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5th out of 78 books
—
57 voters
Instructions
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author),
Charles Vess
Trust Dreams.Trust your heart, and trust your story.
A renowned storyteller whose words have transported readers to magical realms and an acclaimed illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes guide a traveler safely through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar . . .
. . . and home again.
A renowned storyteller whose words have transported readers to magical realms and an acclaimed illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes guide a traveler safely through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar . . .
. . . and home again.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
April 27th 2010
by HarperCollins
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One of the things that makes Neil Gaiman a relatively unique – and popular – writer is his subtle incorporation of mythological and fairy tale motifs in his fiction. One of my favourite stories in this respect is Instructions, a piece that appeared before in short story collections like M Is for Magic and Fragile Things. It’s great news then, that this little tale has now been published separately with wonderful illustrations by Charles Vess, who’s worked with Gaiman before on works like Stardus...more
Jun 16, 2010
Ames
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
children-s-books,
poetry,
picture-books,
favorites,
reviewed,
young-adult,
adventure,
fantasy,
art
Azaam and I read this book together, while standing in an aisle at a college book store in Claremont, CA. :3
I feel super out of the loop, friends, because I had no idea that "Instructions" had been published in its very own adorable little stand-alone book, instead of just cropping up here and there in various fantasy story collections.
The illustrations are gorgeous--of course they are, it's Charles Vess for God's sake--and I for one am all in favor of implementing some sort of mandatory drinking game, where you take a drink every time you can identify a new fairy tale, because I feel this would be am...more
The illustrations are gorgeous--of course they are, it's Charles Vess for God's sake--and I for one am all in favor of implementing some sort of mandatory drinking game, where you take a drink every time you can identify a new fairy tale, because I feel this would be am...more
This picture book takes a poem found in A Wolf at the Door: And Other Retold Fairy Tales and adds delightful but ultimately too simple illustrations to it. The instructions are general about how one ought to behave if found in a fairy tale. There are some comments true only to fairy tales, but also some insightful ideas pertaining to life as well (such as the idea of how blessings aren't always unmitigated and sometimes come with unwelcome complications).
I actually enjoyed the main character -...more
I actually enjoyed the main character -...more
Oh, dear. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood for this particular "journey" today as I don't seem to have loved this as much as most other reviewers... I really did appreciate many aspects of it, and some of the "instructions" are just wonderful (I especially liked the return part of the journey, with all the trust) but some felt a bit awkward or unexplained, especially in the context of the greater journey, and I guess I just wanted a bit more overall. The narrative is not really enough of...more
10 likes · like · see review
I'm still trying to figure this one out....
I get that it's Gaiman's answer to Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You'll Go. I get that it's saying, "The lessons we learn from fairy tales can help us throughout life." I get that it's full of allusions to fairy tales all through it. But what I'm not getting is ALL of the allusions.
Example: I get the reference to two sisters, one that speaks diamonds and one that speaks toads and frogs. I know that story. But why does Gaiman tell our hero not to trust the...more
I get that it's Gaiman's answer to Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You'll Go. I get that it's saying, "The lessons we learn from fairy tales can help us throughout life." I get that it's full of allusions to fairy tales all through it. But what I'm not getting is ALL of the allusions.
Example: I get the reference to two sisters, one that speaks diamonds and one that speaks toads and frogs. I know that story. But why does Gaiman tell our hero not to trust the...more
2 likes · like · see review
I love Neil Gaiman's stories, poems, graphic novel, and books. So realize that I am giving you this review with a somewhat biased viewpoint. Instructions is a poem that I first read in Gaiman's collection of children's stories "M is for Magic." I loved the poem, which is an somewhat eccentric list of instructions about how to survive a fairy tale...and on a deeper level how to live you life in general.
This is a great book for young children, older children, adults and all ages in between. My thr...more
This is a great book for young children, older children, adults and all ages in between. My thr...more
1 like · like · see review
I love the poem by itself so I was very excited when I heard there would be a picture book version. The poem is a wonderful paean to the tradition of fairy tales and folklore. If you know fairy tales well, it is delightful to spot the echoes of familiar tales. And for everyone, fairy tale lover or not, these are indeed a great set of instructions for "everything you'll need to know on your journey"—whether that journey takes you through Faerie, or through Life, or everywhere in between.
