LitPick Review
"Marvel The Marvelous" by Laura Chester is a remarkable fairy tale. The bulk of the story involves adventure in a magically perfect land, but there is also suspense and mystery. The main pony in the story cares for a young girl that the King and Queen find frozen in the snow. Shortly after her convalescence, the two becomes best friends. With a clear head and warmed torso, the girl wants to find her family. The horse Marvel helps her, along with other facetiously talking animals. The journey to find the girl's family takes up the bulk of the plot. The adventures along the way make this a page-turner and not at all boring or redundant. New characters with differing personas are introduced, as well. Talking flowers, royalty, love, and gloom fill the pages, reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland." The climax of the book comes when the girl must part with her beloved pony and the newly changed pony must return to her home. How has she changed? Read to find out!
Opinion:
This book is a cherished piece of work that is sure to please kids of all ages. The excellently illustrated pictures bring the story to life and even inspire readers to try their own hand at sketching. Also, the large print makes this book easy to read and not too time consuming. For children, it is more like a delightful fairytale that they can understand. For adult, it is a novella that reminds them of the time when they got lost in magical stories. Many little lessons are imprinted into this book (e.g.- how to cope with death, how to say goodbye to friends, why drinking and driving is bad, how it is good to stay clean, why tolerance is a blessing, etc.). Even self esteem lessons are included as the youngest pony is seen as lesser than her two gorgeous sisters in the beginning. However, towards the end, the young pony learns that she is perfect just how she is. While females might enjoy this pony tale more than males, the book is still a shining star that all should collect on their bookshelves.
