Most of my favourite children’s books feature animals with human traits ‘Watership Down’ ‘Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH’. Het verhaal gaat over Podkin, de zoon van een stamhoofd, die met zijn oudere zus en jonge broertje vlucht uit zijn burcht als de slechte Goroms binnenvallen De Goroms doden zijn vader en nemen alle anderen gevangen. En dat doen ze bij alle burchten die ze binnenvallen. Er komen geen mensen voor in dit verhaal, alleen konijnen die zich wel erg menselijk gedragen. Podkin, die aan het begin van het verhaal nog twee oren heeft, verandert van een lui jong konijn dat nog te beroerd is om te willen leren lezen en schrijven, in een dappere strijder die het opneemt voor zijn familie. The plot is once again very reminiscent of classic fantasy stories, with our heroes going on a quest to find a magic item that can save them from the evil antagonist. It starts a bit slow as the story takes its time to do some world building and some further fleshing out of the characters we’ve already grown to love. Once the adventure part of the story starts, it grips you immediately and it just keeps getting better. We also meet new some interesting new rabbits along the way. Zarza the bonedancer without a doubt steals the show the moment she enters the spotlight. This makes Podkin more insecure than he already was, as he’s always been a lazy and spoiled rabbit before the Gorm took his cozy life away from him. And it forces Podkin to figure out what he brings to the table, as everyone around him seems far more skilled and capable than him at first glance. Legenda o Podkinu Jednouhom savršeno je štivo za male, ali i velike čitatelje koji su željni povratka u djetinjstvo, osjećaja očaranosti boravkom u jednom od divnih svjetova koje je Larwood ovom prilikom stvorio. Ova divno osmišljena i ispričana priča o vječitoj borbi dobra i zla – koja kao da pripada bardu koji je ispričao onoj mladoj znatiželjnoj skupini – izvrstan je materijal za raspirivanje mašte, buđenje i održavanje ljubavi prema čitanju i pričama, buđenje želje za otkrivanjem nečeg novog, ali naposljetku i poučna priča s lekcijama skrivenim između redaka. Acțiunea se derulează pe două fire principale, situate în planuri temporale diferite. Pe unul din fire îl regăsim pe micul Puk, fratele lui Podkin, acum un bard cărunt, ale cărui povești îi încântă pe cei din coloniile unde poposește în peregrinările sale.

Ovo, ipak, nije jedna od tih priča. Ovo je priča o malenom zečiću koji tek treba postati legendom. Riječima barda iz čijih je usta priča izašla, ova je priča različita. Zato što je istinita. Ono što ovoj priči daje dodatnu čaroliju predivne su ilustracije, a za lakše snalaženje unutar Pet kraljevstava, tu je i divno oslikana mapa. Pohvale i za prijevode naziva zečinjaka i drugih mjesta unutar Pet kraljevstava, koji su mi zvučali osobito toplo i simpatično, te pamtljivo, baš kao u onim najboljim pričama. I honestly don't think children's books have a right to make adults so emotional about their characters! And yet Kieran manages to do just that in this book. I have to say, I think I like the Uki story more than Podkin, but this may all be a result of knowing who the bard is and being totally invested in this character already. I also love the found family trope in this book, Uki and his new friends are just the cutest. I also would love to know where Kieran comes up with the language Kree uses, is it referenced to anything.

This has been sat on my 'To Be Read Pile’ for way too long and I'm so glad that I finally got round to reading it. Following on from his trilogy of stories set within the Five Realms about Podkin One-Ear, Kieran Larwood tells the tale of another brave and heroic rabbit with his first book in a new series, Uki and the Outcasts. Divno bi bilo sjesti uz vatru i upijati riječi kojima mudri bard pripovijeda legendu o Podkinu Jednouhom, baš kao što su tu čast imali radoznali i puni pitanja mladi zečevi. Kieran Larwood svojim pisanjem stvorio je tu intimnu i opojnu atmosferu, kao da slušamo barda, koja bi bila postojana duž cijelog romana, da oni isti maleni zečevi mjestimično nisu bili iznimno naporni s hrpetinom podpitanja.

