 Peril for Penelope the Pug when she gets lost in Puggleton Park. Can she find her way home again?
“It’s a truth everyone knows that all dogs need a forever home,” opens Puggleton Park, the first in a series of Regency-era chapter books for emerging readers. Poor Penelope the Pug has found herself lost in Puggleton Park. Whilst relaxing with her Lady, she eyed a dreadful squirrel and decided to chase it. Bad move. Now she finds herself a stray. All is not lost, however. Good fortune manifests in the person of the kindly Lady Diggleton, who takes it upon herself to find Penelope’s Lady. This turns out to be no easy task, further complicated by Lady Diggleton’s friend Lady Picklebottom, who finds stray dogs quite horrid and wants Penelope sent away. Can Penelope be reunited with her Lady and live happily ever after? Deanna Kizis (with delightful illustrations by Hannah Peck) has written a fun and often funny take on the Jane Austen classics. The story is full of society balls, high teas and proper decorum (Penelope is put through her paces by the fastidious dog trainer Mr Weeby), ending with a surprise disclosure by the dowager Lady Foxwise. A spirited and amusing frolic that doesn’t disappoint. Readers 7-10 years Puggleton Park, by Deanna Kizis. Published by Penguin. $11.99 Review by Chris Saliba  A wild dog tells his story
On a small island park live a community of animals - gulls, squirrels, pelicans and racoons. They all co-exist on mostly friendly terms. A group of bison, which are fenced off in an enclosed area, are the mysterious keepers of what is known as “the Equilibrium”. A prominent figure in this collective is Johannes, a wild, free dog who is also regarded as “the eyes” of the park, a quick footed animal that can roam and report back on anything unsettling or out of the ordinary. One thing Johannes notices is the creation of an art gallery. Seeing a procession of odd paintings being carried in, he is often mesmerised by their strange shapes and beautiful colors. These aesthetic distractions sometimes get Johannes into trouble. A revelation occurs when Johannes comes across a field of goats, munching away on anything and everything. He has never met this type of animal before, and when he questions them, he discovers that they are from the mainland, having arrived by ship. He strikes up a friendship with one of the goats, Helene, and a plot is hatched to free the bison and secretly harbor them on the ship, thereby making it to an almost promised land where everything is bigger and better. Dave Eggers has written an engaging story with wonderfully fleshed out characters. The small world of the little island is vividly imagined, with each animal performing various functions that show their ingenuity and ability to work together. The story has adventure (Johannes is kidnapped at one stage), friendship and humour. Helene the goat, who worries about her personal appearance, is often quite amusing. Overall, The Eyes and the Impossible, like all good children’s fiction, has that uncanny ability to create a fully fleshed and believable world, with characters you feel like you know. A highly enjoyable and absorbing story that is a pleasure to read. For readers 8 - 12 years. The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers. Published by Anderson Press. $19.99 Review by Chris Saliba  A puppet comes to life in this sweet and sad story.
Silvester is a retired puppet maker. He has recently sent off his collection of puppets to be archived in a museum. He is also bereaved, having lost his wife Belinda who was his partner in the puppet business. They used to do shows together for children. But that wonderful time has passed. One day Silvester decides to make a new puppet in his attic. To his surprise the puppet shows signs of life and becomes animated. Simply named “Puppet”, he walks and repeats the word “jam” after Silvester tries to feed him toast. Silvester nervously takes Puppet to the local park, where he gets into a few scrapes, but also meets the sympathetic young girl, Fleur, and her mother Antonia. It turns out Antonia and Silvester have a prior connection, an enthusiasm for puppets which Fleur has inherited. Even though Silvester may have officially retired his puppets, he is pleased to see his passion live on through the young girl. Acclaimed children’s writer David Almond’s new novel Puppet finds its obvious inspiration in Pinocchio, yet he develops his story further into a sensitive meditation on friendship, creativity and grief. With illustrations by Lizzy Stewart. For readers 8+ Puppet, by David Almond. Published by Walker Books. $24.99 Review by Chris Saliba  A joyous children's novel of bustling family life.
