Cinnamon

Product Information

A beautiful picture-book fairytale from the global bestselling author of Coraline and The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman's work has been widely adapted for film and TV, including films of Coraline and Stardust, and adaptations of American Gods, Good Omens (written with Terry Pratchett) and How to Talk to Girls at Parties are in the works for 2017. With recipes modelled on Cinnamon Square’s popular baking classes, novice and more experienced bakers alike can share in this passion for baking in what is sure to be a ‘cin-sational’ experience! For example, there's an older auntie who nags people a lot, and she is eventually eaten by the tiger for this offence.

Previously available only as an audio book, Cinnamon has never been published in print before, and Divya Srinivasan’s lush artwork brings Neil Gaiman’s text to life.Like traditional fairy tales, there’s a sense of shadow that lurks under the story of the tiger and the princess, but the moral of the story – about being free to be yourself – is an enduring one.

The book ends with a kind of nasty joke about the aunt, and the tiger walking off against the parents's wishes with the girl? When Neil Gaiman tells a story for young readers, there will be a mix of the old and the new, the fairytale and the twist. A dry sense of humour pervades every page in the text, from the distinctly unimpressive list of "riches" the Rajah and Rani offer in reward to anyone who can teach their daughter to read, through the parrot who speaks in limericks, to the fate of the miserable old aunt. Her parents, desperate to hear her voice, offer great riches (a field of mango trees, a parrot and a portrait of the princess's aunt) to anyone who can get her to talk. Candy Gourlay introduces Wild Song, her companion novel to Bone Talk, in which Luki and Samkad leave their home in the Philippines for America.Think Just So meets Indian fairytales with Gaiman’s own particular perfume and stunning illustrations by Divya Srinivasan. The tiger shows Cinnamon that she can experience and enjoy all this magnificence even though she is blind, so of course she must talk if she is to describe it. Using a measured approach and traditional artisanal techniques, become immersed in the ‘theatre of baking’ with wholesome breads, delicate pastries, heavenly cakes and indulgent chocolates. I think the basic point of this story is, again, the joke; we expect a sweet little tale about a girl suddenly talking, but it is really a tale about shutting up a nosy old aunt. Cinnamon is a blind princess who hasnt talked in her life – her parents offer incentives for the person who can teach her to speak – only for that “person” to be a tiger, which is the first one to be successful.

There might be only 3 pages but the story is full of wit and again the author was able to enthrall me. It is primarily the story of a girl who overcomes adversity and finds strength in an unusual friendship, but is told with a huge amount of wit and humour. The illustrations are gorgeous, and I was delighted when the parrot quotes the famous limerick about a lady and a tiger, but I fail to see why Cinnamon should not have suffered the same fate. This story brings us on a journey to a land far, far away to meet Cinnamon, a beautiful, blind and isolated princess who does not speak.

Divya Srinivasan’s illustrations centre of the tiger at the heart of the story and bring him vividly to life. I cannot remember when I found the link to this short story by Neil Gaiman (so the date set is not true). Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. The text for this was originally released in 1995, according to the copyright, but I understand this is the first time it’s been released in print. Please be advised that most of the dishes will need reheating only, but some items will need to be cooked.