This magical folktale of a young girl’s coming of age is an absolute delight. Lillian spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest and always leaves out food for the wild cats, birds and Apple Tree Man. When a snake bites her, the cats transform her into a kitten to save her life. This act of magic has repercussions throughout the forest and Lillian must meet a host of unusual characters before the world can be set right. With echoes of Celtic and Native American mythology, this story is entirely unique and delightfully surprising, enhanced with exquisite colour illustrations by Charles Vess.

I highly recommend it for fantasy fans and animal lovers aged 9 and up. For readers wanting more, Seven Wild Sisters, a companion story set in the same forest, has recently been published in hardback.

Angela Crocombe