Post by Category : Children

The Belt of Deltora  7

 January 31, 2011  

I recently started reading The Deltora Series to my pre-teen daughter.  Coincidently, while Lief, Barda and Jasmine started searching for the second gem in the book, the Anime cartoon series of Deltora Quest began screening on the Carton Network.  Soon our family was engrossed in their adventures both on the screen and in the pages of the book.

In Deltora Quest, 16 year old Lief is entrusted by his blacksmith father and gentle mother with the quest to find the missing seven gems from the belt of Deltora and then to give the restored belt to the rightful wielder, the hidden heir of Adin.  In ages past, Adin, a simple blacksmith of the populous city of Del had, inspired by a dream, crafted the belt and sought out each of the warring tribes in the land of Dragons.  Only when all seven tribes had given up their precious talisman to complete the belt had the inexorable invasion forces of the evil Shadow Lord been driven back into the Shadowlands.  For years Adin and his heirs guarded the land of Deltora against the enemy’s malice and cunning, but gradually Adin’s heirs had stopped wearing the protective belt and lost contact with Deltora’s people.  These kings and queens had allowed their lives to be hemmed in by complicated traditions codified in the Rule.  Finally, in the reign of the last King Endon, the belt had been broken and the seven gems scattered across the land allowing the Shadow Lord to invade and put Deltora under his cruel grip.  Only when the belt is once again completed with the seven tribal gems (Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby and Amethyst) and worn by Adin’s true heir can this evil menace be driven from the land.

Lief is aided by his friends Barda (a former palace guard and family friend) and Jasmine (a wild girl who grew up in the fearsome Forests of Silence with only her raven Cree and small, furry Filli for company).  Together they face the multiple dangers of the Shadow Lord’s grey guards, shape shifting Ols and other servants of the Shadow Lord, hostile tribes, various dangers of the road, complicated traps and the fearsome guardians of the gems to complete their quest.  They are helped in their task by their loyalty and friendship to each other, by unexpected friends met on the road, providential circumstances and the power of the gems as they are added to the Belt. Deltora’s Quest is a classic tale of a few good people struggling against almost undefeatable, overwhelming evil.  The Shadow Lord is more than a ruthless dictator, more than human (whatever his origins), the very personification of evil – a brooding, powerful, malicious presence whose enmity and numerous plans for evil remains unabated for millennia.  Yet each of the tribes of Deltora’s beautiful gem has unique abilities that joined with all the others is able to defeat or at least evict this evil from the land.  However, it seems more than the gems are at play for on more than one occasion lucky coincidence – or the providence of an unseen power – enables the heroes to overcome impossible situations.  Who or what this good power is, the counterpart of the Shadow Lord, remains undefined – perhaps it is the Land itself or maybe an unnamed Creator of the world.

Emily Rodda (penname of award winning Australian author) has a lucid narrative style and a captivating formula of friendship, adventure, betrayal, fearsome monsters, intriguing puzzles, plot twists, escalating drama and final exciting finale.  Throughout the book, the values of friendship, loyalty, truthfulness and courage are developed.  And while the gems each help in their turn, it is only when all the Deltora’s disparate tribes are prepared to put their differences and past animosities behind them and to work together in friendship that the truly malicious and deceptive power of the Shadow Lord is defeated.  She reminds us of the importance of unity in the midst of diversity.  It is through spreading distrust, lies and by deliberately distancing Adin’s heirs from their people, that the Shadow Lord is able to destroy the belt and scatter the gems almost beyond recovery.  On the other hand, it is only as Lief and his companions learn to trust each other and appreciate their different strengths and viewpoints that they can succeed at their quest.  Moreover, it is as the disparate tribes of Deltora are prepared to put aside their differences and work together (first when Adin completes the belt and then when Lief confronts the Shadow Lord) that Deltora is able to be strong and free. Rodda also reminds us of the importance of holding on to what truly matters, the source of life rather than life-strangling and meaningless traditions.  Adin’s heirs allow themselves to be lulled in a false sense of security, to be separated from the true power that protects them and their land (the Belt of Deltora ).  They allow an arbitrary and complicated set of codified traditions, the Rule, to control their actions and lives and to replace the Book on the Belt’s qualities and powers until they become no more than hapless puppet rulers.

Rodda’s heroic tale highlights more than character development and friendship.  It explores the values that hold nations with many diverse communities and cultures together.  Diversity has the potential to tear nations apart when distrust, discrimination and division is allowed to grow (we only have to think of recent and age-old ethnic strife and genocide in countries like Rwanda or Bosnia).  And as Lief discovers, a distrust and even hostility towards those different from us is almost innate to the human heart. However, an acceptance and inclusion of difference can in fact strengthen and enrich a nation as can (arguably) be seen in modern multicultural nations like Rodda’s Australia or the USA.  Nevertheless, inclusion of difference and diversity can only work if a core unity, a common acceptance of certain values and vision is upheld and protected such as the acceptance of the value of each person, at least broad accord on common aims and agreement on constructive ways to resolve differences (as enshrined in the legal and political systems).  We might do well to ask what is the source of such life giving values and vision and how they might be sustained.  Where does such values, aims and agreement spring from?  As the heirs of Adin discovered, when we lose touch with the source we may continue to go through the motions for several generations before our  impoverishment of vision is discovered.

Emily Rodda has written a charming, gripping tale that children find entertaining and involving.  While in my mind at least, it deals with larger moral issues and hints at intriguing solutions, these are unobtrusively part of the fabric of the storyline.  My daughter overcame her marked reluctance to read on her own in her avid desire to find out what was going to happen next and she eagerly devoured the sequels (Deltora  Quest II & III) and Rodda’s Rondo series.  The story can be read either in eight separate volumes (as originally written) or the combined Volume.  The anime cartoon series is more or less faithful to the books with one or two significant changes in the plot though (in my mind) lack something of their charm with less scope to explore the motivations and mental angst of the companions.  Both books and cartoon series depict horrific monsters which may be inappropriate for younger children.  I would recommend this book for children 9-15 though parents and the young at heart of all ages will enjoy its plot twists and winning formula.

Emily Rodda, Deltora Quest, Gosford: Scholastic Press, 2000 / 2006

Jenny

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How To Train a Dragon

Happily Ever After: Shrek 4

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Happily Ever After: Shrek 4  0

 July 7, 2010  

Recently I once again ventured with my children into the realm of 3D movies to see the latest Shrek offering.  My 8 year old daughter, being a Shrek fan, was keen to go.  My 4 year old son threatened mutiny all the way to the cinema.   This time round he did not poke out the lens of the 3D glasses – mainly because he had lost them before we had even settled into our seats.   But despite the minor dramas at the start, we all thoroughly enjoyed this movie though no doubt for different reasons and at different levels.

Like the last 2 sequels, the story begins where most fairy tales finish – in the “they lived happily ever after”.  Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz), with their cute and boisterous year old triplets, are comfortably ensconced in Shrek’s old home in the Swamp.  At first Shrek is happy but as idyllic day follows day, the predictability, responsibilities, and expectations of family life begin to crowd out its simple joys.  The lack of privacy and personal intrusion that result from being a prime tourist attraction only compounds the problem.

Things come to a climatic head on the day of the triplets’ first birthday party.  The demands of being the host, the antics of well meaning but interfering friends, Fiona’s rapid fire directions and the final straw of the persistent requests of an obnoxious boy for Shrek to “roar” like a trained circus performer results in an angry outburst.  In the more private fiery confrontation with Fiona that follows Shrek blurts out “I wish things were how they were before I rescued you.”  He watches the hurt, anger and bafflement in her eyes before she turns away from him to return to the party.  Angry with himself and frustrated at how things are, he stomps off home.

The rift provides a perfect opportunity for Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohm)  – who had seen the whole thing while rifling amongst the rubbish bins.  Craftily arranging an encounter with Shrek, Rumple persuades him to sign one of his infamous contracts, to exchange a day of freedom from family responsibilities in which Shrek can be a real ogre again in return for a day in his childhood – a day he would not remember, when he was but a mindless infant, a day that surely Shrek would never miss.  And so it at first appears.  Shrek revels in being the terror of the all and sundry – until he realises that there something drastically wrong with the world.  For this is a parallel world in which Rumple with the help of his witch cronies rules as a tyrant, in which donkey (Eddie Murphy) does not know him, in which he and Fiona have never met and in which his own future is under the gravest threat.  The only way to save both the future and the past is for Shrek and Fiona to fall in love all over again – something that only happens as he begins to see things from her point of view.

This fourth movie as funny and original as the others – with the characters we have grown to love and laugh at as well as some new ones.   While the ending is never really in doubt, there are some ingenious twists and turns to get there.  The 3D presentation enhances the film, particularly the flying scenes, without getting in the way of the story which is carried by the characters, plot and humour.

Once again, the usual fairy tale clichés and platitudes are turned upside down.   In this case, the myth (often perpetuated in Hollywood) debunked is that once the hero and heroine have overcome all obstacles to prove their true love, they live happily ever after.  In each of the sequels, Fiona and Shrek continue to face challenges in their relationship after their initial (unconventional) fairy tale union.  In this movie Shrek’s love for Fiona is being smothered by the reality of the responsibilities and tensions of being a husband, father and responsible member of the community.  Feelings of love and romance fade as Shrek longs nostalgically for the old days when his life was simple, he had no responsibilities and he was taken seriously.  It is only when he realises that he will lose it all that he realises how important the love of his wife, children – even irritating friends like donkey – are to him.

It is not just romance novels that push the idea that once we find “true love” – the one, true, perfect match meant for us alone – we will live happily ever after.  We may not admit it, but we often believe that heady feeling of romance will last forever.  And when it begins to fade, the things that first attracted us to our partner begin to annoy and frustrate us.  We begin to wonder if we have made a grave mistake.  Suddenly, the grass starts looking much greener next door.  Surely, we think, moving out and moving on will solve all.

Forever After reminds us that true love – a love that lasts – is not something that falls from the sky.  While romantic feelings often come and go, lasting relationships require work and commitment.  True love flourishes when we deeply care for and respect our partner for who they are (not for what we wish they might be), when we remain committed to them despite the bumps in the road, when we work at clear, loving and truthful communication and when we make time to rekindle the romance in the midst of the other demands of life.  Our partner may not be perfect – our image of Prince (or Princess) Charming – but neither are we.  True love may not fall out of the heavens, but it is truly heavenly – for it is God who shows us what true love is.

As Paul of Tarsus concludes in his beautifulpoem to love:

True love  “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Forever After is a great movie to take the kids along to – they will love the humour and crazy situations Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and the others find themselves in.  Yet in many ways it speaks more to the mums and dads who may have lost sight of themselves and their partners amidst the multiple demands of family life.

Jenny

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How do you train a dragon?  0

 April 27, 2010  

I took my children (4 & 10) to Dreamworks  How to Train Your Dragon 3D last week and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  At that point I hadn’t read any of the books but the title was intriguing and I love dragons so off we trooped.

The movie opened with a dark, night-time, fiery battle between the Vikings of Berk and their numerous dragon foes – setting the scene for the rest of the fast-paced movie.  Hiccup – the weedy, inventive son of the massive Stoick, chief of the Hooligan tribe, wants to get in on the dragon fighting action.  However, his father wishes to protect his un-Viking-like and accident prone only son from danger.  Using one of his clever inventions, Hiccup manages to entangle a legendary Night Fury, one of the most mysterious and devastating of the many  highly dangerous varieties of dragons on the Isle of Berk.  The problem is that no one else notices before he manages to cause his usual accidental mayhem.   Next day Hiccup tracks down the injured dragon.  Tangled in his net, the Night Fury is at his mercy yet he finds himself unable to kill it.  Hiccup makes friends with the dragon, whom he calls Toothless.  Even as Hiccup is finally allowed to join the dragon fighting initiate training, his knowledge of dragons deepens through his interactions with Toothless.  He begins to realise that all that the Vikings know about dragons is fundamentally wrong.  Meanwhile, his father sets off with the fleet to find the secret nest to eliminate the dragon threat once for all.  Events are set in train that inexorably lead up to the dramatic almost cosmic conclusion of the film that pits father against son, Vikings against the dragons, and everyone against the gigantic (sea) dragon the size of the mountain and with an insatiable appetite.  The 3D element adds to the viewing experience without being intrusive.  The gentle drift on ash seemingly over the audience during the final scenes of the movie was particularly poignant.

No doubt, readers of the book will have realised that the movie has made major changes to the original story written by Cressida Cowell.  The majority of the Hooligan tribe’s characters are indeed present – Hiccup, Stoick, Gobber the Belch,  though notably Hiccup’s mother is dead and the tough, smart, beautiful Astrid (who bears strong resemblance to Camicaze of the later books) has been added.   Hiccup’s struggle to find acceptance and respect with his tough Viking tribe, his peers and his father and his introduction of creative, new ways to deals with dragons is still present though dramatically changed.  The movie is less whimsical, more serious, stark and dramatic. In many ways, the movie is reminiscent of Chicken Little both in father-son dynamics (the big, successful father who is disappointed in his small, inventive son and never seems to listen) and in its dramatic encounter with an “alien” species.   The setting is both like and unlike the book – the boggy and isolated Isle of Berk – though the other tribes have been jettisoned for the movie and the relationship between the Vikings and the dragon is significantly different (for in the book the Vikings already tame dragons basically through intimidation – whereas Hiccups learns to speak their language).  In other words, the film has all the trademarks of Hollywood, dramatic action, epic battles with impossible odds, romantic interest and a streamlining of characters, situations and settings.  Both book and movie make the points that while a son (or daughter presumably) may not follow in his father’s footsteps, he may still  make a name for himself and that intelligence, diplomacy, compassion and friendship may be a more effective approach in conflict with outsiders than brute force.   The first point – that parents need to beware of imposing their own desires and dreams on their children is certainly true though a frequent theme in children’s movies.  That the alien and hostile enemy may in fact have common interests and needs to our own that can be appealed to is indeed refreshing.  Hollywood so often seems to divide aliens into either friendly, innocent beings vulnerable to the machinations of  power or money hungry humans (see Avatar or the classic ET for instance) or hostile, unreasonable and power or resource hungry monsters that need to be mercelessly anihlated (for instance Monsters versus Aliens 3D, Independence Day, War of the Worlds and countless others.)  Such simplistic and one-sided characterisations glosses over the uncomfortable reality that humanity, indeed each human being including those on “our” side,  has both the capcity for good and evil.

I found both the movie and the books entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable though in different ways.  As for my children, my 4-year old son was bored (after poking out the eye piece of his 3D glasses) and my daughter (10 going on 15) thought it was “okay but a bit young for her.”  However, my friends’ three boys (aged 9-14) thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I would recommend How to Train Your Dragon 3D for kids between the ages of 6-12, though it may particularly appeal to boys.  The movie is rated PG for action, scary images and mild language.

Jenny

Dreamworks Animations, How to Train Your Dragon 3D, PG

Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon, Hodder Children’s Books, London: 2010 (originally released 2003)

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