The best children’s novel in a long time. ” Lalani of the Distant Sea” – book review

Return to the roots

I must admit right away – recently I read fewer and fewer books for children and teenagers. My shelves are filled with mature fantasy, brutal historical novels and bloody horror films. So how nice it is to break away from time to time and move to a magical world created for younger readers. Erin Entrada Kelly in her latest book included everything that makes you get to know outstanding children’s literature – great narration, nice characters, a wise message, and additionally wonderful illustrations by Lian Cho.

Lalani is not superhero material

Lalani is a completely inconspicuous girl. If we were to point to heroin that would save the village, we would sooner point to one of its peers. Neighborhoods where the heroine lives also do not make a good impression. Mount Kahna rises above the village of Lalani, where a monster without eyes is said to roam it. The island is surrounded by a formidable fog, taking with it more sailors who dare to sail into it. And it is Lalani, small, uncertain of her strength, and yet brave, who will be forced to leave her homeland and embark on a journey that others, stronger than her, have already tried before her. During such an expedition, her father also died. Mythical creatures, demons and dark magic will stand in the way of the girls. Will she manage to overcome adversities, save the island and save her loved ones?

The book awakens long-forgotten feelings

I didn’t quite know what to expect from Lalani of the Distant Sea. Seeing in the description that the novel was inspired by Filipino folklore, I was afraid that the story might not be fully transferred to the Polish publishing reality. Fortunately, my fears were completely unfounded. Lalani is a timeless, universal story that adults will also fall in love with. It has been a long time since I felt such magic flowing from the pages of reading. I could even compare it to the first time I read The Chronicles of Narnia ! I hope that Kelly’s book will reach as many readers as possible, as it deserves to become at least school reading – such works should be learned by the youngest during their education.

Lalani is a real work of art

The edition of Lalani of the Distant Sea is also noteworthy, for which Wydawnictwo Literackie is responsible. The cover itself is impressive – an elegant, hard cover that shows us in a fairy-tale way what we can expect inside. Inside, more illustrations are waiting for readers, although maybe there are a little less of them than I expected. Between some chapters we get short cutscenes written from the perspective of an insect, tree or some magical creature. They usually extend over two or three sides, but they stand out from the rest of the content due to their artistic setting. The illustrations almost entwine the text in these short fragments, and at the same time contain a lot of symbolic elements. Deciphering what the artist wanted to convey is a lot of fun. It must be said clearly that Lalani of the Distant Sea contains some real works of art.

A novel like little

This book made a huge impression on me. I approached her a bit carefully, the Filipino beliefs seemed a bit too exotic. How beautiful this novel turned out to be! An epic story of a little girl whose courage and dedication overcome all difficulties. Terrifying creatures, great magic, mystery and the island life of the Filipino community. It’s been a long time since I felt so much magic flowing from the pages of the book. You only find such good novels a few times in your life.