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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Leave it to the inimitable Jonathan Auxier to create a surprisingly delightful first-chapter-ish fantasy series, which can often feel under- or over-developed for their audience. This one was right on the money and the enchanting full-page illustrations are bound to hook early and reluctant readers alike.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a really fun short story about a boy, a stick, and Willa the wisp. I can't wait to read the sedond Fabled Story.
Thank you NetGalley for the DRC.
Thank you NetGalley for the DRC.
Meh, it was okay. I realize this book is for grade school children but I would have liked a little bit more background and character development and I felt it could easily have been done in this chapter book. Going into this book with no understanding of the place they live and who they are just makes it kind of confusing. Hopefully we learn more in the next book in the series. I will probably opt out.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was released October 20, 2020, by Penguin Random House Canada.
Don't miss this entertaining treat for chapter book readers!
It's a little bit creepy, a little bit fanciful and a whole lotta delightful.
"AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD SAT AND ISLAND.
And at the heart of that island lived a boy named Auggie. "
On this island are the Fabled Stables. They look small from the outside, but inside they are magically massive enough to be home to one of a kind magical beings.
Auggie, a young boy with the ability to talk to animals, is their caretaker.
Unfortunately he's the only boy on the island and lonely. He may or may not be friends with Fen, a cantankerous 'stick in the mud" who transforms into any shape Auggie needs while caring for the stables. All to often this means turning into a shovel to dig out the muck a stable inevitably acquires. The only other people on the island are Miss Bundt, who, based on her many tattoos, may or may not have been a pirate in a previous career. Her job now seems to be to make things for Professor Cake, an old, clever collector and owner of the island.
One morning the earth shakes. When Auggie rushes to the stables he discovers a new stall. The back of it opens into a swamp where, unbeknownst by him, far away, some hunters are chasing down a magical creature.
Auggie, wrapped in a bit of Gargantula's web so he doesn't get lost, heads off in search of the new creature. Willa the Wisp, seems to be a bunny like creature with floppy ears, fluffy tail, horns and wings. She has the capacity to transform herself into whatever shape she wants.
Things seem dire when Auggie and Willa end up trapped in a net by the nefarious hunters.
I adored so much about this book. Jonathan Auxier's writing is whimsical and fun. I've read this three times and each time I am more enchanted. My NetGalley copy included unfinished artwork by Olga Demidova, a Russian illustrator now living in the USA. She creates exquisite art using photoshop. I found some of the finished work I shared here on her instagram site.
In his introductory note, the author writes,
The Fabled Stables is meant to be read aloud. As a parent I've struggle to find read-alouds that strike a balance between the interests and attention spans of my differently aged kids. I wanted to create a series that combined the more complex plotting and language of chapter books with the illustration-every-page excitement of picture books. Truly, this is a series meant for readers of all ages."
Thank you Jonathan Auxier for your brilliantly executed vision.
I've already ordered a couple of copies of this for two of my grandchildren. (I might even have to purchase a copy for myself for when they come to visit)
I'm excitedly looking forward to the next in the series.
Don't miss this entertaining treat for chapter book readers!
It's a little bit creepy, a little bit fanciful and a whole lotta delightful.
"AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD SAT AND ISLAND.
And at the heart of that island lived a boy named Auggie. "
On this island are the Fabled Stables. They look small from the outside, but inside they are magically massive enough to be home to one of a kind magical beings.
Auggie, a young boy with the ability to talk to animals, is their caretaker.
Unfortunately he's the only boy on the island and lonely. He may or may not be friends with Fen, a cantankerous 'stick in the mud" who transforms into any shape Auggie needs while caring for the stables. All to often this means turning into a shovel to dig out the muck a stable inevitably acquires. The only other people on the island are Miss Bundt, who, based on her many tattoos, may or may not have been a pirate in a previous career. Her job now seems to be to make things for Professor Cake, an old, clever collector and owner of the island.
One morning the earth shakes. When Auggie rushes to the stables he discovers a new stall. The back of it opens into a swamp where, unbeknownst by him, far away, some hunters are chasing down a magical creature.
Auggie, wrapped in a bit of Gargantula's web so he doesn't get lost, heads off in search of the new creature. Willa the Wisp, seems to be a bunny like creature with floppy ears, fluffy tail, horns and wings. She has the capacity to transform herself into whatever shape she wants.
Things seem dire when Auggie and Willa end up trapped in a net by the nefarious hunters.
I adored so much about this book. Jonathan Auxier's writing is whimsical and fun. I've read this three times and each time I am more enchanted. My NetGalley copy included unfinished artwork by Olga Demidova, a Russian illustrator now living in the USA. She creates exquisite art using photoshop. I found some of the finished work I shared here on her instagram site.
In his introductory note, the author writes,
The Fabled Stables is meant to be read aloud. As a parent I've struggle to find read-alouds that strike a balance between the interests and attention spans of my differently aged kids. I wanted to create a series that combined the more complex plotting and language of chapter books with the illustration-every-page excitement of picture books. Truly, this is a series meant for readers of all ages."
Thank you Jonathan Auxier for your brilliantly executed vision.
I've already ordered a couple of copies of this for two of my grandchildren. (I might even have to purchase a copy for myself for when they come to visit)
I'm excitedly looking forward to the next in the series.
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-fabled-stables-willa-wisp.html
Auggie lives on an island with an amazing set of stables, which he is in charge of. The stables are full of magical creatures like a Gargantula. Auggie’s companions include Fen, a “stick-in-the-mud” that change into whatever Auggie needs him to be. A woman named Miss Bundt also lives there, near the Plotting Shed, where she builds things that the island’s owner, Professor Cake, requests. Auggie is happy minding the stables but wishes for a friend. One day, the stables shudder as a new stall is added. Inside the stall is a swamp, where Auggie meets Willa, a wispy critter who thrives in the moonlight. However, Auggie doesn’t know that others are hunting Willa as well. Who are they, and how can they outsmart them?
Auxier said his goal was to write a read aloud that the whole family would enjoy, and I think he did an excellent job. There is enough meat here to give people of all ages something to think about. Illustrations were not final in the ARC, but I liked what I saw. Demidova does a great job of catching the magical creatures, and they remind me a bit of Quentin Blake’s illustrations in Roald Dahl books. Expect to learn about lots of cool magical creatures and look for more books in the series to continue learning about who else wants these magical creatures.
I would hand this to those that also enjoyed books like Unicorn Rescue Society, Princess in Black, Owl Diaries, or Zoey and Sassafrass. If you are a fan of the author’s Peter Nimble series, familiar characters and places will be referenced along the way.
Auxier said his goal was to write a read aloud that the whole family would enjoy, and I think he did an excellent job. There is enough meat here to give people of all ages something to think about. Illustrations were not final in the ARC, but I liked what I saw. Demidova does a great job of catching the magical creatures, and they remind me a bit of Quentin Blake’s illustrations in Roald Dahl books. Expect to learn about lots of cool magical creatures and look for more books in the series to continue learning about who else wants these magical creatures.
I would hand this to those that also enjoyed books like Unicorn Rescue Society, Princess in Black, Owl Diaries, or Zoey and Sassafrass. If you are a fan of the author’s Peter Nimble series, familiar characters and places will be referenced along the way.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A