Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Victorian London, three children escape an orphanage only to fall into the clutches of Mack the Knife. "Part narrative, part comic strip, this waggish, innovative story of a courageous trio is sure to engage even the most reluctant reader," wrote PW. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-- The author of Ruby in the Smoke (Knopf, 1987) again pulls readers back to Victorian London for a tale of dark deeds and bright courage, aimed this time at a younger audience. Rose, Lily, and little Ned escape the Alderman Cawn-Plaster Memorial Orphanage one night, hoping to board ship and make a new life in America--but they don't reckon on running into cutthroat Mack the Knife and his evil band, or being so hotly pursued by the orphanage's nefarious supervisors, Gasket and Killjoy. With help from a good-hearted sailor, a small but fierce stray dog, and especially from Spring-Heeled Jack, a menacing caped figure in tights, tophat, and trick shoes that let him jump over tall buildings in a single bound, the brave children win their way to safety, and even find--O Joy!--their long-lost father. Pullman's prose is appropriately melodramatic, and breaks frequently into Mad Magazine -style cartoon panels, with dialogue in square balloons and small creatures at the edges making asides. The author and illustrator obviously had great fun with this funny, action-packed send-up, and so will readers. --John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Take three orphans, a legendary hero and villain, a Victorian London setting, and numerous well-meaning or evil-intentioned bystanders. Add a circuitous and twisted plot, narrated half in cartoons. The result is the all-too-familiar mistreated orphan story, but amusingly presented. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The author of the grand neo-Victorian trilogy begun with The Ruby in the Smoke (1987) creates a unique format for a thriller for younger children, also set in 19th-century London. Combining dialogue set in cartoon sequences with a substantial, action- packed text that manages to be easily accessible while parodying the likes of Dickens and throwing in some fat, euphonious vocabulary (``defenestrated''), he tells an entertaining story of three young siblings escaping from Mr. Killjoy and Miss Gasket at the Alderman Cawn-Plaster Memorial Orphanage. Other delightful villains include a violin-playing Mack the Knife; on the other side, the superhero of the title is ably assisted by the three kids, a nice young couple, and the persistent conscience of a gangster named Filthy. Mostyn's drawings, on virtually every page, have an energy and humor that rival David Small's best work. Hilarious, neatly plotted, and thoroughly appealing. (Fiction. 8-12)
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