The Wilkey family are a bustling clan with plenty to keep them busy. Ferris (so-named because she was born beneath a ferris wheel), whose main fault is that she tries too hard to please others, is dealing with life at a transitional phase, just before entering fifth grade. Her grandmother, Charisse, who lives with the family, keeps seeing a ghost. She has some health issues and the ghostly visions could mean something darker, perhaps a summons from the world beyond. In other family developments Uncle Ted has left his wife and taken to the Wilkey family’s basement, to pursue his work as an artist. Then there is the youngest member of the Wilkey brood, six-year-old Pinky, who runs around terrorising people in a black cape, announcing she has become an outlaw. Award winning children’s author Kate DeCamillo’s latest novel is a sheer delight. She perfectly captures the dynamics of chaotic yet joyful family life, with extended family members living under the one roof. The comic scenarios involving Pinky are laugh-out-loud good and the close friendship between Ferris and young pianist Billy Jackson is especially sweet. A feelgood book that also deals with serious issues of grief and mortality. Ages 9-12 Ferris, by Kate DiCamillo. Walker Books. $19.99 Review by Chris Saliba  A group of five puppets go on a journey
The story starts with an old sea captain named Spelhorst who once lived above a tailor's shop. The old captain liked to wander around the city, to take his mind off his troubles. His heart had been broken many years ago and he'd never gotten over it. On one of his walks he comes across a toy shop. Hanging in the toy shop's window are five puppets – a king and a wolf and a girl and boy and an owl. The sea captain eventually puts the puppets in a trunk with the name Spelhorst written on it. Sadly the captain dies and the trunk is sold on. Eventually the puppets come into the possession of two young girls, Emma and Martha. They create a special performance using the puppets. Meanwhile, the puppets are animated and have a life of their own. They talk among themselves about their fate and have their own distinct, sometimes comical, characters. The king sees himself as an exalted monarch, while the wolf is proud of her prowess as hunter. In one amusing scene the maid, Jane Twiddum, mistakes the owl for an old duster and throws him in a bucket. In another hair-raising encounter the boy is picked up by a hawk and taken on a ride, only to be dumped in the forest. Kate Di Camillo has set her magical tale in an imagined early nineteenth century setting. There are maids and parlour rooms and the clip clop of horses' hooves – think the Regency period of Jane Austen. The novel is rich in atmosphere and Di Camillo's language expertly evokes a fabled world of long ago. The story cleverly ties up the sad longing of the sea captain in the puppet's final performance. An entirely satisfying story mixing elements of imaginative play and grief. Children's storytelling doesn't get much better than this. The Puppets of Spelhorst, by Kate DiCamillo. Published by Walker Books. $24.99 Review by Chris Saliba  Two children unwittingly find themselves in a battle against evil
In a secret part of the world, protected by a secure passageway, is a place called the Archipelago. It's a place of wonder, populated with the creatures of ancient myth: unicorns, sphinxes, nereids, mermaids, dragons, hippocamps and centaurs, to name a few. When a young boy named Christopher Forrester comes across a baby griffin in a lake, he finds himself drawn into the archipelago. There he meets Mal Arvorian. She tells of how a magical force keeps the archipelago and its wildlife thriving, but its natural sustainability is under threat from malevolent forces. Mass extinction and ecological disaster looms. Through a series of great adventures and battles, Mal learns she has been enlisted to help save the Archipelago from ruin, with Christopher offering all the help he can. Children (8+) will eat up this fantasy / adventure story. Katherine Rundell writes in a crisp, well paced prose. There are all the usual set pieces – magic flying coats, floating buildings, strange creatures – creating a fabled world that is never short of surprises. The serious themes of the book (ecological destruction caused by greed) are balanced by Rundell's wit and cheerful style. The bittersweet ending will leave readers emotionally satisfied. Adventure, the battle between good and evil and a wild cast of characters (the gruff sailor Nighthand is a delight) make Impossible Creatures a sure delight for young fantasy readers. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell. Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books. $18.99 Review by Chris Saliba  A retired schoolteacher is found in the Atlantic Ocean with twenty deflated balloons.
Professor William Waterman Sherman is a retired school teacher. He decides to take a leisurely balloon trip, departing from the city of San Francisco. His balloon is somewhat of a luxury one, as it carries a basket the size of a small house, fitted out with the basic necessities for comfortable living. The trip goes well, with the Professor flying over the Pacific Ocean, until some seagulls start pecking at his balloon. He crashes to earth and finds himself on the volcanic island of Krakatoa. It is there he meets a certain Mr F, who introduces him to the unusual inhabitants of the island. Twenty families reside there, living on what they term a “restaurant economy”, equally sharing cooking responsibilities and making sure the cuisine is always varied and delicious. The most extraordinary aspect of the island is the revelation that it contains a diamond mine, with enough diamonds to make all the island's residents multi-millionaires. However, there is a sting in the tail of this apparent good fortune. The full diamond value can't be realised because if they were all sold on the world market it would chronically depreciate their value. The residents spend their days in pleasant pursuits, and have invented some interesting technologies of their own. One charming novelty they have created is a merry-go-round which is suspended with balloons. Another invention involves a huge suspended platform – again with balloons, twenty in all – that is to be used in case of a volcanic eruption, when a speedy getaway for Krakatoa's residents would be required. When the Professor is later found mysteriously floating in the Atlantic Ocean, he is rescued and presents a talk at the Western American Explorers' Club about his experiences. William Pene du Bois published The Twenty-One Balloons in 1947, with illustrations by himself. The book soon went on to win an award, the Newbery Medal. It's an exciting and innovative adventure story, with plenty of amusing contraptions described in minute detail – think TV's Gilligan's Island, but technologically more sophisticated. The novel is well paced and lively (the early scenes describing the gathering excitement as the Professor travels to deliver his speech, from a specially prepared bed to accommodate his fatigue, is especially amusing). A thoroughly enjoyable children's classic full of energy, invention and good cheer. The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois. Published by Puffin.  Meet Parsley the Lion and his friends from the herb garden.
