Gaiman, Neil. Cinnamon. Illus. by Divya Srinivasan. Harper, 2017. $17.99. unp. ISBN 978-0-06-239961-8. Ages 6-8. P9Q9
Cinnamon, a blind princess in a country of the far past, refused to speak, and her desperate parents, the Rajah and Rani, promised a reward for anyone who could teach her to talk. The whimsy surfaces throughout the folk-type tale goes from gentle to dark as the “reward” is a palace room, a portrait, a field of mango trees, and a green parrot and the aged aunt ends up being eaten by the tiger that makes Cinnamon talk through pain, fear, and love. Flat, naif illustrations use bold colors to give the calm feeling of a wealthy family secure in the greenness apart from the heat of the nation as the reader sees the action framed by doorways and natural objects. The opaque appearance of Cinnamon’s pearlescent eyes highlight her beauty, and the matte illustrations filled with jewels and elephants give an authenticity to the South Asian setting. The huge tiger adds strength and excitement to the story. The author first posted the story on his website over 20 years ago.
Verdict: Strong visuals move the story forward, and the plot twists provide a compelling read. Quirky and delightfully bizarre.
May/June 2017 review by Nel Ward.
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