The Perfume of Memory - Hardcover

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Grade 3 Up-In this noble story, a child heroine restores the queen's memory by bringing her fragrances that remind her of her childhood, just as the girl's own father had done for her to keep alive the memory of her dead mother. Although females are not allowed to become the Royal Perfume Maker, Yasmin enters the contest for this position. A former Royal Advisor, seeking revenge, has entered the perfume Forgetfulness that erases the monarch's memory. Despite having been unjustly overlooked, Yasmin shows fairness and kindness and, as her reward, requests that a Royal Storyteller be appointed and asks that the former Royal Advisor be given the position. As in any well-written fairy tale, beauty of language is not sacrificed to simplicity and each sentence and phrase create a clear scene that is easily visualized. Pages of text alternate with pages of illustrations, with a partial border on the text pages to bring them together. The artwork, done in beautiful pastel shades of salmon, lemon, and other varieties of color, creates a sumptuous court with rich fabrics and vast spaces, while the simple folk wear dull but crisp garments in shades of gray and beige. Additional sketches in the margins provide further interest and emphasize events in the story. This is a delightful presentation of an important theme, the power of memory, with a strong and just female protagonist. The difficult language makes the independent reading level fairly high, but certainly worth the effort, and the story will be enjoyed by third graders as a read-aloud.
Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
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