While I d...more
While I d...more
In Instructions, Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess come together to create a story that offers advice for children and adults alike. The subtitle describes it best: Everything You’ll Need to Know on Your Journey.
Everything about this book is beautiful. The writing and the illustrations are just gorgeous. On the surface the book appears to be a picture book for younger children. However, after reading it a second and third time and admiring the stunning illustrations, I realized that the book contains...more
Everything about this book is beautiful. The writing and the illustrations are just gorgeous. On the surface the book appears to be a picture book for younger children. However, after reading it a second and third time and admiring the stunning illustrations, I realized that the book contains...more
Neil Gaiman being one of my favourite authors, I was extremely excited about the book, especially after reading a bit of the poem and about the illustrator but it did not live up to expectations. The poem is absolutely beautiful- the type of thing that I'd buy books or or hang above my desk or paint on my wall. The illustrations are beautiful and fit the fairytale feel of the piece well. However, the illustrations sadly don't go well with the text. They don't always seem to be following along wi...more
Reading Instructions is akin to being in a hypnotic state. Its first couple of pages suggest that you "Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before. Say 'please' before you open the latch. Go through..." The preceding pithy commands instigate the hypnogenesis; they are the first of many that make up the short poem that flows through this new picture book, the latest collaboration between Coraline author Neil Gaiman and The Book of Ballads and Sagas illustrator Charles Vess.
In Instructi...more
In Instructi...more
10 likes · like · see review
I've long loved this poem, which was the first thing I copied into my commonplace book when I started it earlier this year. Having a copy of it with illustrations by Charles Vess makes this Gaiman book that much more interesting. As with Blueberry Girl, Vess has done a wonderful job turning a poem into a picture book that is completely understandable - and gorgeous. Love that when the proxy who is following the "instructions" looks down the well, the "other world" looks very much like an actual...more
Making this poem into a picture book was pure genius, especially with illustrations by Vess. Gaiman takes one fairy tale and folk tale image after another and offers them up as instructions for your journey (in life, reading and magic). The book follows the journey of a cat-like creature who travels through a door into a strange world of myth and whimsy. Readers, young and old, will be charmed by beloved motifs, surprised by familiar yet strange moments, and ultimately completely satisfied as th...more
"Trust ghosts.
Trust those that
you have helped to
help you in their turn.
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart
and trust
your
story."
—Instructions, P. 22
Neil Gaiman is so good at writing picture books that have real heart to them. Instructions carries the same loving inner spirit of poetic goodness that tenderly quickened Blueberry Girl, etched as its predecessor was with words of consolation for our past mistakes and rays of tangible hope for a future that can be better. I always listen closely t...more
Trust those that
you have helped to
help you in their turn.
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart
and trust
your
story."
—Instructions, P. 22
Neil Gaiman is so good at writing picture books that have real heart to them. Instructions carries the same loving inner spirit of poetic goodness that tenderly quickened Blueberry Girl, etched as its predecessor was with words of consolation for our past mistakes and rays of tangible hope for a future that can be better. I always listen closely t...more
Another great kid's book from Gaiman, and it was good to see him collaborate with someone other than Dave McKean, as much as I enjoy their work together.
Each page stands alone in this book but also holds together as a whole. An anthropomorphic fox goes on a journey, and each page gives instructions that are directed at the reader. They are open to interpretation, which is refreshing considering most children's books are expected to teach some moral or another. Even as an adult, the "instruction...more
Each page stands alone in this book but also holds together as a whole. An anthropomorphic fox goes on a journey, and each page gives instructions that are directed at the reader. They are open to interpretation, which is refreshing considering most children's books are expected to teach some moral or another. Even as an adult, the "instruction...more
I just loved this book. I could tell my kids quickly lost interest, I think this is one of those books that, in its simplicity, appeals to adults more than kids. It's going in my Amazon shopping cart.
Goes without saying that the illustrations by Vess are enchanting. Adn I've always been a fan of Gaiman, since Sandman days
This is how it starts:
Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before,
Say "please" before you open the latch, go through,
walk down the path.
A red metal imp hangs from th...more
Goes without saying that the illustrations by Vess are enchanting. Adn I've always been a fan of Gaiman, since Sandman days
This is how it starts:
Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before,
Say "please" before you open the latch, go through,
walk down the path.
