Ann Carbine Best – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars If you love great poetry, I’m confident you’ll love this collection. Other reviewers have summarised the intriguing evocations of childhood and then the adult persona who has become, in a way, a child again as she thinks about her experiences of a lifetime in England and Africa, places that in themselves resonate with me emotionally, not because I have ever lived in either of these places, or even been there, but because of the history associated with them. Those poems are fascinating as are all of the others especially because of the sensory images Ms. Carr uses to draw us emotionally into each poem. Only a poet as skilled as Ms. Carr could write poems that capture times and places in such a way that they become universal. Skilled in associational movement and concrete imagery, she draws me into the poem in such a way that I feel as if I’m, for example, the “teenager, consumed by a religious fervour” or the “princess, dazzling, beautiful / where the hot bellied dragon / gazes in awe at the sight of her.” These are only two of the poems where Ms. Carr exhibits her skill with free verse. I was also impressed with her rhyming skills that reminded me of the great poets Robert Frost and Richard Wilbur. The rhymed poem I especially like is the delightful “Writers’ Weekend,” with its apt Dickensian allusion. For example, the following stanza: “Huddled by the fire we shut the door the fuel in the bucket’s growing less. Oliver like, I dare to ask for more but, sad to say, with just as much success.” I especially smiled at the last line, which ends in surprise, a surprise enhanced by the fact that it stands alone and doesn’t rhyme with anything before it. Form enhancing meaning. I’m still smiling. EVERY poem in this collection begins in delight and ends in surprise, as every great poem does. Great poems are also those you can read again and again and experience something new each time. There is so much to enjoy and ponder from the narrative flow, the vivid imagery, the wry humour, and the interesting characters that include the poet as she shares with us a lifetime of wisdom and discovery. I’m very glad I have a print copy of Kaleidoscope, as well as a copy for my Kindle. I encourage anyone who loves poetry to get this in any form. I hope Ms. Carr will write more poems, but if not, there are her children’s books. I especially want to read Candle Dark. Such an intriguing title.
Paddy Kennington – Ph.D., LPC, NCC, EMDR Level II.
In a world and time more like our own than we would admit, Carole Anne Carr creates a story woven with child-understanding, Anglo-Saxon history, and mythical allusions. While full of adventure, action, and mystery, this hero-tale is anchored in a young boy’s rite of passage that involves the killing of his first wolf and his survival in the destructive adult world in which he lives. More evident in our early history, than in our present time of science and technology, are the boy’s otherworldly helpers who are everywhere around him, and central to this story is Toland’s dedication to fulfilling his promise to the monks of Lindisfarne, despite the threats to his life that this single-minded focus brings. From the beginning, the story holds readers both young and old and does not fail to surprise throughout. Left wanting more of this boy-man’s life, I would pose that readers will not let Carole rest until she returns to this period of history. Attempting to describe the lives of those who lived in Northumbria in the Dark Ages presents her with many difficulties, but in our return to the 8th century we are given glimpses of beliefs that have been passed down to us through the ages and that we still hold more deeply than we ever recognise.
Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) Amazon reviewer.
Wonderful! If you want a book to get your child (or yourself!) interested in the Anglo-Saxon period, then this is the book to do it. The author has an amazing knowledge of Northumberland and Lindisfarne which is written into the story without taking it over. The period of the piece is also extremely well written, giving excellent descriptions of life, clothing and food etc. There is a young hero that you will be rooting, a strange helper that you will find intriguing, a villain you will be booing and a young girl that you will like. Gripping!
Goodreads critic
Brave Little Boy Good-For-Nothing must go to the rain-keeper’s hut to bring back the rain-cloud and save his village from drought. Fierce crocodiles guard the rain-cloud, but with the help of his friend the Shongololo, the lion and the moon-moths, he rescues the animals that go bump in the night, sets free the moon, and becomes Little Boy Good-For-Something. This short story for 5 to 7 year olds, has charming and colourful illustrations by the author and the children of an Infants School with whom she worked. The atmosphere and characters of the African village are captured in the bright colours of the illustrations. The story is one of the triumph of a small child over seemingly insurmountable odds, with the help of the animals who could have been his enemies, but rewarded his kindness and good nature. From being thought worthless by most, he has earned his proper place and respect in his village – the place his granny always knew he deserved. In this tale children can become acquainted with the flora and fauna and social norms of an African village and the children who drew the pictures have also shown imagination and accuracy in their depiction of the many animals Dakarai encounters.
