KURT NICKLE-DICKLE OF WHISKERS

A clever 9-year-old and his band of magical sidekicks navigate a fantastical world and encounter dark forces in McLagan’s novel for children.

Kurtis Francis Nickle-Dickle may have a silly name, but that’s the least outlandish part of his story. As the novel opens, he wakes suddenly from a deep sleep and recalls a tale his grandfather told him about a place called Whiskers and a dark entity that summons a terrible creature. In addition to these myths, Kurt’s grandfather passed down an ancient key to his own son; however, Kurt’s father disappeared mysteriously before Kurt’s ninth birthday, before he could explain the key’s meaning. In late August, Kurt takes his dog, Charlie, for a last summer adventure near his favorite lake, ignoring his mother’s warnings about an oncoming storm. As winds rise and ominous figures appear in the black clouds, Charlie seeks shelter in a small hole in a stone wall. Kurt follows, and the pair find themselves in the magical Land of Whiskers, where metal trees play tunes like wind chimes. Animals can not only talk, but also have a predilection for quips and witty banter; they include doglike creatures called “waggle-licks” and skunklike animals called “stinkle-dunks.” However, the whimsical land is haunted by a legend of a terrible troll that lives in the mountains. As Kurt makes friends and looks for a way home, he discovers that his role in this world may be bigger than he imagined. McLagan presents his tale in a tone that echoes that of such well-known works as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, and its poetic prose will be enjoyed by youth as well as adults. Its sweeping, evocative imagery (“The frigid gust of musty air disappeared in the space of the room, leaving behind a remnant of staleness, a trace of rancidity”) is balanced by silly characters and simple but clever conversation. Poems, songs, and music carry the reader through the young hero’s journey through the Land of Whiskers—a wondrous place in which escape is easy and fun.

An enjoyable tale for fans of classic fantasy for kids.