circleofreadersdruid's review
2.0
The message of the book was confusing, and while the art is well done, I think it would have scared me as a young child.
graypeape's review against another edition
5.0
A folk tale retelling with a happier ending than the original. Esperanza, an old woman whose pear tree grows the sweetest pears in Spain, is devastated when a hail storm freezes her tree and all the pears, ruining the crop she needed to sell to buy food. Even so, she gives her last preserved pear to a beggar woman who comes to her door one evening, and wakes to find her tree magically restored, and now it will trap anyone who climbs it and picks a pear, unless Esperanza says they may climb down. Soon she is healthy and strong again. Then Death comes for her, and she tricks him into climbing her tree to pick one last pear for her, and he becomes trapped. Now, no one can die, even animals can be butchered, but Esperanza won't budge. It isn't until Death tells her of a dear friend of hers who is ill, in pain, and suffering, that she decides to sacrifice her life to let Death down from the tree so her friend can be at peace. Death is so impressed that he tells her she may live as long as she likes, and because of this, we'll always have hope (Esperanza means "hope" in Spanish) in the world. The original version had Aunt Misery tricking Death only letting him free when he promised not to take her, so we always have misery. I like this version much better. In a note at the end of the book, the publisher lets us know that the author, Luli Gray, passed before the book was published, but she lives on in her work. A fun tale with a sassy heroine who is mostly good, but not entirely. The artwork compliments the story nicely, and is quite lovely.
#ThePearTree #NetGalley
#ThePearTree #NetGalley
habitualrereader's review against another edition
5.0
The illustrations are beautifully done, and I really enjoyed this retelling of the folktale. In it, Esparanza manages to trick death, but then is willing to sacrifice her life for a friend, so death tells her she may live as long as she'd like. In the end we learn that Esparanza means hope, and that's why there's always hope in the world.
etienne02's review against another edition
2.0
A metaphor about hope and death. Not so sure about the message and in fact it didn’t get to me. I like the idea/concept, but the way the story/moral is told just seem awkward to me!
inejghafa's review
4.0
A lovely illustrated book that teaches about hope and death. As someone who also gets scared by the idea of dying and has lost some to death, this book explained again that death is inevitable and also necessary, in the best way possible. I believe this will help others, especially children, understand that too.
This is an illustrated retelling of a traditional folktale of an old woman who tricks death. However, Luli Gray positively changed the story. The woman was originally named Tia Miseria, Aunt Misery. The folktale told about how Misery tricked death and is therefore immortal. In this lovely retelling, the old woman isn't known by that name anymore, she is now called Esperanza, Hope. She frees Señor Death because she is compassionate towards her old friend, Miguel Alonzo. She is the reason there is hope. She learns that taking death away has consequences: animals can't be butchered, the two parts of a beheaded soldier are still alive ... but most importantly: there are sick, suffering people waiting for the peace of death, like her old friend. That's the reason Esperanza decides to free señor Death.
In conclusion: this was beautifully illustrated, short but with a good message.
Thank you Penny Candy Books for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is an illustrated retelling of a traditional folktale of an old woman who tricks death. However, Luli Gray positively changed the story. The woman was originally named Tia Miseria, Aunt Misery. The folktale told about how Misery tricked death and is therefore immortal. In this lovely retelling, the old woman isn't known by that name anymore, she is now called Esperanza, Hope. She frees Señor Death because she is compassionate towards her old friend, Miguel Alonzo. She is the reason there is hope. She learns that taking death away has consequences: animals can't be butchered, the two parts of a beheaded soldier are still alive ... but most importantly: there are sick, suffering people waiting for the peace of death, like her old friend. That's the reason Esperanza decides to free señor Death.
In conclusion: this was beautifully illustrated, short but with a good message.
Thank you Penny Candy Books for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
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