Books
Reviews
Sharif – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars vivid, lyrical. Carole Anne Carr’s poetry is truly amazing. She strings words together in a vivid, lyrical manner. The words jump off the pages, as they are spellbinding and compelling. I hope another poetry collection is in the works from this author.
Ann Carbine Best – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars If you love great poetry, I’m confident you’ll love this collection. Other reviewers have summarised the intriguing evocations of childhood and then the adult persona who has become, in a way, a child again as she thinks about her experiences of a lifetime in England and Africa, places that in themselves resonate with me emotionally, not because I have ever lived in either of these places, or even been there, but because of the history associated with them. Those poems are fascinating as are all of the others especially because of the sensory images Ms. Carr uses to draw us emotionally into each poem. Only a poet as skilled as Ms. Carr could write poems that capture times and places in such a way that they become universal. Skilled in associational movement and concrete imagery, she draws me into the poem in such a way that I feel as if I’m, for example, the “teenager, consumed by a religious fervour” or the “princess, dazzling, beautiful / where the hot bellied dragon / gazes in awe at the sight of her.” These are only two of the poems where Ms. Carr exhibits her skill with free verse. I was also impressed with her rhyming skills that reminded me of the great poets Robert Frost and Richard Wilbur. The rhymed poem I especially like is the delightful “Writers’ Weekend,” with its apt Dickensian allusion. For example, the following stanza: “Huddled by the fire we shut the door the fuel in the bucket’s growing less. Oliver like, I dare to ask for more but, sad to say, with just as much success.” I especially smiled at the last line, which ends in surprise, a surprise enhanced by the fact that it stands alone and doesn’t rhyme with anything before it. Form enhancing meaning. I’m still smiling. EVERY poem in this collection begins in delight and ends in surprise, as every great poem does. Great poems are also those you can read again and again and experience something new each time. There is so much to enjoy and ponder from the narrative flow, the vivid imagery, the wry humour, and the interesting characters that include the poet as she shares with us a lifetime of wisdom and discovery. I’m very glad I have a print copy of Kaleidoscope, as well as a copy for my Kindle. I encourage anyone who loves poetry to get this in any form. I hope Ms. Carr will write more poems, but if not, there are her children’s books. I especially want to read Candle Dark. Such an intriguing title.
Sue Horder-Mason – Amazon Reviewer.
5 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! I don't often read 'childrens' fiction but this book grabbed me from the start. Carole Anne Carr takes you on an adventure, the book is fast moving and you can feel your heart beating as fast as the characters. Her description of life in by gone days in the Ironbridge Gorge is amazing, you can really see it as it was and how life was like for people in those days. I can't recommend this book enough for both young and not so young.
Julie Phillips
Carole strikes gold dust again, This is the third book I have read by Carole Ann Carr and once again she does not disappoint. Candle Dark takes us through the life of a young child Josh in the Industrial Revolution. We follow his struggle to survive in the desperate poverty and treacherous working conditions of the time. Through Carol's clever writing we see her fiction bring her characters and this time period to life.You feel as though you are down the pit with Josh and his beloved pit pony, Drummer. You feel Josh's fear as he tries to escape the cruel and dangerous pit manager Issac Whitlock. You feel his anxiety for his father.You crawl with anguish for Josh's dilemma - the choice between running away from it all or staying to protect and provide for his family. Candle Dark is an enjoyable book which will inform and educate as well as entertain.
Susan Kane – Amazon Reviewer.
The Industrial Revolution changed the world in broad strokes. More important is how it changed the lives of individuals, like the hero of this book. Children in the labor force then suffered terribly, without a hope for an upward mobility. This book provided a hope for light in a dark dark place.
R. Williams – Amazon Reviewer.
What a wonderful book! Not just for children, this is a gripping read. Only downside is that it is not long enough - and that is never a bad thing to say of a book! I would recommend this book wholeheartedly.
R. Healy – “fernhill gardener” (United Kingdom)
If this doesn’t get your son reading, nothing will! This is a rollicking, fast paced, action adventure with a believable young protagonist set in Anglo-Saxon Britain. Full of dramatic incident, every chapter ends on a cliff-hanger which keeps you turning the pages…. This reminded me of adventure books I read as a child; the sort that kept me awake and reading with a torch under the covers. Although ideal as a work to encourage a child to become reading-mad, it is completely absorbing for adults. (I am 57). I liked the sympathetic, though never sentimental, treatment of animals and children throughout the story. The author’s familiarity with the era, and confidence in depicting it, shines through. The events interwoven into the story seem credible without being invasive, although I am no expert in the period. I enjoyed the north-east English setting. There is a magical smattering of the supernatural which lifts the story out of the pragmatically historical and into a bewitching mythical world which is still recognisably our own. The baddie is horrid and there is enough nastiness for lads to get into. But there is a very beguiling, resourceful female character whom I am sure I would have loved when I was a girl. It leaves you wanting more, which is why I think it would be excellent to encourage independent reading in the target age group.
Goodreads critic
Brave Little Boy Good-For-Nothing must go to the rain-keeper’s hut to bring back the rain-cloud and save his village from drought. Fierce crocodiles guard the rain-cloud, but with the help of his friend the Shongololo, the lion and the moon-moths, he rescues the animals that go bump in the night, sets free the moon, and becomes Little Boy Good-For-Something. This short story for 5 to 7 year olds, has charming and colourful illustrations by the author and the children of an Infants School with whom she worked. The atmosphere and characters of the African village are captured in the bright colours of the illustrations. The story is one of the triumph of a small child over seemingly insurmountable odds, with the help of the animals who could have been his enemies, but rewarded his kindness and good nature. From being thought worthless by most, he has earned his proper place and respect in his village – the place his granny always knew he deserved. In this tale children can become acquainted with the flora and fauna and social norms of an African village and the children who drew the pictures have also shown imagination and accuracy in their depiction of the many animals Dakarai encounters.
Shelly-G, reviewer on Amazon.
Totally Absorbing! I love Carole Anne Carr's books. This was the first one to be published and I still think the best (although Candle Dark and Thin Time are both great reads!). As soon as I had read the first couple of pages I was hooked and truly could not put it down. I know it is aimed at a younger audience (I am in my thirties I will say no more!), but it reminded me of books I had read over and over in my youth such as 'I am David' by Anne Holm and 'The Silver Sword' by Ian Serrailier. As with all of Carole's books the story is engaging and all the way through you are rooting for the hero. There is enough tension which makes you want to turn to the next page and the next! The characters and backdrops are very real, with enough narrative for you to picture it without wading through lots of descriptive text. It is obvious that Carole has fully researched the period and thoroughly immerses herself in it to enable you to do the same. An amazing author - I cannot wait for the second book in the series!
A message from a reader on Facebook
I cannot tell you how much I loved the poems – they really are absolutely wonderful, Carole. You draw the reader in from the first line, and one feels not only totally engaged, but often greatly moved. Your artistic sensitivity is in evidence throughout – the pictures you paint, the colour and texture, and general appeal to the senses – and I just love your imagery and wonderful use of metaphor. To me Kaleidoscope is a very fine collection of poems, and I do hope you continue down this road – and seek a wider audience. Joys and heartache of becoming a woman as seen through poetry.