Family favourite Linda Bailey has written one perfect book for the Halloween season: Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein, illustrated by Júlia Sardà, published by Tundra Books.

In the 200th anniversary the appetite for Frankenstein is renewed this year.  With Shane Peacock’s recently published Edgar Brim trilogy and this new one, Canadian kidlit authors are shining the spotlight on the classics of the horror/science fiction genre and bringing these stories to the forefront, giving them a renewed audience.

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein is fascinating.  The story of Mary Shelley, a girl who experienced much loss and coldness in her childhood but who was strong, resilient, and brave.  She forged her own path, a path that led her to famous authors and poets, and a path that set in motion all of the pieces of the story Frankenstein.  Young readers will be able to connect the dots and you will see the light bulbs going off in their heads as they read through Mary’s early life. Her early encounters with the epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Castle Frankenstein, and modern science all contributed to the making of Frankenstein.  Linda Bailey also leaves us with an amazing author’s note at the back. This story was extensively researched and we are left with so much more information about the famous Mary Shelley and her journey to Frankenstein. Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein is a fantastic non-fiction picture book.

Let’s talk about the illustrations, there was no one more perfect to illustrate this tale than Júlia Sardà  Her perfectly eerie and unique illustrative style completely capture Mary’s story. Her illustrations may not be for everyone but they are perfection in this story.