A Necklace of Raindrops

A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken is a collection of eight fairytales for 7 year olds, with unusual presents and some very odd magic.

What happens

Mr Jones finds the North Wind caught in a tree outside his house. He helps him escape and gets an unexpected offer in return. The wind will become godfather to his new baby daughter.

Laura's present is a silver chain strung with raindrops. Each birthday brings a new drop and another power. Staying dry in a storm is only the beginning.

There is one rule she must remember. The necklace has to stay on. That becomes a problem when school has its own rules about jewellery and another girl decides she wants Laura's gift.

The title story has a lovely, chatty way of taking you into the magic. The North Wind has work to get back to. Laura's dad is pleased about the present, but he thinks there may be such a thing as TOO many powers for one baby.

Would you want your child deciding when it rains? Laura discovers she can do just that by clapping her hands. Her schoolmates are very keen on this arrangement when they want to play outside.

If your reader enjoys knowing the rules of a magical object, there's plenty to think about here. You can follow what each new raindrop does. You also know why taking the necklace off could be a very bad idea.

The animals have their say too. When Laura needs help, creatures she's helped before offer to look for the missing necklace. A talking mouse is treated as quite a sensible person to have on the search team (small gaps are useful).

The other tales have their own strange surprises. The collection includes an enormous cat that's been fed yeast and an apple pie that floats with some sky inside it. Everyday things can become very peculiar very quickly.

With eight separate stories, your child can try a different adventure each time they open the book. The repeated birthdays in Laura's tale also make it a nice one to read aloud together.

What to read next

If this kind of everyday magic goes down well, Isadora Moon Has a Sleepover is another library choice. Isadora's first stay at a friend's house includes baking, with a wand close enough to make things complicated.