Sa Toya – Amazon Reviewer.
I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads scheme. I have an 8 year old bro and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Read it a few time since. I always encourage to read as many different books as possible. He really enjoys a good book.This is a great book for ids illustrated by kids and the author. It's a refreshing look at the Golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."My issues: What is a shongololo? I know now but would've liked to during reading. Why is he 'good-for-nothing'?I know it's a common saying but he's only little and at that age a lot of children aren't experts in an field and everyone is always good for and at something.My brother was a bit concerned of the little boys's and his family's potential ostracism. More of what I like! The culture differences shown. I like learning about other cultures and I think all children should be exposed to other ways of life. Overall it's a good book for early readers...5-7 and perfect for reading out loud.
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.
Sophie Bignall
Ludlow author Carole Anne Car truly understands children. Her fourth book, In the Snake-Dragon's Claws, previously published as Thin Time, makes it quite clear as she explores relationships between step-families, and emotions such as honesty, truth, courage and love. She certainly knows how to tell a great tale. Thin Time, which is set in the famous Shropshire village church of Tong near Shifnal, with its life sized effigies of knights in armour, is no exception. In her latest publication, she weaves a fantastic adventure incorporating enchantment, fantasy, local history and Norse mythology.Alice may seem like an unlikely heroine, for she is rebellious and does not want to accept the task the four hundred year old dog Fymm has given her, but she is a child that youngsters can truly identify with. Passing through the Tree of Life with her small step-brother Thomas, Fymm the grumpy dog, Ratatosk the squirrel that can’t be trusted, and Bridd the cockerel from the church tower, she must face Niddhogg the snake-dragon armed only with a stone and a gargoyle’s shield. Inspired by her years as a primary school teacher, Carole is a master storyteller and her fans, old and young, will be looking forward to the sequel when once again Alice must set off on her quest. And both children and parents will enjoy visiting Tong church and searching for the four hundred year old dog Fymm!
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.
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.
Book review of First Wolf by writer and journalist Julie Phillips.
From the moment I read the first paragraph of Carole Anne Carr's First Wolf I was hooked. We follow the journey of twelve year old Toland and his family who are forced to flee from the horrible Eorl Uhtred who is attacking villages, and due to Toland's father's refusal to give Eorl Uhtred what he wants, their village is next. I really cared about what happened to Toland and I was amazed by the ferocity of his sense of honour and courage as he helps his grandmother, mother and younger brother to safety. I forgot several times in the book that he is a boy and not a man. Despite his disability and young age, his dogged determination to follow his father's instructions and the quest entrusted upon him by the monks of Lindisfarne endeared me to him and his plight. It's a coming of age book that shows older children that although unfair and bad things do sometimes happen, the power of the good in people does win through over the bad. Sometimes children are forced to take control and lead the way. Poor Toland has enough trials and danger to last him a life time in First Wolf, but with his beloved dog Bodo by his side, and his friendship with a young girl Kendra, and help from others they meet on the way, mixed in with a little mythology and the supernatural, First Wolf is an excellent read.
Patricia Kennington, TSSF, Ph.D., Spiritual Director – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars Poetry and Reconciliation. Kaleidoscope’ by Carole Anne Carr, is a story of child-woman growing into woman-child. Her shared lyrics become a vehicle to convey dreams, memories, hopes, and desires for “the more.” Through her poems, Carole invites us to relive and feel both the clarity and confusion of moving from child to adult. Her poetry encourages us to re-experience the poignant and the painful, self-realisation, and the recognition of human failure. We return to past decisions, joys, failures, and the anguish of being alive and moving on. We remember with more than mental thoughts, pictures and sounds. We remember with our feelings and our body sensations. This is the human energy that is tapped by Carole Carr in her collections of poems which well up within us. In Kaleidoscope, We read her words and simultaneously experience moments in our own lives that bring forth poignant, sad, and joyful “puffs” of unity with the images in her poems. In Carole’s reflections as a poet, we are brought to awareness of the recent and far past in our lives to savour, to mourn, to celebrate.
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.
Sophie Corness
Want to find a brilliant children’s book which will encourage them to read while offering historical accuracy? Check out this latest novel. In ‘Candle Dark’, published and written by Shropshire-based author Carole Anne Carr, she has once again used her wealth of experience as a primary school teacher to create a world set against a backdrop of what life was really like for children working in coal mines in the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire during the 18th century. This book highlights the hardships of life down the mines for youngsters as it follows the book’s hero, Joshua, on an exciting adventure. Carole has written a novel that will not only engage children but also encourage them to read for pleasure. This publication can be enjoyed by youngsters and adults alike, and offers a valuable teaching tool for those keen to learn more about life in Ironbridge at that time. I really enjoyed this, it is superbly written and it proved to be very difficult to put it down! Although the characters and events are imaginary, Carole has portrayed the working conditions and the life of the family living in the Gorge at a time of rapid industrial growth, and as well as being an exciting read, is a wonderful teaching tool for Key Stage 2. The author is at present writing a sequel to Candle Dark, entitledRiver Dark, which has the River Severn and the trows as an integral part of the story.