Children hear stories when they are quite small, fables, legends, fairytales, that take root like seeds, to grow and flourish, deep within their hearts. Sometimes these stories have a secret subtle power in shaping their destinies. Brother and sister, Billy and Stella, compete in the Junior Race with their dog-sledding teams. All kinds of dangers await them, not least the wolves. Their step-brother, Tom, a solitary Inuit, has angered the pack. Queen Wolf is missing. The wolves will make good their loss or else seek their revenge. At the heart of this story, Stella, a rookie musher, is on the threshold of womanhood. The Girl in The Red Cape is running with wolves, dancing across the virgin snow. All alone, it's Stella against the wilderness. But sometimes an invisible power supports her. And she has her comrades.This child, now grown, will catch a dream ...
Suzy Davies earned a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sociology from the University of Leicester, an MA in English Literature from the University of Sussex and a teaching certificate with Credit from Trinity College. She went on to a lead teacher role in English for Speakers of Other Languages. Since then, she has gained certifications in Counselling and in Life Coaching. She uses her knowledge of kids, and her own childhood to write her books.
Suzy's young adult fairy tale, "The Snow Queen," set in Ireland, Eire, England, Denmark, Norway and Finland, a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale, is now available on Amazon Worldwide.
Suzy's children's book, "Housie Mousie and The Big Cheese," an animal adventure for middle grade readers, is inspired by "The Wind in The Willows," and "Stuart Little." The sequel, with a Christmas story, "Housie Mousie and The Christmas Crow," is available now for pre-order.
It is an exciting time for Suzy. She is happy to announce the launch of a brand new picture book, "Poop The Dragon," published by The Elite Lizzard Publishing Company, in Canada, scheduled for November, and available to pre-order.
Suzy's brand new picture book, "Luna and The Snow Cat," is the second book in The Luna Series and is on Amazon kindle books, published by Quizicat Productions, available now. It is a traditional picture book wintry story for all the family to enjoy together.
My Thoughts ...What a facinating story ... This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, although put in the genre of a childrens story, I feel this is more of an adults read due to understanding the concept of this book. Although kids will enjoy it "as a story". Because this is set in Alaska, the author has kindly provided a glossary in the back to look up certain words. The author also provides a piece of poetry that she wrote which ties the story together nicely and a lovely way to finish the book.
Don't you just love the front cover? While exchanging Emails the author said to me "The artist is Michele Bourke and her paintings are admired and bought by the singer, Billy Ocean" and infact you can learn more about this incredible woman in the authors notes at the back. Also there are some beaut illustrations in this ebook, lovely colourful and has the texture of an oil painting and it leaves you with a cosy feeling.
Suzy Davies contacted me via Twitter and gifted me this amazing ebook. Thanking the author with gratitude.
You will definitely enjoy this book if you like Alaskan culture, snowy scenes and wolves, retellings, myths, legends, folk lore. A 5 star review/recommendation on this one.
Leaving you all with the blurb of the book.
Brother and sister, Billy and Stella, compete in the Junior Race with their dog-sledding teams. All kinds of dangers await them, not least the wolves. Their step-brother, Tom, a solitary Inuit, has angered the pack. Queen Wolf is missing. The wolves will make good their loss or else seek their revenge. At the heart of this story, Stella, a rookie musher, is on the threshold of womanhood. The Girl in The Red Cape is running with wolves, dancing across the virgin snow. All alone, it's Stella against the wilderness.
A very interesting spin on the Little Red Riding Hood story. I really loved the dog sliding and its description in the story. The wolf and the race in the end was adorable. Though the story is meant for children, I also loved it.
