Hiding Glory by Laura Chester

"Hiding Glory" by Laura Chester is a classic children's book. It features a main young protagonist in her dual setting of the real world juxtaposed with the incredible glee of Joya. Turner is a grammar school girl who keeps horse figurines in her room along with flowers. Then, one day, a magical blue horse named Glory comes out of a morning glory flower and invites her to Joya. There, Turner learns the majestic yet silly ways of the land. She ventures to this land when she is ready for bedtime. This would make readers think Joya is just part of Turner's dreaming subconscious, but Chester's vivid descriptions say otherwise. Glory is actually a tiny horse, but whenever he meets Turner, they match up to be the same size so he can ride her to his lackadaisical land of happiness and delight.

This book has many subtle undertones that the average child may not pick up. The main antagonists are called Kurmudgins, who love order, and hate any sort of fun. The main adventure in the story involves Turner helping Glory to make them less cantankerous--so to speak. This is the order from the royal King and Queen. The Kurmudgins sound awfully like curmudgeons, but children will most likely not know this word. Still, there are other themes that youngsters can understand. For one, the Golden Rule is outlined: do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. This is even spelled out in pure dialog by the characters. Additionally, there is the moral of turning the cheek when others are malevolent towards you. Excellent lessons are alongside breathtaking illustrations in this cherished book.

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA