Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining The Children's Book Review for an AWARENESS TOUR starring a work of Children's Fantasy that's ready to transport you to another world as the leading kiddo takes on challenges he never thought he'd face to save something that's near and dear to us all. Hooked? I thought you might be because I know I was...and so, let's get the spotlight focused in a little better on today's title in the spotlight...
Mesopo
by
Eva Dietrich
Illustrated by
Ingrid Kallick
9781731518217
Self published
About the book...
Twelve-year-old Ankido is on a quest to save his missing father through the magical realm of Mesopo.
Mesopo is the land where all fantasy originates, a land whose words and language are in peril. Can Ankido save his father and restore all these words in time?
It was a red velvet box, the size of a school book. Ankido lifted the lid, revealing an old-fashioned quill made out of a reed. It smelled remote and otherworldly. Ancient. And for a reason he couldn’t explain, everything felt all right for a moment.
He thought he caught a sound flowing out of the quill, a word maybe. He wasn’t sure and he shook his head. This was ridiculous. No, he surely must have been mistaken. But there! There was the sound again. This time Ankido was sure of it.
“Mesopo” … whispered in a way that slipped around the room like the warm breeze of the desert.
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Eva Dietrich
The land of Mesopo sounds rather unusual and unique but also dangerous! How did the idea come to you?
In the image here, you can see what the first writing looked like. It’s called cuneiform and it was written on clay tablets.
And for what it’s worth, the first schools were also started in ancient Mesopotamia. Though that might not have been such a good idea after all…as my kids like reminding me every morning:)
As far as danger goes, I believe the real danger lies in losing the culture of the written word, both in the book and in our own increasingly technological society. Fantasy and the written word are paramount to who we are and it is our duty to cherish them and keep them alive.
Ankido sounds like a stand-up young man. What inspired you to right write his story of all the inhabitants of Mesopo?
In the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh, the first work of literature ever written, the protagonist, Gilgamesh, has a friend named Enkidu which inspired me to create the character of Ankido.
Enkidu is made of clay and very close to nature and animals. He is a bit wild himself, just like Ankido sometimes. Enkidu also possesses incredible strength and so does Ankido. And both are much more than just human.
Besides, I thought Enkidu, like his friend Gilgamesh, deserved a book where he was the protagonist…didn’t want him to be jealous of his best friend:)
Of the characters in Mesopo, whom do you identify with the most?
I am not quite sure if I do identify with any of the characters of the book but if I were to choose one, I think I’d quite like to be Scribe Mohan. It sounds exciting and fun to be a guardian of words. And he is a very wise man too.
Reading is a very personal experience, so the full adventure is different for everyone. If you could have readers walk away with one message above all else, what would it be?
I believe, I have unintentionally answered this question above but I am happy to say this again: Fantasy and books are vital to human kind and we need to do everything possible to cherish them. They make us see the world through the eyes of many different people, thus increasing our perspective and understanding of ourselves and the world we live in.
Time for a fun little get to know you better Q&A! I say FAVORITE, you say yours! Ready? Set? Favorite....
…word? serendipity
…color? Rainbow. In the German language there is a word which comprises all colours: bunt. It does not exist as such in the English language and it is usually not quite accurately translated as colourful. For lack of a better translation, I’d say my favourite colour is ‘rainbow’.
…time of year? spring
…book? Momo
…author? Michael Ende
...reading (or writing) spot? Everywhere and anywhere. When I get lucky, I get to read and write in a little, cozy corner, next a big window with lots of light and sunshine coming through .But other times I write and read in my car, in a coffee shop, on the train…and once I am immersed in the written world, I completely forget about my surroundings.
Any sage words of advice for aspiring writers in our reading audience?
Be stubborn. It takes a lot of stubbornness to keep writing and it takes a lot of stubbornness to reach the finishing line and complete a book. So don’t let anyone tell you not to be stubborn!
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Eva Dietrich is the author of The Great Rainbow Hug (Le gros câlin arc-en-ciel, from Samir Editeur, 2011), recognized by La Revue Des Livres Pour Enfants in 2011 as their annual selection. Eva holds Masters’ Degrees in Children’s Literature from the University of Surrey, London, and Creative Writing from the Metropolitan University of Manchester, UK, and is the founder and director of Aladdin Books. She is equal parts Spanish and German, and currently resides in Madrid with her three kids, three dogs, two cats, three rabbits, and lots of hens.
For more information, visit https://www.aladdin-books.com/
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Enter for a chance to win a copy of Mesopo and a feather dip quill pen writing set!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A paperback copy of Mesopo
A digital copy of Mesopo
A Feather Dip Quill Pen Writing Ink Set
Two (2) winners receive:
A choice of:
A paperback copy of Mesopo
A digital copy of Mesopo
The giveaway begins April 1, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends April 30, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
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Special thanks to The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you! (THANKS!) For more information on this author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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