Review: Tales from Bombast’s Bookshelf by Steve Michael Reedy

From the creative depths of author Steve Michael Reedy comes Tales from Bombast’s Bookshelf, an insightful collection of fantastical children’s stories. These six tales are overflowing with moral lessons and immersive symbolism, not only providing wonderful narratives, but also a foundation of common sense, wisdom, and compassion.

Fairy tales have long been a part of children’s literature, and these refreshing stories are a wonderful new addition to that tradition. With amusing fictional characters, magical woodland realms, and memorable turning points, Reedy imbues every page with a sense of innocent wonder, but also a fair amount of realistic struggle. Like many fairy tales from the past, these bite-sized journeys lean in to relatable issues, such as unfair prejudices, selfishness, equality, open-mindedness, anxiety, and even existentialism.

Each story takes a very different tone, and while the underlying message may be readily apparent for adult readers, the themes are subtly introduced, woven invisibly into sometimes silly stories. In “Shinies for the Picking Line,” both humans and the mischievous kerpuffins who live at the top of an upside-down mountain begin to realize that following traditions without understanding them can be dangerous. Within the same clever tale, there are also lessons about not equating wealth with self-worth.

In “The Candy Castle Maker,” readers learn to be wary of tricksters and charlatans, and to not believe something that seems too good to be true. Growing up in an information age that demands logical wisdom to discern fact from fiction, these parables are valuable for children and adults alike. Finally, in “Doodles, Glixes & a Giant Thumpin,” the lessons center on not being afraid of things or people that are different from you; it is a clever celebration of diversity, and holds perhaps the most potent moral thread of the collection.

While many children’s tales read like allegories with archetypal players, Reedy develops a colorful cast of characters across these stories, each more unique than the last, from Tendlebees and Doodles to Treebrights and Floralins. When writing for younger readers, authors must walk a fine line between goofy and engaging, and the linguistic strength of these stories keeps this balance deftly in place. These are vivid worlds plucked from a powerful imagination, something children gravitate towards thanks to their own boundless creativity. The inclusion of poetic sections of the text and the frequent use of literary tools – assonance, consonance, alliteration, and metaphor – make these tales an easy pleasure to read.

On the technical side, the writing is patient and well-edited, taking as much time for smile-inducing descriptions as it does for intentional dialogue and meaningful interactions. The plots of these stories aren’t complicated, but the ideas each tackles reflect some of the most complex issues adults face around the world. At times, the whimsy of the writing feels younger than the intended reading age, based on the vocabulary and sentence structure, but they generally fall on the same wavelength. The marvelous illustrations peppered throughout also make these tiny vignettes come alive, completing the artistic triumvirate of prose, poetry, and visual art.

Tales from Bombast’s Bookshelf is both pleasant and impactful, presenting memorable fairy tales for the next generation of readers.