Description
Temporarily out of stock
Title: Aubrey & the Terrible Yoot
Author: CLARE HORATIO
Illustrator: MATTHEWS JANE (ILL)
Format: PAPERBACK
Publication date: 17/09/2015
Imprint: FIREFLY
Price: $22.00
Publishing status: Active
Awards:
winner, Branford Boase Award 2016
Aubrey is a rambunctious boy who tries to run before he can walk and has crashed two cars before he is old enough to drive one. But when his father, Jim, falls under the horrendous spell of the Terrible Yoot, everything changes. With the help of the creatures of Rushing Wood Aubrey sets out to break the spell. Everyone says his task is impossible, but Aubrey will never give up, even if he must fight the unkillable spirit of despair – The Terrible Yoot – itself!
Funny and fearless, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is a modern-day fable that mixes real family life with fantastical woodland creatures and a more than a touch of myth and mystery, to tackle the theme of depression head on, complemented by powerful line drawings by illustrator Jane Matthews.
Gwales Review
This splendid piece of philosophical fantasy will appeal to a wide range of children, particularly those of a thoughtful nature. Depression in parents is something that can cause great trauma in the families involved, and Aubrey’s family is no exception. His wonderfully happy and jovial father has suddenly descended nto a place where Aubrey and his mother cannot follow. Because they love him dearly, they try all the usual things – sleep, good food, exercise, and some sort of practical work. But Jim seems too tired and too lost to be able to help himself. Now Aubrey is an unusual lad. He’s a bit of a terror, the sort who skis down the stairs, floods the bathroom, and plays tricks on his parents. But when he is asleep, he often visits the nearby Rushing Wood in his dreams; one night an owl appears on his window sill, and he and Aubrey have a conversation in their minds. It is apparent that the owl (Augustus) knows all about his dad’s problems and that this is no dream. From then on Aubrey depends on the woodland creatures to help him out in his quest for the ‘Terrible Yoot’ who is making his dad so miserable. The various adventures with the animals are both humorous and fantastical, and in small ways they do help Jim. Aubrey realises, though, that their efforts will not be enough, and he must confront the Yoot himself.
This remarkable novel is full of lyrical writing and sensible thinking, and when we are inside Jim’s head, as we are from time to time, we see clearly just how terrible depression can be. Nevertheless, Aubrey’s positive attitude and his innate trust in the animals’ activities and their philosophical ruminations make for an optimistic outcome. While the story is a fantasy, it is the people involved who enact the decisions and for whom the outcome is good.
I enjoyed this novel tremendously and found the author’s delicious use of words inspiring. The charcoal black and white illustrations also add greatly to the mysterious and dream-like quality. It would make a lovely gift for a fantasy-loving child. Elizabeth Schlenther
ISBN: 9781910080283
Dimension: 198mm X 129mm
Pages: 192