to hide a body is this time, but she sure did have a lot of fun research stories to tell. 

This Logan Point novel will keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to get started. 

On the Edge of Trust by Patricia Bradley

Sometimes the closer you get to justice, the deadlier it becomes When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. He is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand, and failure is not an option–especially when he’s unofficially pulled into an investigation. Tori Mitchell is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed a wrongfully convicted man from prison, making Tori an enemy of the true killer. When her nephew is accused of a different murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name. Soon after Tori and Scott reconnect on the case, shots are fired, leaving them to wonder which of them has been targeted. As the investigation intensifies, so do the threats and the sparks between them, but Tori’s doubtful if she can extend grace and trust to Scott. They’ll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer. 

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