 While on an expedition to the Himalayas, aristocratic young Lady Agatha Farlingham is kidnapped by a yeti father and his family. She stays to teach the kindly yeti English speech, good manners, and fairytales. Decades later, she transports the yetis back to her ancestral home in England for safety. They journey through Asia and Europe, liberate a zoo, save Alpine rescue dogs, and interrupt a Spanish bullfight. Upon arrival to England, the yetis are met by hateful Abominable snowman hunters. But, British school children and royalty save the day in this whimsical story with its message of human rights and environmentalism. mjw |
| Title: The Abominables Author: Eva Ibbotson Illustrator: Fiona Robinson Publisher: Amulet Press, an imprint of Abrams Copyright: 2013 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-4197-0789-6 Hardcover pages: 272 Age range: 8 up Genre: Fantasy Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s residence: United States (Illustrator lived in England) Subjects: England, Europe, Fantasy, Himalaya Mountains, Voyages and travels, Western Europe, Yeti |
The Abominables
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Detailed, delicate drawings depict the Great Car Race on Mouse Day starting in front of the Mouse Assembly Hall and the grand prize is The Ultimate Piece of Cheese. It’s the biggest cheese anyone has ever seen. Easygoing Taro with his yellow scarf, mechanic Kuro with his knotted tail, young Chibi with her green bracelet, curious Guro with one blue sock, and gentle Shiro with her long tail team up to design an unbeatable racecar. After overcoming many obstacles they cross the finish line and throw the Ultimate Cheese Party, where everyone is a winner. mjw
In this cautionary ecological parable, best friends Hulda and Brimir, live on a beautiful, tranquil blue planet that is inhabited by children who never grow old. One day, a grown-up, Gleesome Goodday, “Dream Come True Maker and joy bringer,” crashes his spaceship on the beach. He sprinkles all the children with sun-activated fly powder, nails the sun in the sky so it can always be play time, and charges them a bit of their youth. When the children fly to the other side of the planet and see sickly, pale, dying children, they realize the Goodday is not all that he seems. mjw
This lively rhyme with bright, avant-garde illustrations tells of a lady who gets on the train with a suitcase, a hatbox, a couch, a painting, a package, a pouch, and a cute little pooch. During the journey, an enormous shaggy dog is substituted for the pooch. When the astonished woman claims her baggage, she is told that her dog grew up on the trip. This is a reproduction in size and layout of the Russian book, which was first published in 1926 to mold the minds of the children of the revolution. The original Russian text is included. mjw
Travel the world and explore cultural similarities and differences in the United States, France, Nigeria, Italy, Russia, Brazil, India, Australia, England, and Japan. Inviting short verses describe the vibrant, busy cityscapes. More than eighty hidden flaps open to reveal lively details. A woman makes a call in a phone box in London, a violinist steps onstage at the Sydney Opera House, ballerinas take class in Russia, and a man rides a camel in Nigeria. The challenge is to identify the many landmarks, flags, and clues.mjw
This small format story is about a child who walks home from school along the same road every day. It builds over seven sequences. The first contains three images: school, path, and home. The next builds to school, street, path, forest, and home. New words and images are added: a blue witch, a pipe-smoking stranger, foxlike bandits, a hot air balloon, a kidnapped queen, and more, until the child’s world has become enormous. Layer upon layer of bewitching silkscreen tableaux grow in strangeness in this allegory of life’s complexity. mjw
Like most Muslim girls between the ages of nine and 15 in Mauritania, Lalla wants to wear a malafa, the veil that covers women’s heads and clothes in public. She learns from her mama, her older sister, market ladies, and her grandmother that the malafa is more than beauty, mystery, tradition, and belonging. It is for faith. The second-person narrative and cut-paper collage illustrations explain potentially unfamiliar customs and observances of faith. An author’s note and a glossary of Hassaniya words is included. mjw
A young girl who lives in Pienza, Italy, tells the history of pizza. She also describes the customs in her community, like her midday meal and Giovanni’s, where pizza is cooked the old-fashioned way in a wood-fired brick oven. She learns at the library that ancient Greeks ate flatbreads, that a favorite pizza was named after Queen Margherita of Italy, circa 1889, and that the first pizzeria opened in New York City in 1905. The English text appears with an Italian translation on each page. Also included are a pronunciation guide, a two-page history of pizza, and a recipe. mjw
Gus, the pea-green supersaurus takes children to school as if he is a bus. No one misses school. Bus stops aren’t necessary. And Gus is fuel efficient. But there are problems. He leaves dino-sized potholes, gets tangled in telephone lines, and knocks down traffic lights. Everyone is sad when the principal has to pull Gus off the road, until Gus becomes the school’s new playground, complete with a swing and slide. Watercolor and pencil drawings are wacky and resemble child-created, crayon-colored artwork. mjw
Mr. Leon, in his orange taxi, takes an intriguing assortment of passengers on a trip around the world without ever leaving Paris. Jeanette, the hairdresser goes to Scissor Row. A mummy motors to Pyramid Street via Cairo Place. A poultry peddler travels to Chicken Street from Hen Road and Cockerel Street, steering clear of Fox Boulevard. Each passenger is linked to his origin or destination. The book contains a map of Paris where readers can explore the real locations. Surreal, retro-styled illustrations provide quirky details. mjw
An American dog in Paris, ex-pat Hudson, an adventurous Norwich Terrier, discovers that it is difficult to make friends and adjust to his new environment when all the other dogs speak French, not Dog. He enrolls in a language course and learns French from Madame Vera, a French poodle. He becomes a Paris-Chien. Colorful gouache illustrations of parks, shops, cafes, and dogs bring Paris to life. French words in the illustrations are defined in a glossary. Hudson’s triumphant experience will be meaningful to any child in a new situation. mjw
After her father’s death, money is tight, and eleven-year-old Binny and her family move to a cramped apartment, where their dreadful old Aunty Violet gives away Binny’s adored dog Max. They move again when Aunty Violet dies and bequeaths to them a seaside cottage. There, Binny meets Gareth, the lonely, angry boy next door and good-looking Liam, who lets Binny join the crew on his boat. Other delightful characters are Binny’s insightful, loving mother, big sister Clem, and hilarious, independent little brother James. Family life ups and downs are heart-warming, entertaining, and lead to a very satisfying ending. mjw
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