From time to time the child in us revisits the fairy tales which have been there like forever. I don’t know about you, but I often wonder if a particular fairy tale holds meanings we missed as children. The temptation to reread it grows stronger when little details come to haunt us. Such is the case with Little Red Riding Hood. It fascinated and even scared me the first time I heard it. A precocious (and frankly a little pain in the butt) kid, I began to ask questions. What illness did her grandmother have? Why didn’t an adult accompany her through the dangerous woods? What’s with the cape and the hood? Who was that girl anyway? It seems I wasn’t alone in my search for answers to my troubling questions. Suzy Davies decided to tackle the revisit and answer many of the questions. As a parent, I could have predicted the first answer: the kid was a teenager. Sometimes that explains a lot of erratic behavior. But the author went further. She had a name: Stella. And she had an interesting story. Suzy Davies built a modern day children's book around this traditional fairy tale. She has a tremendous imagination and knows how to tell a story. Moreover, she kept it within the realm of eight to ten year olds. So it is safe to share it with your little ones. And, oh yeah, it has illustrations! So here’s your chance to begin answering all those questions. It’s a perfect early reader, or even a book to read to your kids at night. Do people still do that? Good job, Ms. Davies. Five Stars!
Little red hooded, was a story I always enjoyed as a child, so I was for sure interested in this book. The author does a great job adapting the story but keeping the meaningful parts of the tale. I appreciate the fact that the author did a great research about dog sliding and even get to talk with a real champion of this fun activity.I have a husky, and have no idea how to even start to make her pull something beside my while walking her!!!
The book is richer and well written, good for kids and for adults as well. Highly recommended.
The Girl in the Red Cape is a beautifully written story about a girl and brother who enter a dog-sledding race. The author has taken creative writing to another level by mixing a little of non-fiction in with a modern-day take of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Full of adventure I enjoyed the characters and the description of the landscape and race. I liked the ending where the wolf reunited with her family and the ending of the race. Readers of all ages will enjoy this book.
Recasting the famous Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale as an Alaskan Junior sled team race is an act of creative courage and skill. Author Suzie Davies possesses both. Her novel "The Girl in the Red Cape" is a marvel to read in that it is, first and foremost, a wonderful narrative. The story recounts the efforts of two twins, Billy and Stella, competing in a dog sled race, against man and nature. The race itself, given the obvious challenges and dangers, provides plenty of page-turning suspense, but what gives this narrative its astounding depth is the relationship between humans and animals. The natural world descriptions are exquisite. Nature isn't an enemy to conquer. it is us. And Ms. Davies gives us reason to not only visualize the natural order but also respect its power and its beauty. This story is full of magic, and isn't that what makes our world so beautiful?
Nor is this a book just for girls. Stella is a young girl who, I might add, is truly likable--a trait I look for, and she is one who achieves through the strength of will and arm. Undoubtedly Stella is a strong female lead, while her brother serves as a role model for young boys. He makes decisions based on the goodness of the human heart, something this world seems to be forgetting. I wish I could give more than five stars. I highly recommend this work to young and old.
My girls and I read this story aloud a few months back. We read so many books it's sometimes hard to remember, but this one really stands out for me. And so, when I saw the opportunity to review pop-up, I just had to leave a few words. Don't pass this one up. It's a well-plotted, cozy read you won't soon forget set in Alaska at the Iditarod. Great pics!
Two kids start a race that turns into a rewarding and transforming journey. I like the author’s understanding of nature “ nature balance”. A rewarding read!
The Girl in The Red Cape by Suzy Davies – This is a coming of age Alaskan fairy tale. I will say that I had a little trouble following the plot, but I liked the magical realism feel of the story. Happy Reading!
A magical reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood in the context of the Junior Iditarod
There are parts of this book that are absolutely charming and magical in an almost poetic way and other parts that are straightforward, realistic and down to earth. The main issue I had was that they don’t seem to mesh smoothly but swirl into a confusing mix in which I had a hard time understanding what was real, what was whimsy and what was pure fantasy.
The dog sled racing plot line is engaging and filled with interesting details about sled dogs and sled racing. The mythical, magical bits are dreamlike and wonder-filled. The combination never really jelled for me.