Yokki and the Parno Gry
In this delightful traditional Travellers’ tale, young Yokki tells the story of the Parno Gry, a magical horse which appears at the hour of greatest need. The Travelling family spends the winter quietly, making things to sell. In June, they set off on their travels, visiting fairs and buying and selling horses, useful items like wooden spoons and sharpening tools and knives. In autumn, they help farmers with the harvest. And in the evenings, they tell their tales and dance.
Then the bad times come. The farmer has a new farm machine; he doesn’t need the Travellers; the wood they always stay in is fenced off; and their horse goes lame. They have to sell almost everything and food is short. Yokki tries to cheer them up with the story of the Parno Gry. Then, one night, when things are at their very worst, the Parno Gry appears…
I really enjoyed both the story and Marieka Nelissen’s evocative illustrations. She sets the story in the late 19th century – we see the new farm machine and the traditional Romany caravans, which fit perfectly. It reminds me of Flora Thompson’s Lark Rise to Candleford account of the Travelling folk’s annual arrival at her Oxfordshire village in the 1880s.
I loved learning about the Travelling life, what everyone did, and how they coped. It’s also a story about the power of the imagination to rise above the bad times and look forward to a better future. Children of 4-9 should love it.
