Review Detail

: I love this book! It is such a fun, easy, and enjoyable read. Its an adventure story with a few surprises and fantasy elements added in. Young Gaylen is on a quest to poll the kingdoms response for the royal dictionarys choice for something delicious. Unfortunately, no one can agree on a response. At first Gaylen thinks its all a difficult coincidence that no two votes are alike, but then he realizes that someone is sabotaging his mission. After all, what would an adventure story be without a little subterfuge? As it turns out, the Kings brother is out to start a civil war within the kingdom. He wants to overthrow the king and take the throne. Gaylen realizes this and tries his best to stop the evil uncle, but his plan is interrupted. Just when it seems that the kings brother will win, a mystical creature (Ardis the mermaid) comes and saves the day!

This book is suitable for young readers, while older readers (teens) may find it a little boring or childish. As an adult, I found it delightful. I loved the humor and word play. The puns and subtle nuances added to my enjoyment even more. (The word play ranks high on my list&on the level of The Magic Tollbooth.) There isnt a lot of deep character development in the book, but it doesnt take away from the read. You get a sense of the scatterbrained king, Gaylens loyalty, and the diabolical nature of the kings uncle. While it is clear which role everyone is intended to play, there isnt much insight into the motivations& at least on a deeper level. It seems that the purpose behind the book is simply to tell a good story. Its a simple story that a younger reader would enjoy.

There isnt a whole lot I can say about the book. It wasnt overly thought provoking, although I did find humor in all the differing definitions of delicious. Maybe the moral of the story is trying to teach us that we take some things for grantedthings as simple as a cool glass of waterand we need to be more appreciative of what we have. That may be a little deep for a 7 year old, but its still a good lesson to discuss. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was witty and well written.