PUZZLE IN POMPEII

The arrival of two bumbling time travelers in 79 CE Pompeii sets off an eruption of problems to solve and diverging plotlines to follow.

Kitted out with wristwatch escape devices that allow them to make hasty escapes to the present, nervous wolf Romy and her owl companion, Remus, are sent on missions to keep the past from being changed in unpredictable ways. In this series opener, their mission is to persuade famous-historians-to-be Catticus (aka Tacitus) and Pliny to flee in time from doomed Pompeii so that they can survive to write their famous works. Along with frequent invitations to make plot choices for the clueless pair and flip back and forth to see the consequences, the ensuing romp is punctuated by side puzzles that challenge readers to plot coordinates on a map, navigate mazes, spot differences between sets of nearly identical figures or scenes, match historical events to their dates, and similar brain teasers. Bigwood’s comical cartoons reinforce the genially slapdash air of the proceedings and contribute to a sense of place through details that evoke the Roman Empire, such as amphorae, frescoes, an elephant in a toga, and an octopus with a head of classically curly hair. Collins’ closing notes add further information about the featured historical figures and sites.

An amusing and engaging Choose Your Own Adventure–style romp with an unusually cerebral slant.