East of the Sun, West of the Moon

by Jackie Morris

Overview

From the moment she saw him, the girl knew the bear had come for her. How many times had she dreamed of him? Now, here he was, as if spelled from her dreams.
This encounter marks the beginning of a long and extraordinary journey. At the bear’s secret palace in faraway mountains, she is treated courteously but troubled by the bear’s unfathomable sadness. As the bear's secret unravels, another adventure unfolds, which takes her to the homes of the four winds and beyond, to the castle east of the sun, west of the moon.
In this new edition of Jackie Morris's captivating picture book, the acclaimed writer and artist retells this classic Norwegian fairy tale – a mysterious story of love, loyalty and freedom.

“Beautiful, lyrical and lovely.” Joanne Harris on The Wild Swans
“Jackie Morris does more than tell a story; she conjures glorious landscapes of the heart.” Meg Rosoff
For The Unwinding:
“A quiet masterpiece . . . a love story, a hope story, a story out of time, out of stricture, out of the narrow artificial bounds by which we try to contain the wild wonderland of reality because we are too frightened to live wonder-stricken.” Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
“The tales feel like half-remembered dreams, peopled with fairytale characters and magnificent creatures.” Rebecca Armstrong, i Paper Best Books of 2020

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783528868
Publisher:	Unbound
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	676,790
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	11 - 14 Years

About the Author

Jackie Morris is an author and illustrator. She studied illustration at Hereford College of Art and Bath Academy and has illustrated many books, and written some. The Lost Words, co-authored with Robert Macfarlane, won the Kate Greenaway Medal 2019. She lives in Pembrokeshire. @JackieMorrisArt

Editorial Reviews

' The achingly beautiful story of finding love and freedom moves from the dirty city back-streets of the 'real' world to 'fairy tale' landscapes of desert or woods or ice, interspersed with beautiful full page and smaller illustrations…A rare book that is as lovely to look at and hold as it is to read.'

'Jackie Morris does more than tell a story, she conjures glorious landscapes of the heart'

'An absolutely beautiful and lyrical retelling of the classic northern fairy tale, re-imagined with a modern backdrop and a less conventional ending.'

'This beautiful book is delicately written and exquisitely illustrated . This is a charming tale of magic, love and freedom.'

'an entrancing story . . . beautifully retold.' 'A lovely gift edition, beautifully illustrated by the author, this is a book to treasure.'

'this is a jewel of a book.'

'The achingly beautiful story of finding love and freedom moves from the dirty city back-streets of the 'real' world to 'fairy tale' landscapes of desert or woods or ice, interspersed with beautiful full page and smaller illustrations . A rare book that is as lovely to look at and hold as it is to read.'

'Attractively retells a traditional story'

'A lovely retelling of a fairy tale journey with a magical polar bear . The dreamlike illustrations perfectly match the story.'

'This is a gripping read which took me away to a whole new world.'

'A beautiful, mysterious story of love, loyalty and above all, freedom, magically told and illustrated.'

'a ravishing story of love, longing, courage and coming of age'

'attractively retells a traditional story'

' a ravishing story of love, longing, courage and coming of age'

' This beautiful book is delicately written and exquisitely illustrated . This is a charming tale of magic, love and freedom.'

'an entrancing story . . . beautifully retold.'

' The achingly beautiful story of finding love and freedom moves from the dirty city back-streets of the 'real' world to 'fairy tale' landscapes of desert or woods or ice, interspersed with beautiful full page and smaller illustrations.A rare book that is as lovely to look at and hold as it is to read.'

'Lovely. . . The dream-like illustrations perfectly match the story'

'A beautiful, mysterious story of love, loyalty and above all, freedom, magically told and illustrated.'

'This is a gripping read which took me away to a whole new world.'

' The power of the tale resides in the way it is told, complemented by luminous illustrations. Landscapes filling a double page place the reader at the scene in the immediacy of the moment. Smaller illustrations of the protagonists, objects and wild life embellish the pages like medieval manuscripts and offer moments for thought. This new telling brings fresh insights to a profound and ancient story. It is a book to treasure and will delight mature young readers, and older ones too.'

'an entrancing story . . . beautifully retold.'

'Jackie Morris does more than tell a story, she conjures glorious landscapes of the heart'

From the Publisher

Reimagined for the 21st century, a familiar folk tale becomes a haunting love story and a reminder that first love may not last a lifetime. The traditional Scandinavian tale relates the attraction between a great white bear and a young girl, her betrayal, and her subsequent journey to find him and free him from his enchantment. In Morris' telling, the ending is modern. The story begins in reality. She's the eldest child of immigrants seeking asylum and struggling in a new country. Even those readers who don't know the fairy-tale background will know that fantasy is coming from the very beginning, when a polar bear performs a feat of magic on a gritty city street. But while the girl loved the bear, the woman, grown and given a name--Berneen--has more complex emotions. Modern references appear occasionally throughout the text, but this is folklore world, with a splendid variety of landscapes. Watercolor paintings between chapters show fields and forests in several seasons, a southwestern desert and the icy wastes of the frozen north. There are spreads showing the girl, the bear and the castle as well, and tiny vignettes throughout indicate breaks in the action. This leisurely, lyrical, romantic and realistic version is one to savor and to read aloud, and again, and again. (Fantasy. 11-15)

Kirkus Reviews