Lucy Dove

wimpy kids who have nightmares when you tell them silly lies will get freaked out about this book. It's not horrible or anything... just the idea of a ghost gets some kids wetting their beds and coming to your room at night. If that's your type of kid, don't get this book... but for those of us who's kids aren't so wimpy, it's a good book.

There is a great mistaken belief amongst a large portion of the human race that if a book's protagonist is a child then that book, by extension, must be a work intended for wee ones. Too often, rather peculiar titles will be handed to little ones as kiddie fare (paging "Kira-Kira") when such notions are not only laughable but somewhat bizarre. I mean, if every book with a kid hero was meant to be read by kids then by extension shouldn't every book containing an elderly protagonist be read by the aged and infirm? Which brings us to the delightful picture book, "Lucy Dove". "Lucy Dove" actually flies in the face of my previous statement since I truly feel that every human being, the elderly included, would benefit from a perusal of this perfect meeting of folktale and ethereal illustration. This is one of those picture books you simply do not see every day. There once was a foolish, superstitious, and incredibly wealthy gentleman (or "laird"). But this is not his story. You see, the laird was the kind of fellow who felt he needed a bit of luck to keep himself happy. And what better way is there to be lucky than to own a pair of lucky trousers? And what better trousers could they be than the kind sewn together under a full moon in the graveyard of old St. Andrew's church? So the laird sent a proclamation offering a whole heaping helping of gold to anyone who'd do the deed the next moonlit night. Which brings us to our heroine, Lucy Dove. Lucy was not exactly in the first fair bloom of her youth, and she was seriously considering retiring from the seamstress line of work. Problem was, she didn't exactly have a pension. So when she heard the laird's proposal she thought it was a mighty fine deal. The next full moon, Lucy's out in that churchyard ah-sewing up some trousers. Until a very nasty someone tries to stop her in her work. And it has quite long claws. For anyone who reads this tale and then proceeds to attempt to find its predecessors, please know that according to author Janice Del Negro, Lucy is an original character and merely based on traditional Celtic and British sources. Says her bookflap, " `Lucy Dove' is her version of a traditional Celtic tale she has been telling for years, one that evolved from her search for stories with active heroines to offset the passive female protagonists of many popular fairy tales". One might point out that even when you do find a gutsy heroine in a tale, she's usually a young lovely maiden and very rarely a witty fast-thinking crone like our dear Lucy here. Moreover, the villain of this tale (a smelly bogle with a tendency to repeat himself) is simultaneously scary and pitiable. This is in large part due to illustrator Leonid Gore's remarkable illustrations. Creating the finest distinctions between shadow and light with luminescent acrylics, Gore's tale is all soft and scary at the same time. When the bogle is told by Lucy that people speak of it often, the picture shows it resti

I think DelNegro is a fabulous storyteller. I enjoy reading Lucy Dove to my daughter's friends, especially at sleepovers...and let's not forget about Oct. 31st! The images Gore illustrated are so beautifully errie. You feel like you have stepped right into this Celtic tale. As both an author and illustrator for children's books, I can truly appreciate the craftmanship that went into this wonderful book. I Hope there will be another retold or original tale, soon? I certainly will be the first in line!

I am lucky enough to know Janice and have heard her telling of this story which she has put into print. If you are not so lucky, the book does an excellent job of capturing her haunting, original tale. The ghostly illustrations set the mood for a graveyard trek. Lucy, the elderly and brave heroine, has that look of determination of one who will not be put down. In almost lyrical prose, inspired by traditional Celtic lore, an elderly woman is the brave heroine who sets out to meet a challenge issued by the laird. The illustrations support, rather than compete, with this tale of a strong woman, but it is the words, imagined in the minds of readers or listeners, that truly cast the spell.

Lucy Dove is up for the challenge of seeing if there really is a ghost in the graveyard. She takes the challenge and succeeds, overcoming the odds and beating the monster. With all of the urban legend hype nowadays, Lucy Dove proves one urban legend in her town true- and lives to tell the tale!