CRUMBLING CASTLE

by Sarah Hayes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1992

Three related stories take place in an intriguing setting: a castle originally inhabited by an ogre who, already nervous about its mysterious cracks and rumblings, moved out when ""the third bell tower fell."" Next, an irascible wizard inhabits the lower regions with his crow, whose dream of grandeur is to be a raven. Their comical bickering and attendant transformations comprise the first story; in the second, a plaintive, increasingly evanescent ghost is restored to full strength by her own fear--of beetles, accommodatingly provided by the crow; and in the last, the rumblings turn out to be a dragon, a baby who, finally hatched, joins the odd mÉnage. Appealing British whimsy, with lots of imaginative details, funny dialogue, and deft line drawings, plentiful and witty, to extend the characterizations. A good step up for readers who've enjoyed Coombs's Dorrie books.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Candlewick--dist. by Penguin USA

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992

Categories: CHILDREN'S