Parsley the Lion and his friend Dill the dog live in a herb garden. The garden is watched over by Constable Knapweed, who always has a notebook at the ready to jot down any behaviour that seems out of order. Other characters include Mr Bayleaf, Sage the owl, Aunt Mint, the school teacher Mr Onion and his students, the Chives. The 18 stories in The Adventures of Parsley the Lion centre mostly around Parsley and Dill, with other characters making appearances. In one story Dill tries to sell his amateur paintings, which he passes off as masterpieces; in another Dill has an open day for his kennel, insisting it is one of England's stately homes. When Parsley buys a car, it is with disastrous results; and an important telegram is misinterpreted by the over confident Dill, leading the two friends to miss a fun barbeque. Parsley the Lion first appeared in 1968 in a children's TV series called The Herbs, created and written by Michael Bond (Paddington Bear). The stories collected here are from published books that tied in with the TV series, with gorgeous new illustrations from Rob Biddulph. Funny, endearing, whimsical and very British, the world of the herb garden is beautifully evoked in Michael Bond's superb storytelling. This is quality children's literature, with nothing dumbed down or made gross. The Herb Garden and its denizens have much to teach us, all in a good, fun way. Ages 5 + The Adventures of Parsley the Lion, by Michael Bond. Illustrations by Rob Biddulph. Published by HarperCollins. $19.99 Review by Chris Saliba  Flora and her friends worry that one of their favourite places, the Wings and a Chair Bookshop, may be about to close.
Flora Smallwood lives in idyllic Rosetown, a place in Indiana, America. Her mother works part time at the Wings and a Chair bookshop. Flora likes to hang out at the bookshop, which is run by the free spirit Miss Merriwether. She reads books in the children's nook with her friend, Yuri, whose family is originally from Ukraine. Flora has another good friend, Nessy, who likes all things horticultural. Life in Rosetown is calm and stable, which is just how the children like it. They all feel they would like to live in Rosetown forever. And yet life is all about change, sometimes painful. Miss Merriwether, who in her past has been footloose and fancy free, feels the urge to move on again. There is speculation that she is going to sell the shop and leave. Flora and her friends feel distraught about this. What will they do if they lose Miss Merriwether? Will someone else buy the bookshop? Rosetown Summer is a sequel to Cynthia Rylant's original 2018 novel, Rosetown. The action takes place one year on, with Flora now ten-years-old. At 80 pages, this is a slim follow-up. The book finishes up all too soon. However, fans of Rosetown will enjoy the chance to re-enter Flora's (mostly) perfect little world of favourite shops, friends and after school activities. It is perhaps recommended to read Rosetown and Rosetown Summer together as one very satisfying experience. Rosetown Summer, by Cynthia Rylant. Published by Beach Lane Books. $14.99 Review by Chris Saliba  The Diamond Brothers detective agency is brought in to investigate a missing computer hacker.
Tim Diamond runs his own detective agency, but he's a little slow witted. That's putting things nicely. Thankfully his kid brother, 14-year-old Nick, is totally switched on and able to pretty much run the show. When the beautiful Jane Nightingale approaches the brothers with a mystery to solve – the strange disappearance of her father, a famed computer hacker – it leads them to all sorts of adventure and near death experiences. They soon find themselves being followed by a bunch of thugs, members of the White Crusaders, a nationalist group headed by Neville Fairfax. Can the brothers stop the xenophobic Fairfax from carrying out his evil plans? Where Seagulls Dare is the latest in the Diamond Brothers series of novels and stories by Anthony Horowitz. It's a rip-roaring, laugh-a-minute caper, with poor older brother Tim the butt of many a joke. Tim makes for an endearing goofball, always eager to slip out of a tricky situation and hopelessly unable to focus on the job at hand. Thankfully Nick keeps the investigation on track, and it is his wit and energy that propels the narrative. The plot nods to contemporary events – Neville Chamberlain is loosely based on Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP; Alistair Nightingale, the computer hacker, seems a reference to Julian Assange – although this isn't belaboured. A crowd pleasing adventure story for kids 9+. Adults may get a chuckle out of it too. Where Seagulls Dare, by Anthony Horowitz. Published by Walker Books. $14.99 Review by Chris Saliba |
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