The Upside Down River: Hannah's Journey by Jean-Claude Mourlevat translated by Ros Schwartz

"This story is the most beautiful thing I can offer you. There are a thousand other presents I could give you, of course, and they are all very special ... but you have to know that none of those gifts is as wonderful as the story that I am about to tell you, and you alone, because you are the thing that is most precious to me. Please don't ask any questions but just listen, the way you'd listen to music."

Please begin with my post about The Upside Down River: Tomek's Journey.  In the first book we meet Tomek, discover the reasons he is trying to find Hannah and we follow his strange, very bizarre journey. In the second book you will make more discoveries about Hannah herself and why she was taking this journey and of course you will read about all her strange encounters including a time when she is mistaken for a Princess.

This second book begins:

"I once told you, Tomek, that before I pushed open the door of your little grocery shop, I'd had some extraordinary adventures. And some even more amazing things happened to be during the long period when you were fast asleep in the perfume-makers' village, and then while you were crossing the ocean. You've often asked me where I was and what I was doing throughout that time, and now the moment has come for me to tell you."

I thoroughly enjoyed re-entering the world of Tomek and Hannah. This is a wonderful pair of books that your readers aged 10+ are sure to adore. These two books would also be fabulous to read in a family each night. 

From Walker Books: Hannah has lost almost everything she ever loved, apart from one beautiful songbird. But the bird seems to be dying. So Hannah sets out on an incredible adventure to find the magical upside down River Qjar, whose waters can give her beloved bird eternal life. She journeys across deserts and over dizzyingly high mountains, lives an entire lifetime in the blink of an eye, braves the terrifying Forest of Oblivion, and is mistaken for a long-lost princess. And along the way, Hannah meets Tomek, an ordinary boy who will follow her extraordinary quest...

Here are some review extracts from a French review site and also the French book cover:

• Jean-Claude Mourlevat makes us discover through this novel a poetic and philosophical universe that is accessible and (filled with) imagery.
• Not feeling sorry for yourself, moving forward and seizing chance as an opportunity and not as an agonizing fear, this is a beautiful introduction to life that the author encourages children (and adults) to seize.
• Two must-read books, for those who want to dream a little!