Husband-and-wife team Katherine and John Paterson (Consider the Lilies) adopt the humorous and confident voice of consummate storytellers in this refashioning of Eden Phillpotts's 1910 tale.
"Many years ago, oh, let's say five thousand, more or less," the authors begin, as they transplant readers to the Stone Age. There a young warrior named Phuttphutt ("Phutt" for short) requests a charm from the craftsman Fum that will give him "a hard heart" to help put him in charge. "If I make you such a charm," Fum advises, "there'll be no more peace in the tribe until you are chief." Phutt commissions the charm anyway, and events evolve precisely as Fum had predicted. When at last Phutt dies, Fum buries the Flint Heart with him. But that is not the end of the wicked charm.
The Patersons establish the notion of lasting legends and enduring magic as they fast forward to "the England of one hundred years ago," and the Flint Heart's influence on the Jago family. Charles, age 12, and his father happen upon the heart while digging for something else, and its effect on Mr. Jago is instantaneous. Charles's younger sister Unity suggests they consult the pixies, and a beautiful friendship grows between the humans and the fairies. With the fairies' help, Charles and Unity break the enchantment and assist others who fall victim to the charm.
John Rocco creates artwork with a three-dimensional depth and breathes life into the wildly diverse personalities. 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. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness