'A World Full of Dickens Stories': A review

By Tai French, guest blogger

A World Full of Dickens Stories: 8 Best-Loved Classic Tales Retold for Children by Angela McAllister (Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2020)

The works of Charles Dickens, though marvelous, can be a tad daunting at first, especially for the young. With a dizzying array of characters, unfamiliar social mores and settings, and a wealth of subplots, a full-length Dickens novel can quickly overwhelm a novice or reluctant reader. Imagine how helpful a trusted guide could be, one who helps the reader keep track of the primary characters and follow the golden thread of the story through its twists and turns! A World Full of Dickens Stories is just such a faithful guide.

Angela McAllister retells eight favorite Dickens stories, streamlining the plots to their essential elements. The chosen stories are a mix of iconic and unexpected: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, and Hard Times. The retellings average about 15 pages in length; a confident reader can easily read a story in a sitting. Reading aloud to my children, I’ve found that each story can be comfortably read in one or two sessions.

The retellings are careful and charming. As much as possible, McAllister retains the voice of the original and incorporates dialogue from the novel. She subtly makes use of the descriptions and foreshadowing that make Dickens such a delight to read while keeping the reader focused on the plot throughout. 

McAllister’s writing is paired perfectly with Jannicke Hansen’s winsome illustrations. In her simple, distinct style, Hansen makes use of Dickens’ proclivity for visual cues. This will no doubt thrill scores of high school English teachers who have tirelessly worked to point out Dickens’s use of imagery! For each story, Hansen has chosen a handful of key “icons” to represent important elements. For example, A Tale of Two Cities includes the British and French flags, a swatch of knitting, a sword and pitchfork, a hammer and gavel, a swaddled baby, and a glass of wine. Familiar readers will recognize the significance of each item to the action of the story. Hansen’s use of facial expression in character drawings is especially effective and will, I expect, charm younger audiences. Included in the book are a brief biography of Dickens, a timeline of his life and career, and a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to young readers. 

In both high school and college, I struggled with the assigned Dickens readings. It wasn’t until well into adulthood that I began to appreciate the depth, appeal, and genius of his writings. It is my hope that this book will enable me to gently introduce Dickens to my children in a way that inspires delight rather than despair so that, when they are old enough to read him in his own language, they will be able to fully immerse themselves in his world. 

Tai French is a homeschooling mother of seven who enjoys sharing her love of tea and reading with everyone in her life -- whether or not they like it!

Comments

[Angela McAllister]

Thank you, Tai, for this lovely review of 'A World Full of Dickens Stories'. I'm very happy to hear that you and your family have enjoyed the book. I hope it will introduce young readers to the stories and encourage them to read Dickens' wonderful novels in time.