I read that is books was:
beautiful
awesome
sad
weird

So I’ll get it reviewed asap.

Recommended by Emily R.

Alberto lives in the unusual town of Allora, where fish leap out of the ocean and rain down into the town. Alberto used to have a wife and three children, but a sickness swept through Allora and killed them; Alberto, who used to make toys and furniture, then became a coffin-maker. He lives alone, until soon after he buries Miss Bonito, and finds food disappearing from his house. Miss Bonito's secret son, Tito, and his bird, Fia, slowly come to spend more and more time at Alberto's house, but Tito is hiding from his father, who is searching for him. When Mr. Bonito arrives in Allora, Alberto, Tito, and Fia take inspiration from the story of the island of Isola, and set off in a coffin-turned-boat to reach Isola and freedom.

A touching story of a widower and an orphan who find each other and create their own family; touched with magical realism.

Quotes

"Don't be frightened," Alberto said. "The dead cannot hurt us; only the living can do that." (60)

"I just don't think I can do it. I've never saved anyone before. I've only buried them." (86) ( )

This is a sweet tale of friendship between an older man and a young boy and the boy’s pet bird after tragic circumstances brought them together. They forge a wonderful friendship, with the boy sharing a horrible secret. The man bows to protect him.
Delightful. Due to the theme of death, this is definitely for older children.
#TheBoyTheBirdAndTheCoffinMaker #MatildaWoods ( )

___Received ARC for early review__

First off, this book is a beautiful object. ALl printed in a lovely shade of blue ink, with matching hand-drawn borders printed on each page. They're lovely drawings, not obtrusive but just sortof there, as though you're reading in a park and there's a breeze catching at the corner of your attention. There's the occasional full page illustration, also lovely, also unobtrusive. They don't pull you out of the story but they do hold your attention long enough to add to it. I imagine the actual hardback will be stunning.

The story itself? Probably only four stars. It's a little too real to be a fable, but a little too fabulous to be real. I think it's aiming for the level of fantasy of Marquez, or of some of Calvino's tamer works, but it doesn't commit quite fully enough. This is dipping a toe into something that needed a swan dive into the deep end. Still with that criticism, I would read the author's next works, in the hopes that time would give her the confidence to go farther from shore. Even if it doesn't, this book was a story worth reading. ( )

una fiaba carina. ( )