The Flint Heart

Long ago, in the land of Dartmoor, a magic man created an enchanted charm that granted its possessor incredible power-at the cost of the wearer's own tenderness and compassion. After the merciless Flint Heart causes much destruction, it is lost among the reeds and rocks of the moor, where a kindly farmer discovers it thousands of years later. With the Flint Heart in his possession, the once adoring father Billy Jago is transformed into a cruel and merciless brute. Young Charles is determined to win back his father's true nature, and with his sister Unity and dog, Ship, he sets off into an enchanted world where animals talk, fairies hold elaborate banquets, and magical mischief must be resolved to bring Dartmoor and Merripit Farm back to rights again.

This luminous fantasy by Katherine and John Paterson, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's original story, is a tale that promises to capture the hearts of listeners with an enchantment all its own.

1100088967
The Flint Heart

Long ago, in the land of Dartmoor, a magic man created an enchanted charm that granted its possessor incredible power-at the cost of the wearer's own tenderness and compassion. After the merciless Flint Heart causes much destruction, it is lost among the reeds and rocks of the moor, where a kindly farmer discovers it thousands of years later. With the Flint Heart in his possession, the once adoring father Billy Jago is transformed into a cruel and merciless brute. Young Charles is determined to win back his father's true nature, and with his sister Unity and dog, Ship, he sets off into an enchanted world where animals talk, fairies hold elaborate banquets, and magical mischief must be resolved to bring Dartmoor and Merripit Farm back to rights again.

This luminous fantasy by Katherine and John Paterson, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's original story, is a tale that promises to capture the hearts of listeners with an enchantment all its own.

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The Flint Heart

The Flint Heart

by Katherine Paterson, John Paterson

Narrated by Ralph Lister

Unabridged — 4 hours, 9 minutes

The Flint Heart

The Flint Heart

by Katherine Paterson, John Paterson

Narrated by Ralph Lister

Unabridged — 4 hours, 9 minutes

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Overview

Long ago, in the land of Dartmoor, a magic man created an enchanted charm that granted its possessor incredible power-at the cost of the wearer's own tenderness and compassion. After the merciless Flint Heart causes much destruction, it is lost among the reeds and rocks of the moor, where a kindly farmer discovers it thousands of years later. With the Flint Heart in his possession, the once adoring father Billy Jago is transformed into a cruel and merciless brute. Young Charles is determined to win back his father's true nature, and with his sister Unity and dog, Ship, he sets off into an enchanted world where animals talk, fairies hold elaborate banquets, and magical mischief must be resolved to bring Dartmoor and Merripit Farm back to rights again.

This luminous fantasy by Katherine and John Paterson, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's original story, is a tale that promises to capture the hearts of listeners with an enchantment all its own.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Magical adventure...A grand tale skillfully updated and tightened up, this should win the hearts of a new generation.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Told in the voice of a storyteller in the style of A. A. Milne or J. M. Barrie, the tale will make an excellent read-aloud. . . . The Patersons have done a lovely job updating and abridging this tale for today's readers.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

The Patersons have done a stellar job of maintaining the book's period feel while creating a fresher, tighter story that feels tailor-made for family reading.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This timeless, enjoyable retelling is a strong choice for both a read-aloud and an under-the-covers escape.
—Booklist

This is a charming fantasy that can be enjoyed as a read-aloud.
—Library Media Connection

A distinctive English setting, complete with windswept moors and a magical forest, is paired with whimsical humor to make a cheerfully vibrant tale that simply begs to be read aloud in a family setting...a perfect gift book for children ready to move beyond the Tinkerbell version of fairyland.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A marvelous modern fantasy.
—The Horn Book

Enchanting...A crowd-pleaser brimming with action, magic, and wit.
—Disney FamilyFun

This book could quickly become the family read-aloud favorite. It's old-fashioned bookmaking and storytelling, with a cast of characters and message for modern times.
—Shelf Awareness

For all the imaginative glory of children's fiction in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the language and prose style of the era can sometimes be daunting to the modern child. With this in mind, and with evident relish, Katherine Paterson and John Paterson have trimmed and reworked "The Flint Heart," a 1910 fairy tale by British writer Eden Phillpotts. In the Patersons' hands, the story still crackles with drollery and wordplay, but it is considerably lighter on exposition and magical esoterica.
—Wall Street Journal

In this fantasy “freely abridged” from the 1910 original by Eden Phillpotts, the prose by the husband-and-wife team retains some of the Edwardian voice of the original and laces the story with understated humor. John Rocco's digitally colored pencil drawings provide a perfect complement, glowing with fairy light...The Patersons have given new life to Phillpotts’ original, retaining and enhancing the magical wonder of a tale that ought to endure as a classic. This beautifully made book exemplifies, as John Rocco said in a recent interview, “the importance of the physical book for children in this ever-growing digital age.”
—BookPage

Given the language, the messages and the awe-inspiring illustrations, The Flint Heart is a perfect book to read aloud and enjoy with your child. You may end up in a conversation about the works of Shakespeare, why it is important to understand different points of view or why some people will go to any lengths to gain power.
—ABC7 "Sweet on Books"

This is a delightful story, with a wry sense of humor, a little quirkiness, and a wonderfully imaginative cast of characters reminiscent of the types I could imagine Alice meeting in Wonderland.
—James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read.com

An old story made new by Katherine Paterson, who is surely the Louisa May Alcott of our time.
—Washington Post

Kirkus Reviews

A heart-shaped talisman created in the Stone Age brings terribly corrupting power to those who possess it, until 12-year-old Charles Jago manages to destroy it permanently.

This magical adventure begins with the fashioning of a piece of flint into a charm for hardening hearts. A hard-hearted individual can rule his tribe in the Stone Age and, fast-forwarding to the early 20th century, become the leader in one's community, but at a cost to his good nature, family and friends. That's what happens first to Charles' father, then to an imp called a Jacky Toad and then to a badger. Happily and with help from his little sister, his dog, the king of Fairyland, a talking hot-water bottle and the all-knowing Zagabog, Charles wrests the stone away from each one in turn, with no harm done. After all, this is a fairy tale. Written by Eden Phillpotts and first published in 1910, this traditional story has been deftly abridged and brought up to date by the Patersons. They've preserved the faintly English narrative voice and humor, idiosyncratic characters, lively action, distinctive Dartmoor setting and even many of the words. The 21st-century version features thoughtful design and Rocco's digitally colored film-animation–style illustrations, including chapter-heads, full-page images and decorations throughout.

A grand tale skillfully updated and tightened up, this should win the hearts of a new generation. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940172262173
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication date: 09/27/2011
Edition description: Unabridged
Age Range: 5 - 8 Years
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