Uki, a young rabbit cast out from his tribe, must take on an impossible quest to capture a series of evil spirits before they unleash havoc across the Five Realms. Illustration by David Wyatt Uki & The Swamp SpiritI had a rabbit as a first pet, when I was about nine, and this book has made me see these creatures in a different light. It's definitely a book to stimulate the imagination.

When the bard is suggesting some stories to the children, he mentions the tales of Beobunny and The Fisher Rabbit. What do you think they might have been about? Could you write your own version? celălalt plan al acțiunii - planul principal, de altfel - îi regăsim pe iepurași în Pădurea Inimii Întunecate, ascunși în vechea colonie Scorbura Întunecată (de unde provenea Crom, războinicul orb) unde au avut norocul să descopere unul din cele douăsprezece Daruri magice ale Zeiței: Focul Lunii. The first book in the series follows the adventures of Podkin, his sister Paz and their baby brother Pook. You cant help what you look like. But you can help what your heart is like, what your thought are. You have a good heart, Uki, and your thoughts are kind. Don’t let those children change that just because they don’t understand you.

LoveReading4Kids Says

Surprisingly, the thing I like most about this book is actually the way it’s told. It’s told by a travelling bard like in the good old days, someone who goes from village to village to tell his stories. It’s such a small, insignificant and seemingly unimportant detail but it definitely elevates the experience as a whole for me. It gives this story such coziness and warmth, like you’re not reading a book but rather being told a bedtime story by a cozy campfire under a star filled sky. And I love it when a story has the ability to make you forget that you’re reading a book. Uki must dodge the Endwatch, the Shrikes, Clan Septys and the guards and find a way to complete his quest before all is lost. Uki’s adventures are from over when you read the last word of the book and readers are left desperate for more and with more questions than answers. I hope that this is the first in what will be another trilogy. While sheltering in Dark Hollow, our rabbit heroes have some time to kill. While exploring the dark corners of the previously abandoned warren, Podkin stumbles upon one of the twelve gifts. As Brigid said, the balance in the world always tries to find a way to restore itself. Now that the Gorm are growing stronger by the day, it seems the goddess’ gifts are growing stronger too. The Gorm also seem to realize this, which is why they’re so determined to destroy the gifts once and for all. When the rabbits learn of another hidden gift, it’s a race to find the gift that might tip the balance in our heroes’ favor. I felt that the pace of this book was slightly slower than the first book, especially in relation to Podkin’s story: less actually seems to happen. However, this isn’t really a criticism. In the first book, the Bard’s story didn’t feel important until right at the very end, but this isn’t the case in this book. Knowing the Bard’s true identity, we find him desperately hiding this identity from all comers, including other travelling bards and his new apprentice. This adds a whole new element to the story and one which I enjoyed.

Radioblogging.net is an amazing online radio show, full of ideas for writing and activities to do at home. They featured Podkin in a special episode, which you can listen to here. One thing that I have been really impressed with in both the Five Realms books is the strength of the opening chapters. For both, Larwood has hit the nail on the head with the sense of intrigue inspired from both.

About Kieran Larwood

Podkinova priča pustolovna je, dirljiva i predivno napisana avantura koja će osvojiti baš svakog čitatelja, bez obzira na dob. Njeni srčani i dragi likovi postat će prijatelji od kojih se nećete htjeti rastati, i čije ćete nevolje pratiti sa zebnjom u srcu, a pobjede pozdravljati s iskrenim veseljem. Podkin, Paz and Pook have survived - just - and are now holed up in Grimheart forest, avoiding the Gorm at all costs. Podkin, however, is feeling less than appreciated and goes for a wander in his new surroundings, where he stumbles upon a new Gift. This leads him to overhear a conversation about where another has been hidden, a Gift that can help them end the Gorm forever. Love the period feel of this, and the structure is refreshingly different. I look forward to more stories from Podkin's 'bard'.