Julie Phillips
Carole strikes gold dust again, This is the third book I have read by Carole Ann Carr and once again she does not disappoint. Candle Dark takes us through the life of a young child Josh in the Industrial Revolution. We follow his struggle to survive in the desperate poverty and treacherous working conditions of the time. Through Carol's clever writing we see her fiction bring her characters and this time period to life.You feel as though you are down the pit with Josh and his beloved pit pony, Drummer. You feel Josh's fear as he tries to escape the cruel and dangerous pit manager Issac Whitlock. You feel his anxiety for his father.You crawl with anguish for Josh's dilemma - the choice between running away from it all or staying to protect and provide for his family. Candle Dark is an enjoyable book which will inform and educate as well as entertain.
Sue Horder-Mason – Amazon Reviewer.
5 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! I don't often read 'childrens' fiction but this book grabbed me from the start. Carole Anne Carr takes you on an adventure, the book is fast moving and you can feel your heart beating as fast as the characters. Her description of life in by gone days in the Ironbridge Gorge is amazing, you can really see it as it was and how life was like for people in those days. I can't recommend this book enough for both young and not so young.
Sa Toya – Amazon Reviewer.
I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads scheme. I have an 8 year old bro and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Read it a few time since. I always encourage to read as many different books as possible. He really enjoys a good book.This is a great book for ids illustrated by kids and the author. It's a refreshing look at the Golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."My issues: What is a shongololo? I know now but would've liked to during reading. Why is he 'good-for-nothing'?I know it's a common saying but he's only little and at that age a lot of children aren't experts in an field and everyone is always good for and at something.My brother was a bit concerned of the little boys's and his family's potential ostracism. More of what I like! The culture differences shown. I like learning about other cultures and I think all children should be exposed to other ways of life. Overall it's a good book for early readers...5-7 and perfect for reading out loud.
Lizzie – Amazon Reviewer.
5 out of 5 stars Exciting and very moving. Thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it was written as a child's book I couldn't put it down. Very well written and extemely moving and I want to read more.
Patricia (Paddy) Kennington – TSSFPh.D., LPC, NCC, Certified EMDR Therapist.
The life changes that we all face as we grow into our mature selves, often bring the pain of loss before the joy of understanding, and Alice’s journey in the story In the Snake-Dragon's Claws, with her many friends and helpers, and her meeting with the Green Man of All-Knowing, are growth experiences that are both fearful and welcome. As parents know, the stages of a child’s development can be fraught with tensions and testing behaviours, but they are necessary to enable the child to grow into an adult. Human effort and angst, leading to adult maturity, are accompanied by vulnerability and inner reflection: who will help me and why is this happening to me! Such developmental milestones are described in mythology, fiction, poetry, and endless, ‘if-only I had done so and so’, tales, and in Alice’s quest to find the seeds that will bring life back to the world. The author has captured human yearning in the real life struggles of Alice, as she comes to understand the confusion that has up-ended her world. The loss of her mother, and her gradual acceptance of her father’s marriage to a new ‘mother’, leads to a healing process that brings about her progress and reflection. These life changes, though sometimes unpleasant, are part of the family’s shared experience. As Alice and her friends grapple with the Snake-Dragon in the Cave of Mists, she also comes to embrace her new family who help her grow into the young adult she is becoming. Surrounded by a circle of both human and spiritual helpers, Alice reaches out to embrace divine intervention at ‘thin time’, and in doing so is able to take steps towards becoming what she is intended to be.
Patricia Kennington, TSSF, Ph.D., Spiritual Director – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars Poetry and Reconciliation. Kaleidoscope’ by Carole Anne Carr, is a story of child-woman growing into woman-child. Her shared lyrics become a vehicle to convey dreams, memories, hopes, and desires for “the more.” Through her poems, Carole invites us to relive and feel both the clarity and confusion of moving from child to adult. Her poetry encourages us to re-experience the poignant and the painful, self-realisation, and the recognition of human failure. We return to past decisions, joys, failures, and the anguish of being alive and moving on. We remember with more than mental thoughts, pictures and sounds. We remember with our feelings and our body sensations. This is the human energy that is tapped by Carole Carr in her collections of poems which well up within us. In Kaleidoscope, We read her words and simultaneously experience moments in our own lives that bring forth poignant, sad, and joyful “puffs” of unity with the images in her poems. In Carole’s reflections as a poet, we are brought to awareness of the recent and far past in our lives to savour, to mourn, to celebrate.