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Tinder

by Sally Gardner, illustrated by David Roberts

Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 11+

Published by Indigo, 2015

  • Myths and legends

About this book

Award-winning author Sally Gardner teams up with David Roberts to put a new spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy-tale The Tinder Box in this dark and gripping tale.

Set during the Thirty Years War, this is the story of young soldier Otto Hundebiss who cheats Death on the battlefield, but soon finds himself on a new and dangerous path. A mysterious creature in the forest – half-man, half-beast - presents him with a pair of enchanted shoes and some dice, which soon lead him into a strange web of dark magic and mystery. Meeting the beautiful Safire, he falls immediately in love; but the scheming Mistress Jabber and the horrifying Lady of the Nail threaten to destroy them both. Otto must learn the power of the Tinderbox and the secret of the wolves he comes to master before he can gain his heart’s desire.

With its captive princesses, terrifying witches and mysterious creatures, this is a spellbinding tale: Gardner vividly reveals the darker side of the fairy-tale tradition in her beautifully-written story of love, loss and the powerful impact of war. Exquisitely presented and rich with wonderfully atmospheric illustrations from Roberts in black, white and occasional flashes of red, it is a real visual treasure trove. Sometimes gory, sometimes grim, this is a story that proves that fairy-tales do not always have happy endings.

About the author

Sally Gardner grew up amongst the drama of London’s law courts, as both her parents were lawyers. Having been branded ‘unteachable’ by some and sent to various schools, Sally was eventually diagnosed at the age of twelve as being severely dyslexic. Sally is now an avid spokesperson for dyslexia; she sees it a gift, not a disability, and is passionately trying to change how dyslexics are perceived by society.
 
Sally published her first book in 1993, thus beginning her illustrious career as a writer-illustrator to great international acclaim. The Countess's Calamity won the Smarties Prize in 2003. Her first full-length novel, and a turning point in Sally’s career, was I, Coriander which won the Nestle Children’s Book Prize Gold Award in 2005. Her novel The Red Necklace was shortlisted for the Guardian Book Prize in 2007, followed by the sequel, The Silver Blade. Her book, The Double Shadow, was hailed as ‘an astonishing departure for a writer who has found a new and very distinctive voice’. Sally lives in London.

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