The Golden Apples

Written by Dan Yashinsky

Illustrated by Ekaterina Khlebnikova

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides

978-1-998802050

40 pp.

Ages 6-9

September 2023

 

It all starts with golden apples. And it ends with golden apples. But the story in between is big, far greater than a few golden apples coveted by a king. The real story of The Golden Apples is Jack's story of quests, and it is this story that must be told aloud by a storyteller, such as Dan Yashinsky or the reader, and heard by all children, young and old.

From The Golden Apples, by Dan Yashinsky, illus. by Ekaterina Khlebnikova

Once upon a time–imagine a true storyteller like Dan Yashinsky saying this with an evocative, spirited voice– there was a king, a queen, and their three sons. When golden apples appear on a tree in their garden, and they disappear before the king can enjoy them, he sends his sons out, one at a time, to locate the golden-feathered bird which Jack, the youngest, had witnessed taking them. Both older boys succumb to temptations along the way, but Jack heeds the advice of a benevolent fox and discovers the bird. Unfortunately, Jack too is foolish in that he disregards some directives and lands himself in trouble. Still, he is offered opportunities to get himself out of trouble by undertaking yet another task.

From The Golden Apples, by Dan Yashinsky, illus. by Ekaterina Khlebnikova

Unfortunately, each task requires him to steal something. And each time, he ignores a piece of advice from the fox who tries to help him be successful. From the golden bird to a golden-maned horse, and a princess with beautiful eyes, Jack verges on getting things right until he doesn't. Still, this is Jack, the "hero" of many tales of folklore, so it all works out in the end, even if with a few twists along the way.

 

Dan Yashinsky, founder of the Toronto Storytelling Festival, knows how to tell a story. Whether it is in person or in written form, Dan Yashinsky keeps listeners and readers captivated, waiting for the next scene, the next conflict, the next laugh. He makes us want to find out what happens next, without padding his stories with filler to draw them out. Readers will quickly realize that Jack is the son often disregarded and the one who, with a little help and some cleverness, is able to surpass the minimal expectations others have of him. This may be familiar to some children who feel undervalued in families or in the classroom, but it offers them hope that they can achieve with perseverance. Still Dan Yashinsky makes Jack real with his ineptitude–come on, Jack, listen to the fox!–and unintentional fumbles but with a good heart. (In the end, he does something very difficult and heart-breaking that comes to a good end.)

From The Golden Apples, by Dan Yashinsky, illus. by Ekaterina Khlebnikova

I think Christmas is a great time for storytelling, as families gather around, perhaps in the aftermath of a big meal or as children are settling down before sleep. And The Golden Apples, told as Dan Yashinsky wrote it, with heart and verve, will bring everyone together. With the added dimension of Russian artist Ekaterina Khlebnikova's illustrations, a blend of different media that add depth and whimsy–like Nirvana and Metallica posters on the princess's walls, or Jack's headphones-wearing brother–The Golden Apples also has colour, humour, and texture. The Golden Apples may not be a Christmas story, but it would be a fine story to tell this holiday season or anytime a great tale is called for.

Counting Wolves

Written by Michael F. Stewart

978-0-993757945

217 pp.

Ages 12+

August 2017

"For the last three years I've been hunted by the wolf–wait."  I hold a hand up.  "I  know it sounds crazy–but I've been holding it back with my count.  It works like a magic spell, and it keeps others safe too, everyone.  I've felt the wolf.  I've seen it." (pg. 140)

We all have wolves at our doors.  Some just howl louder or claw more violently.  They may be the wolves of past events come to haunt us, or bad thoughts that want to become actions, or the ones that portend disaster.  But how do you survive the wolves when they're always, always waiting to get you?

Fifteen-year-old Milly Malone is convinced that she has found the magic spell to banish the wolf to the Dark Wood and survive: she counts.  She counts to 100 each time she passes through doorways or eats a single bite or speaks.  Perpetuating the predator theme, Milly will only cross a door's threshold by hopping.  Needless to say, she's often late for class, eats very little in the time allotted, and people get frustrated waiting for her to express herself verbally.  Her boyfriend Billy is her rock, defending her to those who might ridicule her, but even he can't help her when she hears the smacking of jaws, sees the welts of claw marks on her back and collapses, "Lost in the blackest of fairy tales." (pg. 6)

After a visit to Emerg with her step-mother Adriana who believes Milly's issue is an eating disorder–Milly's mother passed away three years earlier and her father is away on business–Milly is admitted to the Pediatric Psychiatry ward where she meets an assortment of characters.  There's Peter, a large boy who is convinced he's a fairy (a leg cast is indicative of a recent flying attempt off the building); the manic Vanet who "is like some stoned fairy godmother who's as liable to kill you as help you"; pg. 81); Red, a girl who dresses in red and is plagued by nightmares; Eleanor a.k.a. Pig, the aggressive homeless girl who likes to burn stuff; Wesley whom she calls Rottengoth whose parents hate him; and Sleeping Beauty, a girl who is on IV constantly and rarely awakens. And then there's Wolfgang, the scary dude with the dead eyes in an acute care room.  Through meals, group therapy, recreational activities and interviews with Doctor Balder all the young people reveal their own wolves, sparring in words and actions and ultimately forming a community of support to keep the wolves away.

Counting Wolves is an intense read about young people dealing with mental illness and how those around them, medical professionals and family, deal with them.  The stories in which these young people embed themselves are tragic, not unlike the fairy tales that Milly reads or was told as a child.  Like many of the original Grimm fairy tales, whose stories are not always obvious at first read, they are frightening.  There may be lessons within but they are devastating to body and soul, with fear often the prevalent emotion. Michael F. Stewart, whose earlier Assured Destruction series (Assured Destruction, Script Kiddie, and Assured Destruction with Zombies) revealed clever plotting and great characterizations, is able to get into Milly's head and give her a voice that is legitimate though perplexing.  Granted, he's the one who has created that head with its confusing thoughts and beliefs but Michel F. Stewart melds her mental illness with grim fairy tales so flawlessly that it's a wonder all issues can't be viewed better in terms of fables. Even as she works through her anxiety, independently–including with the use of a 1960s workbook–and with her established and new support systems, she is challenging the wolf. There is a surprise revelation when Milly recognizes that her wolf is not whom she believes it to be but that's a secret the readers will need to discover for themselves.

Counting Wolves illuminates the treachery of mental illness, including the distorted thinking that can override all and twist stories even more.  Keeping the wolves at bay under these circumstances can be even more challenging.  Still Michael F. Stewart provides some indication, maybe even hope, that help and protection is available, even where least expected.