After her adventures with a witch, magical cat, and dragon in the first book, she feels ready to handle anything! Or....maybe not. Mr. Jams has to leave again, leaving Clover in charge of the mysterious and magical egg. Clover doesn't know what to write to her best friend who's away at camp and then things start going wrong. Giants show up, a floating pastry chef, and worst of all the egg hatches....but she can't find the baby!
Clover sticks it out, despite frustration and a few breakdowns and finally manages to solve the mystery of the hatched egg and realizes that, even without magic, she can still handle things in her own way, with care and kindness and determination.
Boiger's soft black and white illustrations and gently glowing cover will grab the attention of kids looking for a gentle fantasy read and those who have already been introduced to Clover's world and are eager to find out more. Although this series is usually labeled a "beginning chapter" I would call it more of an early middle grade. It does come in right around 100 pages, but the type is much smaller than a typical beginning chapter book and needs a more accomplished reader.
Verdict: Recommend this to readers who are ready to move on from the typical animal shelter beginning chapter book fare and can tackle a little more challenging read. Sweet and delightful to the last page.
ISBN: 9781423183839; Published November 2015 by Disney/Hyperion; Purchased for the library
1 comment:
Kallie George is an acquaintance of mine, and I remember when she told me about selling the idea for this series to Hyperion—I thought it was the best idea for an early chapter book I'd ever heard! I was so happy to read the first one and see how well the idea turned out. I didn't realize the second was out: I look forward to reading it.
Thanks for the review!
Post a Comment