By Lance Lee (author) , Meilo So (illustrator)
"An interesting tale of magic and art intertwined"
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Available in Hardback and Paperback on Amazon.
The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn by Lance Lee is an interesting tale of magic and art intertwined. When Brian is under strict doctor’s orders to stay in bed, he misses everything about the outside. Moab, Brian’s father, sets out to find someone who will paint the white walls of Brian’s room with everything he misses about Sandstone-by-the-Sea, but only Mervyn, a grumpy and mysterious character, will paint the scenery without their artist’s impression, exactly how it is.
The results are magical and lead to trouble, as Mervyn becomes more sought after than the witches, wizards, artists and tourist locations throughout the town. There’s a traditional feel to the way this story is told and there’s plenty of bold illustrations throughout for the reader to explore.
Because of the traditional feel of the book I expected some sort of parable or message at the end, however I seem unable to find one. I personally found some of the text could have flowed a bit more, in some places it seems quite lyrical, whereas in others it’s quite repetitive. This stood out most to me at the very beginning, when stating Brian “‘was used to a great deal of running around and fun.
But when he fell ill from a mysterious disease the Doctor ordered him to be and ended all running around and fun”. I would have liked to see this rephrased slightly to avoid the repeated use of ‘running around and fun’ in such a short space of time. This is a brief and creative story filled with magic and art with lots of vibrant and eccentric characters that could appeal to readers aged 7-9.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
Here is a fable about what happens
-when young Brian with a mysterious illness is confined to a white White WHITE room four flights up in his family's Goodly Home to avoid all excitement until a cure is found...
-when Brian cries in grief for everything he has lost- the Sun and Moon, the White Sea-Dragon who curls from the Sea-fogs on the cliffs at night, the Sea, Great White-peaked Mountain, and the ancient but modern and madly eccentric town of Sandstone-by-the-Sea...
-when his father Moab hires the always angry Mervyn, a mere House Painter, to paint Brian's walls with views of everything he misses- for no artist will paint things just as they are- and who paints it all so well it is a New World to explore and run free in and abandon the Old, as does Brian...
-when the Village goes mad, and Moab goes mad, for Brian is lost, and the Tourists are mad to find Mervyn and to get something Realer than Real, and all other businesses collapse...
-when Mervyn finds a solution no one expects..
Lance Lee is a Manhattan-born author, poet and playwrite whose poems, stories and articles for adults and children, have appeared widely in both American and English journals. A number of his plays have been produced and published.
His works also include a children's novel, Orpheus Rising, 2021, "A Best Book of 2021, Indie" Kirkus Reviews, and a children's novella, The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn , 2022, in addition to The Tale Of The Animals' Christmas In Crouch End , 2023.
Lance can be found on LinkedIn here
the best books for 7-9 year olds
Available in Hardback and Paperback on Amazon. Here is a fable about what happens -when young Brian with a mysterious illness is confined to a white White WHITE room four flights up in his family's Goodly Home to avoid all excitement until a cure is found... -when Brian cries in grief for everything he has lost- the Sun and Moon, the White Sea-Dragon who curls from the Sea-fogs on the cliffs at night, the Sea, Great White-peaked Mountain, and the ancient but modern and madly eccentric town of Sandstone-by-the-Sea... -when his father Moab hires the always angry Mervyn, a mere House Painter, to paint Brian's walls with views of everything he misses- for no artist will paint things just as they are- and who paints it all so well it is a New World to explore and run free in and abandon the Old, as does Brian... -when the Village goes mad, and Moab goes mad, for Brian is lost, and the Tourists are mad to find Mervyn and to get something Realer than Real, and all other businesses collapse... -when Mervyn finds a solution no one expects..
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-8 years old
The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Recommendations, Indie Author Books
Hardback. Not Available.
The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn was written by Lance Lee and published by Lwl Books
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