A delight from start to finish, every single story worth reading again and again! (Ten Sorry Tales - Mick Jackson)

Member Name: kristajoy

Product:	Ten Sorry Tales - Mick Jackson
Date:	16/02/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great if you fancy something a bit creepy

Disadvantages: Might upset younger more sensitive kids

I spotted this book in a shop in Aberystwyth, sitting on the shelf so inconspicuously, and right away the cover screamed at me. Recognising the illustrator from another favourite of mine (The Boy Who Kicked Pigs) I immediately grabbed a copy to read on the train back home.

Ten Sorry Tales was my first encounter of author Mick Jackson, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. All ten tales are of a comfortable length to read, for adults or older kids, and defiantly for those dark-minded teenagers who absolutely loved Tim Burtons 'Oyster Boy!'

All set in a macabre and slightly twisted world where anything is possible, Jackson takes us through the stories of some very different people, from a little antique collector who learns how to repair butterflies (my personal favourite out of all of them!) to a greedy horse with some dirty habits, and some very strange costal dwelling sisters with even nastier habits than the horse!

Illustrations throughout in stunning black and white lines created by David Roberts complement the text perfectly, adding the feeling of magic, menace, and that rare feeling one might get as a child on first reading the proper version of Red Riding Hood!

For something to dip in to, this collection of short stories is a wonderful example of something you can read from cover to cover, or something you can pick up and put down whenever you need a little bit of inspiration and certainly a guilty squeamish giggle. I'd say these stories are more for adults, but certainly can be enjoyed by children of ten and older, or those below that age that are feeling a bit bold! These aren't scary stories but they will make bizarre shivering ideas run through your head and down your spine!

Summary: My first encounter with Mick Jackson's work but I pray it wont be my last!