The Magic Tree House series is a popular children's book series written by Mary Pope Osborne. It follows the adventures of siblings Jack and Annie as they discover a magical tree house that takes them on various time-traveling journeys. In one of the books, titled "Leprechaun in Late Winter," Jack and Annie find themselves transported to ancient Ireland. They arrive in a beautiful forest, where they encounter a mischievous leprechaun named Aiden. Aiden tells them that he has lost his magical harp, and Jack and Annie offer to help him find it. Together, they embark on a quest to find the harp, while also learning about Irish folklore, traditions, and history along the way.
In order to determine whether La Llorona is haunting the house, and the level of power she’s exerting, for instance, he rubs unbroken chicken eggs along the doorways of Anna’s home. When done, Rafael cracks one open to reveal black gook inside—but then other eggs used in the ceremony begin to spin and explode, spraying blood.
La Llorona is a legendary character very familiar in Mexico and much of the Latin world, a ghost condemned to walk the earth because of her horrific sins. Even though La Llorona is hunting them, they muster up their courage to deal with the monster, even when the adults in their lives are inconveniently unconscious.
Together, they embark on a quest to find the harp, while also learning about Irish folklore, traditions, and history along the way. As they explore Ireland, the children encounter various mythical creatures, such as fairies and unicorns. They also learn about the importance of friendship and the value of helping others.
REVIEW: “The Curse of La Llorona”
I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow I had not realized that “The Curse of La Llorona” was considered a part of the Conjuring universe? Clearly someone wasn’t paying attention. And it’s funny because I’m generally a fan of the tethered horror franchise specifically the two proper “Conjuring” films. The side movies have been inconsistent but still entertaining.
“The Curse of La Llorona” was the sixth installment in the ever-expanding Warner Bros. horror-verse (there has been a seventh film since). It also marks the feature film directorial debut for Michael Chaves who is also directing next year’s “The Conjuring 3”. The film is based on the actual Mexican folktale of The Weeping Woman. According to the legend a mother drowned her two children and then herself in a jealous rage after her husband left her for a younger woman. As a result she is cursed and her spirit roams the earth looking for children to replace hers.
Following a brief introduction to the legend, the movie sits down in 1973 Los Angeles. The often underrated Linda Cardellini plays Anna, a widowed mother of two and a child services case worker. She’s asked to do a welfare check after the children of a client (Patricia Velasquez) are reported missing. Once there, Anna finds the two kids locked in a closet and their distraught mother who claims she is protecting them from La Llorona.
I won’t spoil how it happens but La Llorona switches her sights to Anna’s children (played by Roman Christou and Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen). The rest of the film features Anna getting a grasp of the terror they’re facing and protecting her kids from the violent apparition decked out in billowing white lace and with a ghoulish ashy face that could have been copied and pasted straight from “The Nun”.
“La Llorona” is frustrating mainly because it starts out pretty strong. It puts its pieces in place through a nifty setup with real horror potential. But then it does what the weaker of the Conjuring spin-offs do – leans way too heavily on obvious horror movie conventions. You know, jump scares, squeaky doors, wide-eyed people slow-walking through a dark house at night (just turn the lights on people).
There is a brief but neat appearance by a someone who links this film to another from the franchise. But we also get a character who feels off from the first moment we meet him. Raymond Cruz plays this excommunicated priest turned shaman who Anna seeks out for help. The character has the personality of a plank of wood and his dry, monotone dialogue doesn’t help. He adds to the overall generic feel of the film’s second half. And again, what a shame. “La Llorona” gets off on the right foot and Cardellini does what she can. But it’s yet another Conjuring installment built on a promising idea but with execution that feels all too familiar.
Through their adventures, Jack and Annie eventually locate the harp and return it to Aiden. In gratitude, the leprechaun grants them a special wish, which allows them to return safely back to their own time. The book "Leprechaun in Late Winter" combines fantasy elements with educational content, making it an entertaining and educational read for children. It introduces them to Irish culture, folklore, and history, while also encouraging curiosity, problem-solving, and empathy. Overall, the Magic Tree House series, including "Leprechaun in Late Winter," captivates young readers with its enchanting storytelling and engaging characters. It sparks their imagination and encourages a love for reading and learning..
Reviews for "smart wztch"
Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, string given in /home/default/EN-magic-CATALOG2/data/templates/templ04.txt on line 198