Synopses & Reviews
Matine was not exactly like other children. Her skin was cool and a bit hard, like a fine sugar crust, and so thin you could nearly see through it. She was made of a kind of fairy candy...
Matine is different from every other child in the world -- she is made from marzipan! Sweet as sugar, fragile as a flower, she must never cry...or walk in the rain...or play under the hot sun, for she could melt away. And when Matine's best friend falls ill, her parents decide not to tell her, for fear that her tears might make her melt away forever.
How the power of love saves both Matine and her friend makes for an original fairy tale filled with wonder and poignancy in the spirit of classics like Pinocchio and The Velveteen Rabbit.
Synopsis
Matine is a girl made from marzipan. Sweet as sugar, and just as fragile, she must never cry, walk in the rain, or play in the hot sun, for she could melt away. When she learns of her best friend's illness, she cries when she sees him--and becomes a real girl. Full color.
About the Author
Monique de Varennes received her M.A. from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and enjoys writing for both children and adults. One of her short stories was awarded a Pushcart Prize in 2003. Ms. de Varennes has two children and lives with her husband in Los Angeles. Her favorite flavor of candy is caramel. Leonid Gore moved to the U.S. from his native Russia in 1991. He has illustrated The Sugar Child, The Malachite Palace, Sleeping Boy, Who Was Born This Special Day?, The Secret of the Great Houdini, The Princess Mouse, and, most recently, Saints Among the Animals for Atheneum. He is also the author and illustrator of Danny's First Snow. Mr. Gore lives with his wife and daughter in Oakland, New Jersey, where monarchs are occasionally sighted.