Instructions

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book (except for the obvious).

It ended up being not so much a story in itself, but an introduction/summary of other, older stories. However, I think the title gives fair warning to this. It's 'Instructions' on what to do during your adventures, not the adventures themselves, which is actually quite a clever idea (leave it to Neil Gaiman to come up with something like that...if you hadn't already been able to tell, I'm a fan).

When reading with children it could be a fun introduction to fantasy tales, what to be careful of when becoming a part of the adventures one reads about. Or it could be a good review, looking at the instructions listed and remembering examples in stories where the people followed the instructions or did not and what happened to them because of it.

The combination of Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess was perfect for this book. The illustrations are well done. Both the tone of the book and the pictures are soft and gentle, so go together quite well.

As one might expect from Neil Gaiman, "Instructions" is an unusual little book, and despite technically being a picture book, isn't necessarily something you would give to a child. Not that the content isn't objectionable - just a tad incomprehensible to anyone who isn't well versed in the rules and patterns of fairytales. With that in mind, a child *is* an appropriate audience; I think what I'm trying to say is that "Instructions" is a story for those who love stories, and the more familiar you are with the tales upon which is this is based, the better you will enjoy it.

First published in A Wolf at the Door, an anthology of retold fairytales, "Instructions" centers on a Puss-in-Boots figure who traverses a fairytale world, replete with familiar character and species, guided by the words of the narrator whose wisdom comes from almost every fairytale ever told. Puss opens the wooden gate in the wall and passes through woods and castles, visiting foxes, wolves, giants, devils and witches, joined by a young cat that he helps along the way, whilst the accompanying text gives us such anecdotes as "do not be jealous of your sister," "remember your name" and "do not look back." It all rings a distant bell in the mind of the reader as they recall those ancient tenants of folklore and fairytale that have been around for time immemorial.

Charles Vess provides the illustrations (you may recall his style from Susana Clarke's The Ladies of Grace Adieu), creating a visually simplistic but vivid world of the fairytale, in which imps crawl in the branches of treetops, princesses call from tower windows and glass slippers lie abandoned by the roadside. I think my favorite picture is the one where Puss passes over a log-bridge that spans a crevasse, his arms stretched out for balance, completely unaware that a troll lurks beneath his feet. The illustrations are detailed yet uncluttered; it is almost as if a talented child has painted them.

Altogether "Instructions" is a difficult book to pin down. It's simple yet thought-provoking, short yet engrossing. Reading much like a poem, with its own tempo and rhythm, this is a picture book that demands more than one read. The only problem, I felt, was the title. It should have been called "Advice".

Instructions is one of my favorite Neil Gaiman poems. As I commented when I listened to Gaiman's Fragile Things short story collection on cd last year, the poem is one of his pieces that I will actively dig out and reread occasionally. In the poem, the narrator instructs the reader on how to survive a fairy tale.

In this hardcover children's book edition, the poem is expanded upon by the fantastic artwork of Charles Vess. Vess may not be as frequent a Gaiman collaborator as Dave McKean is, but to my personal taste he's the more enjoyable of the two (your mileage may vary). Don't get me wrong, I love the work of Dave McKean (and Michael Zulli, and P. Craig Russell). I just love Vess' work a little bit more.

For Instructions, Vess posits the main character not as a typical human blundering through a fairy tale, but as a humanoid sort of canine / feline mix. There are pages in which the character looks decidedly canine, and others in which the face is feline to a fault ... and I found that very intriguing. In Gaiman's Blueberry Girl, Vess had the girl who is the subject of the poem change race and age every few pages; here, he finds a way to embody different aspects of the character without a drastic change in appearance. It works a more subtle magic on the reader, I think, as well as focusing less attention on the gender of the character being instructed.

A wonderful poem, beautifully illustrated. "Everthing you'll need to know on your journey," the cover copy says. Not just on a journey through a fairy tale, but on a journey through life.

Don't deny it. Everybody has had fantasies of wandering into another world, or at least a magically-enhanced pocket of our own -- and Neil Gaiman is an expert on both. His "Instructions" is a delicately illustrated, whimsical little picture book that takes you on a guided tour of a fantasy world, and Charles Vess' delicate, elegant illustrations mesh perfectly with Gaiman's words.

"Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before. Say please before you open the latch, go through, and walk down the path." Gaiman follows a cat-man in vaguely medieval clothes as he follows the various instructions. Obviously he starts off going through a mysterious door in a stone wall, which leads him into a world of ogres, palaces, wild woods, magic wells, princesses and red dragons.

Moreover, he gives you tips on the proper places to go and what you should do when you get there. For instance, he informs you what giant animals you are going to ride, what you shouldn't do (example: touch an imp doorknocker), and precisely what to say to whomever you meet.

Technically "Instructions" is a children's picture book, but it feels more like a whimsical poem with equally charming illustrations. Gaiman manages to make you feel like you wandered into a slightly tongue-in-cheek fairy tale and are just an observer rather than a full participant. It's a little like he's taking you by the hand and showing you the most interesting sights of the Fairy Tale World -- including some of the darker edges, like a haunted wood full of imps, or the incarnations of the year's months.

And Charles Vess' illustrations really give the book a magical air -- lots of gnarled trees, crows, clinging flowering vines, floating mists, green tinged forests and golden skies. His art tends to be rather delicate and full of dusty, vibrant colors -- and it often gives you the feeling that it's about to spill off the page.

"Instructions" is a pretty mundane name for a charming little picture book, with a lovely concept and even lovelier drawings. Lovely for the imaginative kid, and maybe a few adults as well.

An essential instruction book for anyone daring to travel to a mystical land of wonders, and it wasn't long before I recognized the mystery and wonder of the land of my own life. I want to read this book to my children daily, until they've hidden the wisdom and wonder of it in their own hearts. I first discovered Neil Gaiman thru one of his short story anthologies that was the stuff of nightmares. I can't remember the book, but I still am haunted by some of the images his stories conjured in my mind. So, it's not surprising that his work for children is unusual, and unsentimental, and un-saccharine, but it does amaze me that it's so thoughtful, and charming, and warm. I love him and I think this is representative of his work and genius, whatever the genre he's writing in.

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. If you have ever wondered how to survive the perils of coming up against princesses, giants or wolves, if you have contemplated how to endure in a fairytale land then these clear and decisive instructions will set you straight. But listen carefully for there is wisdom too in these words that will be of benefit in our own strange and wondrous world. Instructions is a book to live by.

I treasure my copy of this book. When I first saw it I knew it was a must-have for me, intending to use it as instruction for a personal pilgrimage. It's an allegory of the hero's odyssey, and well-complemented by the illustrations of Charles Vess which instigate the bringing to mind journeys of others in well-known fables and tales. I've used it for two pilgrimages, followed the instructions (as they fitted my journey), jotted notes right into the book, and re-read it from time to time. It's a choice story, and a sincere and thoughtful reader will find that it will become her or his own story, too. This is for readers who are not afraid of slight distortions of reality (and poke among 398.2 in the library), but also as a child's picture book it works very well.

My first read of this was aloud to two of my kids (ages 5 and 9) it took me a while to figure out that there was no actual story. The kids and I enjoyed the images, but the instructions were to cryptic. As we were reading it, we wondered if the instructions were references to lessons taught by other fairy tales? They sound like they are, and that would be consistent with some of the images being familiar fairy tales, but we couldn't draw any connections between the instructions and any stories we knew. Trying to figure that out distracted us from just enjoying and imagining. If I had read the story myself first (or read the reviews here) I would have understood that the instructions are like the of fairy tales (but not the same as any actual fairy tales, as far as I can tell) and are invitations to imagine the back stories. If I had gone in with that mind set, I could have answered my children's questions by directing them to imagine the stories, and I think they would have enjoyed it more. As it was, they were just puzzled by it, and so was I.

We received this book as a birthday present for my 5 year old and 2 year old. I love it! I love getting to sort of "make up" the story as we go along. Every time we read this book, it's slightly different. It's a never-ending story we can enjoy time and time again. It's inspiring and beautiful and very, very creative. The illustrations only help to add to the charm of the work. I love this book so much I'm debating buying it for all of my friends for Christmas this year!

This book is absolutely charming. I've read the poem before and am glad to have it in book format. The poem is great and the images by Charles Vess and beautiful. This is lovely for any child, or child at heart. A must for Neil Gaiman fans.

First things first: this is a poem, not a children's bedtime story as the cover art might suggest. I just wanted everyone to know that before they buy. That said, it is an absolutely charming poem about how to survive in a fairy tale and is fabulously well-done by Neil Gaiman. Fans of his work (the latest award-winner being his novel The Graveyard Book) will instantly recognize his invention on these pages. It's really quite charming and the illustrations are wonderful. If you're looking at this for your kids, it's appropriate for those who are old enough to understand the concept of entering a fairy tale, at least in my opinion....my four year old certainly understands it (and enjoys it!).

If you're a Gaiman fan like myself, this is a must-have for your collection.

My boy loves when I read this story and it is one of his top ten books that he always comes back to after reading the new ones we get him regularly. We probably have four or five hundred books for him as he grows older and into them.

This book took me completely by surprise. I was expecting something darker, with more of a twist. But Gaiman once again gives us something new and different. On the dust jacket it says it is for 'All Ages', and it really is. It is instructions given as you journey out in life and come back home. It is magical, whimsical, enjoyable and fun. Wonderfully illustrated and written, the words of Gaimen and art of Vess present a single story that complement each other completely.

Unfortunately, there was nothing about this book that I enjoyed. I didn't get it, I didn't want to get it, and I just didn't think any of it was necessary. A series of instructions, do's and don't's, play on other fairytales, and a boring journey that as far as I was concerned, went nowhere.

In addition, I really hated the illustrations. I didn't like them and they took away so much from a story that I had already began to dislike.

I just discovered this book at Barnes and Noble the other day...what a wonderful poem and message! Neil Gaiman has done it again. I think this will be my new 'go-to' book to give as a graduation gift. The illustrations are great too...very 'old-world' and detailed. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone...just loved it.

As soon as I cracked open the cover I was drawn in. Each page proved a delight and inspiration. Each page contains a fairy-tale gem - an essence - distilled from ever so many tales. I had to have it. I read it often. It sits by my favorite chair, within easy reach. It isn't a child's story - it is instructions for life. Teaching you how to face problems and make decisions - like whether you want diamonds or frogs to tumble from your lips!

What a great book. I'm really impressed with it. Though intended as a children's book, it sparked my own sense of adventure. I bought it as a gift for a friend with a new baby, but I'll have to buy them another copy -- I'm keeping this one for myself!

My 7 year old just read this book (from the library) three times, back-to-back, to my three year old. I'm going to have to break down and actually buy the book I think. :) The message is outstanding both in terms of children's and grownups' approach to life, and it's sure to be a regularly-quoted work on the graduation circuit. Highly recommended.

my 8- and 10-year old daughters saw this at the bookstore and we sat down and read it cover to cover. Completely enthralling, charming and wonderful. What are those characters? Where are these lands? Dispense with reality and wander through all the "what-ifs" and magic. Wonderful stuff.

If only I could draw ... the illustrations of Charles Vess on this book are just wonderful!!! It's a very nice story, and a warm hearted message. Most of us can relate to it too. I think both children AND adults can appreciate this book.

This picture book contains some reasonably nice pictures by Charles Vess. But, even considered in combination with the text, they fail to tell a coherent story.

They illustrate a "poem", by Neil Gaiman, called "Instructions" - previously published in his FRAGILE THINGS anthology (and perhaps elsewhere). The poem is, to be blunt, a literary fraud. It lacks not only rhyme and meter (or other poetic structure), but also coherent meaning of any kind. It seeks to benefit from a popular terror of poetry - of the assumption that a poem is supposed to have hidden meaning, and therefore, that if one cannot understand it, it must be particularly deep.

The poem does have a theme, though, and that theme is to provide a jumbled list of the sort of instructions one might find in a fairy tale. I recognized many of the fairy tales referenced, but it does not follow that I see any artistic merit to ripping them from their original context and stringing them together at random.

Of course, if anyone feels that the poem does have hidden meaning, and that I, foolish uncultured philistine that I am, have overlooked it, such person more than welcome to explain in the comments section below.

This book reads like something that has been poorly translated from Japanese. It makes no sense to me. I was surprised to see so many people like this book. I guess I just don't get it. I find it to be creepy and nonsensical.

I am not a fantasy genre fan. Maybe that explains why this book had me baffled. I enjoy reading to my daughter, but there is no narrative. It is literally a list of instructions for . . . something. It was about as interesting to me as a set of toy instructions.

Would you know what to do if you woke up in a fairy tale? There are a few rules and Neil Gaiman is happy to help. This is a lovely book that gives you the run down and what to do and say if you find yourself in any of several common fairytale situations. Lovely illustrations too.