DOWN THE PLOT HOLE

In this Australian import, an abundance of story alterations threatens to send the fairy-tale world into oblivion.

Basil Beedon, an astute, precocious kid, and Terry Clegg, his reading-reluctant neighbor, whom Basil has been tasked with tutoring, recently returned from a whirlwind adventure within the volume of fairy tales they were reading together. Unfortunately, after one whole week of life in the real world, they’re soon to be sucked into another fantastical catastrophe. While reading a book of fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, they discover certain words missing from a story and decide to use a magical bookmark to transport themselves into the book. There, they discover chickens are disappearing from stories left and right! A thorough, albeit bumbling, investigation by Basil, Terry, and some legendary allies (including Briar Rose and Gretel, who are also their respective love interests), reveals deep dissent brewing within an organization dedicated to modifying gruesome and gory storylines, as well as a covert campaign in the works to demand better treatment of overlooked animal characters. The titular plot holes spread when a story is over-altered, and indeed, the risks of their expansion are enormous with so many players working at cross-purposes. This sequel to Losing the Plot (2025) is another fun fantasy for those who enjoy whimsical riffs on classics and for young storytellers who enjoy imagining the effects of story craft upon its characters. The human characters are cued white.

Complex and creative, a slightly wonky exploration of fairy-tale fare.