A haunting legend from the Undercity of Naples "Goblin" "Gremlin!"
"Demon!" Strange little creature. Strange pale eyes, so full of
fear. Strange little monk, his habit black as nightmares, his
surplice grubby as spilt milk. Strange little boy shaped like a
question mark, who are you? Intrigue, superstition and adventure
feature in the first book of two books set in the dark world of
medieval Naples and brought to life by spectacular double-spread
graphic artwork. An orphaned boy is dressed as a monk and
ostracised by everyone except the roaming wild cats of the
Undercity for his scary looks and his ability to make bad things
happen. Monacello searches above and below ground, determined to
solve the mystery of his parents. After he encounters friendship
from a little girl with a mysterious background of her own, it
seems he can also bring good luck - a bringer of fortune; a wish
granter. When a case of mistaken identity brings near disastrous
consequences, this little monk must shake off his bad luck for
good...THE AUTHOR SAYS - I visited a friend in Naples, and she
showed me the city's best secret - its Undercity: a gloomy, buried
world of ruined houses and streets. Then I found out Naples has a
secret inhabitant too - part-good, part-bad; a bringer of good luck
and trouble; a boy with a sad history of his own. Legends like
Monacello's date from a time when stories were not just for
children; when they hovered in everyone's brain, somewhere between
made-up and true. I never cared much for wicked villains or
superheroes. Monacello is a mixture of sun and shadow - like we all
are. My sort of hero. REVIEWS "This story is very unique. It is
beautifully illustrated with a very eye-catching cover. It tells
the story of Monacello the little monk, searching for his mother in
Italy after being abandoned as a baby. Raised to be poor, dirty and
ugly, the city folk deem him to be 'bad luck'. It runs along with a
great textual rhythm and the plot is simple but imaginative, moving
and absorbing all in one. Perfect for children and adults. The
landscape within this world will stay with you for days. I really
look forward to reading the sequel." -- WATERSTONE'S. "There are so
many poignant and poetic gems scattered throughout this haunting
tale. The quality of McCaughrean's writing is stunningly original
and the effectiveness of the descriptive, emotive language, creates
a multi-layered and memorable story. Combined as it is, with
stylish and atmospheric illustrations, Monacello has all the
qualities of a classic fairy-tale. The themes of sadness and
loneliness are woven so elegantly through the action-packed
storyline that they burrow into the reader's heart, in the same way
as the sadness of Monacello and Napolina seems to seep into the
heart of the city, affecting even the well- water, so that it
brings tears to horses "blue-brown eyes". Unforgettable." --
ARMADILLO MAGAZINE. "McCaughrean's reworking of a classic Italian
folk story reads aloud wonderfully with its tale-teller's seeming
simplicity and its frequent alliterations and internal rhymes. The
menacing illustrations of Jana Diemberger, an artist of
Italian/Austrian upbringing, will also invite shared talk between
listener and reader. Her choice of viewpoint is often startling and
dramatic. The dark, crater-eyes set in the pale moon of the
foundling's face haunt the pages. Only once is that face lit by a
wan smile when Monacello has reached out to warm Napolina's icy
sadness...Designed with such care, this layered tale will demand to
be revisited many times." -- BOOKS FOR KEEPS. "Think of your
average children's picture book and loveable monsters, fluffy
animals and shiny trains probably spring to mind. An odd little
creature-boy causing mischief in medieval Naples almost certainly
does not. Mind you, the creator of Monacello The Little Monk isn't
your average illustrator. In fact Jana Diemberger is an
Italian-born, multi-tattooed boxing champ, and the story of how she
came to the profession is something of a fairytale itself. "It was
so exciting," she [Jana Diemberger] says. "I didn't know it would
definitely happen; I'm really proud of it." And proud she should
be; with its delicate, haunting images, Monacello is the kind of
book that stays with you long after you've closed it." -- CAMBRIDGE
EVENING NEWS.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