A red metal imp hangs from th...more
Aug 12, 2011
Lisa Vegan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all ages/stages; those who like philosophical picture books & are familiar with fairy tales
This might be my favorite Gaiman book, so far. I always want to love his work more than I do. I don’t know that I adored this, but I really appreciate it. The story is a set of simple instructions, about one per page, about how to live life, and it’s amusing because it uses how to survive a trip through fairy tales as its examples. Most of the time I was thinking How clever! although at times I noticed myself arguing with the philosophy presented, but I appreciated what was being attempted and I...more
4 likes · like · see review
Jun 20, 2010
Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everybody who belive in fairy tale
One word to describe this book: Marvelous!
After
I decided to buy all Gaiman&Vess partnership.
Instruction
didn't disappointed me. It's really a magic story with unforgettable illustrations.
I read it to my 5 years old nephew and he love it and ask me to tell it again... and again... and again... and again... and one more time.
5 stars
FYI, I strongly advice the audio book too... it's free, Neil Gaiman himself put it on Youtube (it's his voice)
This one ----> Instructions
After
I decided to buy all Gaiman&Vess partnership.
Instruction
didn't disappointed me. It's really a magic story with unforgettable illustrations.I read it to my 5 years old nephew and he love it and ask me to tell it again... and again... and again... and again... and one more time.
5 stars
FYI, I strongly advice the audio book too... it's free, Neil Gaiman himself put it on Youtube (it's his voice)
This one ----> Instructions
1 like · like · see review
Neil Gaiman's adult fiction is a little too whimsical for my taste, but since I expect a picture book to contain its fair share of whimsy, his newest juvenile fiction gets a thumbs up from me.
Instructions: Everything You'll Need To Know on Your Journey is about a bipedal cat who must follow a set of instructions if he is to exit back through the wooden gate where his journey began.
Beyond the wall, the garden looks tranquil at first glance. Cinderella's pumpkin carriage is parked behind some tree...more
Instructions: Everything You'll Need To Know on Your Journey is about a bipedal cat who must follow a set of instructions if he is to exit back through the wooden gate where his journey began.
Beyond the wall, the garden looks tranquil at first glance. Cinderella's pumpkin carriage is parked behind some tree...more
1 like · like · see review
A Puss in Boots has one day decided to take a walk following a path he has never used before. It is a path well hidden and only just discovered. But this will be no ordinary walk; it is a guided tour through a world of enchantment and danger. If you do not follow the Instructions you may never find your way home, but if you pay attention you may just learn the mysteries of a fairytale land.
Instructions will guide you through a light and magical story full of friendship, mysteries and oddities. I...more
Instructions will guide you through a light and magical story full of friendship, mysteries and oddities. I...more
Subtitled Everything You’ll Need To Know On Your Journey, this is both a fairytale adventure and book of practical advice. The book is illustrated by Charles Vess in a manner reminiscent of the original Mother Goose publications. With curling vines, downy geese, shining marble floors and mysterious devilish eyes, the illustrations add fantasy to the already magical tale of adventure. The wording is simple and elegant and told as advice before a journey. As is true Gaiman fashion, there are dark...more
This picture book is bargain priced on Amazon for $6.00, so I had to purchase it! I've read "Instructions" before as part of Fragile Things. The audio book is read by the author and is fabulous! Vess's illustrations take the reader through a world which becomes increasingly fantastic. The illustrations are whimsical and delightful but not sparkly or lacey.
Gaiman's text references various fairy tales and other traditional tales with Gaiman's usual panache and ends, after a list of instructions,...more
Gaiman's text references various fairy tales and other traditional tales with Gaiman's usual panache and ends, after a list of instructions,...more
Feb 22, 2013
Amanda Harrison
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
fantasy,
picturebook,
middle-grades,
journey,
graduation,
adventure,
writing-instruction,
second-person
This book replaces the worn out Oh the Places You'll Go that is always trotted out before graduation and at the end of the school year. This book imparts an element of fantasy and discovery to the journey that you will make along with a sense of agency. The directions are both fantastical and specific and suggest both to be careful of the ferryman and to feed those who are hungry. You are left at the end of the journey and at the end of the book feeling a strong sense of place, of adventure, a...more
I love this short story and the illustrations are beautiful. I loved it so much, I sent a copy to my friends when they announced they were having a baby.
