Random Things Tours: S.H.E.L.L. by Chris White

Even if I would not have children, I will enjoy reading children books, no matter the age. As I took myself a class in children writing, I know how difficult in fact is to write for children, even more difficult than for an adult audience, because you, the adult writer, should be able to write and think again differently. Being inside the mind of a child is not a regression, but instead a challenge to our simplicity. As adults, we are in fact reducing, one by one, the complexities and questions about life to a couple of habits we practice most of the rest of our lives. Writing for a young audience is a ticket for returning to a world of wonder. And so is reading children books.

Personally, I rarely read a science-fiction book and this since early in my literate life. The only Jules Verne collection I really enjoyed and even read more than once, was Around the World in 80 Days, as a prescience of my life on the road. But I adore to challenge myself therefore, I was more than delighted to have given the chance to read a midgrade story, S.H.E.L.L by author and illustrator Chris White whose works can be admired on VeggieVampire.com - I could have just add the link but why not give me the chance to mention this hilarious name...those days, even the vampires are becoming vegetarians, you know...

S.H.E.L.L. has illustrations - which look, as expected, out of this world and do have a weird sense of humour - but also have characters like Crab Magga - that ´Makes a Ninja look like an overweight hippo´ - or president Obaaama. A bit of mystery, a lot of adventure and a gang of strange - for us, the boring adults - creatures on a mission to save the galaxy from many bad things, among which the lack of sense of humour (can I have a mission dispatched to where I am right now, please?). It is easy to follow, although the pace is very fast, and hard to put down but I am glad this is just the beginning of the series - Episode 1. The Horse Awakens; more to follow (soon, I hope). 

My son is still too green for the story - but he loved the illustrations and was a bit concerned about the characters as I had to share with him a couple of details about the adventures; I had to give an adult explanation for  - but I strongly recommended it to my English-speaking friends with children of an appropriate age for the book. Meanwhile, I am waiting selfishly to enjoy all for myself the rest of the series. 

Rating: 4.5 stars (I can give a 5 in a whim but I am not the target group anyway, so I better keep it humble)

Disclaimer: Book offered part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own