Instructions

I just love this book. It's advice for every adventurer to take to heart. You can read it in five minutes, but you should take a good hour and really steep yourself in the beautiful illustrations and lyrical quality of it.

First I have to say that I am a confirmed fan of Neil Gaiman and we have more books by him in our house than any other author, spanning the full breadth of his output. I have just bought this as a Christmas present for my son, aged nearly 4. He is too young at present to fully grasp the narrative arc of this book but I feel it is a story he will treasure throughout his life. My daughter has a copy of Blueberry Girl which sets out all the things any parent could wish for their daughters future and The Instructions is a companion piece for a son. I highly recommend this book!

This is an amazing book, not because of the illustrations (which are truly wonderful) and not because of the story (which is classic Gaiman), but because it is a gateway to so many tales. Follow the journey and you will pass paths leading you to stories you will know, to stories you half remember and to stories you have yet to meet. The challenge is to find those tales and weave them into the story as you read it.

This really is suitable for all ages, there is not the weird menace or dark element of a lot of Gaiman's material (certainly his adult reads) and it is brilliantly illustrated including characters and elements from tales and fables many will be familiar with. The main character seems to be puss in boots, while red riding hood and the wolf, sleeping giants and wyrm dragons all make an appearence. For fans of Gaiman there are elements which will be familiar from his books, such as the unnoticed door to a fantasy world or adventure ( Neverwhere: The Author's Preferred Text and to an extent also Stardust ) and friendly ghosts ( The Graveyard Book ). That said you dont need any knowledge of Gaiman's writing to enjoy this. If you are reading it with a younger reader it is about one or two sentences to a page, so for someone learning to read it wont appear like it is too daunting, and the very full illustrations provide plenty of things to talk about or point out and branch out into other stories.

Neil Gaiman is master of both adult and children's books. My son really enjoyed this far reaching adventure book and beautiful use of language. Beautiful illustrations. We loved it!

Text and images are beautiful. I love the idea of giving instructions for what to do if you were trapped in a fairy tale. If I was teaching it would be a fantastic stimulus for creative writing.

I teach students with special needs and used this with older children as a visual introduction to writing instructional texts. The fantasy creatures and settings also sparked ideas for creating their own computer games.

Fantastic book in itself, although I specifically bought this for teaching instructional texts - my class loved it and it inspired some brilliant "instructional fantasy stories".

Ce petit livre est à lire et à relire, à partager avec ses enfants... Les jolies illustrations de Charles Vess accompagnent à merveille les "instructions" de Neil Gaiman : instructions pour survivre dans le monde des contes qui raviront les enfants, et, à un autre niveau de lecture, les parents, car ces instructions sont également valables dans notre monde... Chaque livre de Neil Gaiman est un enchantement... pour moi ce n'est ni un auteur ni un écrivain, mais un Conteur, comme les frères Grimm ^_^

"Instructions" is one of my all-time favourite poems, and it's among my favourite things that Neil Gaiman has ever written. Charles Vess always does such fine work, such detailed and quirky illustrations, and so I knew the marriage of the two would be brilliant. The poem itself is beyond charming. In it, Gaiman gives advice on how to survive if you find yourself plunked down inside a fairy tale. The advice is part tradition, part instinct, all heart. The poem isn't very long (which makes it perfect for adapting to a fairy tale), but it still packs in so many wonderful themes and sly references. It has a beautiful cadence as well, just the sort of rhythm perfectly suited for story-telling around a fire. Vess brings delightful whimsy and colourful atmosphere to Gaiman's words. His protagonist, a gender-inspecific feline creature, marches confidently through the tale. Vess's images are touching, haunting, and brilliant, almost breath-catching in places. The accompanying images to riding the eagle, the fish, and the wolf are some of my favourites. The real fun of the book, though, is the marginalia, all the details of Faerie that Vess includes. The detritus of a hundred tales graces the pages, references to the stories that must have inspired Gaiman to write the poem in the first place, but which aren't directly part of the narrative. I recommend this book to just about anyone. It's a children's book, but it doesn't have to be. The advice is timeless, and will likely push nostalgia buttons for adult readers. The art is quality no matter what age you are. And the idea of believing in yourself and in your story is something you're never too old to need reminding of.

If you love fantasy or Neil Gaiman this is for you! I love the gorgeous illustrations by Charles Vess (who also did the illustrations for the Complete Earthsea) and the accompanying poem from Gaiman is beautiful and mysterious If you are like my significant other, and unsure about Gaiman being able to write a child friendly story, I can assure you this is good for young readers/young eyes. Any 'Gaiman-esque' things are usually hidden within the poem and are merely hinted at with the illustrations. I read the book to my little guy twice in a row and he loved it and being able to identify and name the various fantastical creatures Seriously Gaiman is one of the most imaginative authors out there working today Read him Love him

Con todo el estilo del autor este cuento corto es inspirador y hermoso. Las ilustraciones son magníficas. Es muy fácil de leer y es tan corto que puedes leerlo a niños muy pequeños.

Neil Gayman se luce con este cuento/poema construido a partir de las advertencias que reciben los personajes en los cuentos de hadas. No se si me gusta más a mí o a mis sobrinas. El libro es de buena calidad, tapa dura y resistente. El envío perfecto y rápido.