This 100 word story (or perhaps poem) provides the necessary guidelines for the best chance of surviving the fairytale you might find yourself in. If I ever find myself in a fantasy story, I will be sure to take this small book with me, at least in my head.
If you love adventures, always hope you'll end up on/in one, or simply love the idea of t...more
This 100 word story (or perhaps poem) provides the necessary guidelines for the best chance of surviving the fairytale you might find yourself in. If I ever find myself in a fantasy story, I will be sure to take this small book with me, at least in my head.
If you love adventures, always hope you'll end up on/in one, or simply love the idea of t...more
Oct 11, 2010
Sarah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books,
poetry
I think I agree that I like the poem better then the illustrations, and perhaps better without them. Don't get me wrong, the illustrations were nice, but I wanted more sense of discovery and wonder. I think that the poem either needs to stand alone with your imagination filling it out, or an illustrator that fills the page with discoveries and wonder, someone who when you look at the page you discover all kinds of things--like KY Craft or Graeme Base. I don't know, the illustrations are fine her...more
Makers of children's books take note: Don't talk down to your audience. Don't "dumb down" your story because your readers will be children. Don't simplify the artwork to the point where there are no surprises lurking in the corners.
"Instructions" is another fantastic children's book adapted from a poem by Gaiman by his long-time collaborator Charles Vess. Like "Blueberry Girl," it wasn't originally written as a children's book, and therefore doesn't suffer from the self-handicapping that plagues...more
"Instructions" is another fantastic children's book adapted from a poem by Gaiman by his long-time collaborator Charles Vess. Like "Blueberry Girl," it wasn't originally written as a children's book, and therefore doesn't suffer from the self-handicapping that plagues...more
This illustrated version of Neil Gaiman's poem "Instructions" tells "everything you'll need to know on your journey." The words and images seem to come from another time. The illustrations perfectly complement Gaiman's advice, which emphasizes the importance of courage, generosity, and an adventurous spirit, without quite guaranteeing that everything will always go well or as planned.
Life's metaphors are rendered here in words and pictures that will be satisfying to both children and adults. I c...more
Life's metaphors are rendered here in words and pictures that will be satisfying to both children and adults. I c...more
Gaiman/Vess score high marks with this book, subtitled Everything You'll Need to Know for Your Journey. While the instructions are fanciful and adventure based, they are wholly applicable to life and the journey we each take. It is a quest, a fairy tale and a made-up story, but truly the instructions in this book make good tips for those embarking on the first steps of any journey:Do not forget your manners. Do not look back. Ride the wise eagle (you shall not fall).I love the end, for it is ubi...more
Just got this and read it for the first time in 10 minutes. I wanted it for the fairy-tale pictures and the how-to prose-poem. Many of the prior reviews say that it's about what to do if one happens to find oneself in a fairy tale, but for me it's just about what to do, period.
Incorporates bits and pieces you will recognize from various traditions and tales, some general and some more idiosyncratic--the latter hinting this could be do-it-yourself advice as well as received wisdom.
It was a birth...more
Incorporates bits and pieces you will recognize from various traditions and tales, some general and some more idiosyncratic--the latter hinting this could be do-it-yourself advice as well as received wisdom.
It was a birth...more
It's a lovely book, with beautiful illustrations. It's also highly referential, which is both a good and a bad thing. At their best, the references add entire back stories to a line of text and create a richness of history and questing that isn't present at the forefront. But the references can also leave a reader wanting more, if the source is vague or just not understood. So I liked the book, but wanted to love it, and the highly referential nature kept that from being the case. It's still gre...more
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“Remember your name. Do not lose hope--what you seek will be found. Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn. Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story.”
—
28 people liked it
“When you reach the little house, the place your journey started,
you will recognize it, although it will seem
much smaller than you remember.
Walk up the path, and through the garden gate
you never saw before but once.
And then go home.
Or make a home.
And rest.”
—
16 people liked it
More quotes…
you will recognize it, although it will seem
much smaller than you remember.
Walk up the path, and through the garden gate
you never saw before but once.
And then go home.
Or make a home.
And rest.”
May 23, 2010 04:11pm