So begins the witch, Sheba’s, prophecy concerning the great adventure to take place during the journey to the top of the Mountain, and young Rowan’s role in it all. With the mountain stream that supplies the isolated village of Rin with life-giving water failing to flow, six sturdy villagers are chosen to make the dangerous journey to the summit of the Mountain to set the stream flowing again, and Rowan is to be the unwanted seventh member.

Rowan of Rin, winner of the 1994 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year – Younger Readers, is a delightful, classical adventure story for young readers, or those still young at heart. Written with a keen eye for the more traditional fantasy adventure stories of the past by Australian children’s author Emily Rodda, children travel with Rowan to face the legendary Dragon at the top of the Mountain, hoping to set the stream running again to save his beloved bukshah, the cattle-like beasts he cares for in the fields. As one by one his six brave and courageous companions fall to the dangers of the Mountain, Rowan faces his fears and terrors to fulfill the prophecy the witch, Sheba, foretold.

Written for young readers from about the age of 8 years up, Rowan of Rin is a fantastic children’s novel to introduce children to fantasy topics, as well as the age-old theme of the smallest proving to be the strongest hero of all. While Sheba foretells that the ‘bravest heart shall carry on’, Rowan, who fears everything, discovers the strength within himself to prove that the smallest of us can prove to be the strongest. Filled with fun and intriguing riddles for the adventurers to solve along the way, as well as various dangers to test and break the heart of each member of the party, Rowan of Rin brings this genre of storytelling into the imaginations of children in a manner filled with heart.

While the first few chapters of the story move slowly as the plot develops, once the journey up the Mountain gets under way, the children I’ve read this great story to all find themselves hanging on every paragraph as it leads to it’s climactic conclusion, the terrible encounter with the Dragon of the Mountain. Before long each chapter closes with the kids begging for just one more, which is just what you want from a story such as this.

The latest edition of the story features all five Rowan stories combined into one hard-cover tome entitled ‘The Journey’. The remaining four adventures are titled ‘Rowan and the Travellers’, ‘Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal‘, ‘Rowan and the Zebak’ and ‘Rowan and the Bukshah’.

Personally, I have read this novel to every grade I have ever taught, and with four sequels now to continue Rowan’s adventures, the series gives the kids plenty of extra reading to satisfy the curiosity of those who wish to continue the adventure for themselves. While it doesn’t move along as quickly or with as much blatant humour as modern children’s novels tend to do, this little story is a fantastic throwback to what traditional fantasy stories were always supposed to be, and is well worth introducing to any kid with an imagination.

Another review of Rowan of Rin – Twisted Kingdom.

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