DAVIN

Curled up in bed with their cocoa and pinch cookies, three children listen as their grandmother tells them the story of living toys on a quest through a darkened attic to save a boy's life in blitz-wracked London during WW II. As bombs light the night sky and rattle the walls, a little Bugle Boy, Robin Hood, a Sergeant Major, Chingachgook, and Perseus battle real-life dangers like cats and spiders, as well as evil toy pirates and the Dark Knight, to find a mysterious teddy bear said to have healing powers. The Gordons' first collaboration combines two grand traditions—the toys-come-to-life fantasy of books such as The Return of the Twelves and the story-within-a-story format of The Arabian Nights. It's also a worthwhile read-aloud: Listeners will be enthralled by the action and exaggerated characters. An old-fashioned rouser of the first order. (Fiction. 6-10)