Aimee reviews ~ Ten-Word Tiny Tales by Joseph Coelho and Friends

I love short stories. I love how so much can be said, with so little. I love how, in one sitting, you can absorb a whole world, a whole journey. In fact, I love them so much that I did a whole module about them at university.

But, how short should a short story be? Can a story be told in just ten words?

Joseph Coelho pushes the boundaries of storytelling in this amazing collection of super-short short stories for ‘middle-grade’ children. On every page, Coelho creates a unique world. He plants a seed of atmosphere, character, and narrative moment, teasing a wider adventure – all within just 10 short words.

The subtitle of this collection is “To inspire and unsettle.” From ghosts fading away to ghastly demon hamsters, boats without an oar stuck in space to teachers with portals into the unknown. There are 20 stories in this book, each one set in a vastly different realm and holding a dark twist. This is a book for fans of ghost stories, getting goosebumps, and being just a teensy bit creeped-out.

Each story covers a double-spread, complete with illustrations by a range of extremely talented artists and illustrators, including Dapo Adeola, Flavia Z. Drago and Shaun Tan. It is worth taking a flick through this book for the artwork alone.

One particular story caught my eye: “Every year they honour their son by decorating their skull.” This dark little story is accompanied by a gorgeously illustrated human skull, as two miniature figures climb a ladder to paint said skull in beautiful colours. It’s a haunting and surprisingly beautiful scene, and despite the sparsity of the words – my imagination was sparked. It looks a lot like a Mexican Dia De Los Meurtos celebration. These tiny figures, presumable the skull’s parents, appear to live on a farm. Are the figures tiny, or is the skull enormous?

Coelho encourages these questions. In the fantastic introduction to this collection, in which he describes the lore around how these stories were created, he writes, “These stories are short because only the shortest of tales can survive the cosmic journeys between dimensions, and they have lost their winding paragraphs, twists and turns, inspiring heroes and beastly villains.” Coelho encourages readers to take up their own pen, channel their creativity, and stretch their imaginations, to “conjure up new beginnings, endings, and middles. With your help, they can return to their full glory.”

While these tales are not sweet and friendly or bright and cheerful, to the right child these often inspirational and intriguing short stories will unlock imagination, creativity, and that storytelling instinct. It’s perfect for fans of anything spooky and budding young storytellers aged 7+.