Pip and the Twilight Seekers

Spindlewood Tales #2

by Chris Mould

Dark, creepy, and magnificently illustrated, this is a new series not to be missed! Pip is in hiding, trapped in the great walled city of Hangman's Hollow. The sinister Jarvis roams the streets, seeking out children wherever he can find them. And now he has a deadly ally. With his friends Toad and Frankie, Pip must seek out Jarvis in his dark forest stronghold, and strike a blow for the city's lost children.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

169 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Chris Mould is the illustrator of Captain Beastlie’s Pirate Party, written by Lucy Coats. Chris went to art school at the age of sixteen. During this time, he did various jobs, from delivering papers to washing-up. He has won the Nottingham Children’s Book Award and been commended for the Sheffield. He loves his work and likes to write and draw the kind of books that he would have liked to have on his shelf as a boy. He is married with two children and lives in Yorkshire.

Chris Mould spends his working day in one of the prestigious art studios at Dean Clough Mills in Halifax. His studio is clearly marked with a skull and crossboned warning as to what might lie within.

Chris is not confined to book illustration. He has worked for the RSC, the BBC, the FT and many other famous initials, aswell as film development work for Aardman Animations which included character and environment development work on the film Flushed Away.

When away from his studio, Chris spends most of his time with his wife Sue and his two daughters Emily and Charlotte.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first of these books when I worked on a children's magazine so at some point must have picked up book two. It follows on the story of Pip and his friends who are children hiding in a city. The mayor wants to use the children for an army to battle the evil woodland forces and the evil woodland folk want to kidnap the children and take over the city. A classic good vs evil story with fantastic illustrations.

[Jacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Spindlewood is full of witches and strange creatures who could use children in the war against Hangman's Hollow, so children are banned. Jarvis's job is to catch strays, but he enjoys it too much. Hector Stubbs, the mayor, wants to find all the hidden children for his own reasons - to turn them into an army to fight the forest dwellers.

In this second book in a trilogy three children, Frankie (whose parents are in jail for harbouring her), Pip (an orphan) and Toad (Sam's son) are hiding in Sam's inn, The Dead Man's Hand. They've had a short period of peace after escaping from the forest and the evil Jarvis, but now the winter snow has gone and the danger has returned.

The wooden toy soldier, Captain Dooley, is ready to spill all the secrets of hidden children and young Edgar McCreedy inadvertently delivers it (and himself) to the mysterious four-armed forest dweller, Mr. Roach and the dangerous toy is handed over to Jarvis.

Captain Dooley sets Jarvis on the trail of the children, but Pip Toad and Frankie escape and set out to rescue children imprisoned in the Spindlewood.

Creepily good line illustrations by Yorkshire author, Chris Mould, very reminiscent of Ronald Searle's style. Beautiful and economical prose, but there are few explanations, so it doesn't really stand alone without the preceding book, and since it also finishes without resolving (despite a small reveal) it's definitely a middle book in a trilogy. This is aimed at children from 8 - 12 though very much on the younger end of the middle-grade age range.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 picks up right where the first left off so there's no dropping in here. The three friends managed to escape Jarvis' clutches, but he found the wooden doll and with its help is scooping up hidden children left and right. The three must venture back into the woods to rescue them. The suspense is ratcheted up a bit higher, helped along by the inky illustrations but the writing continues to be a bit overwrought.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For grades 3-7. Second book of a trilogy continuing the adventures of Pip, Toad, and Frankie. Begins right where the first book leaves off, after their escape from the child-snatching creatures of the Spindlewood forest. Jarvis, the two-faced city warden, captures children by pretending to protect them, but then he sells them to the forest creatures. Finely wrought black-and-white illustrations are sufficiently creepy. I really like the layout and think children will find it appealing.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow just finished reading the second marvellous book, the war between the city and the forest is truly on and Pip and his friends Toade and Frankie are so brave, they take on the most amazing and breath taking stunts to save themselves and the rest of the lost children kept hidden in the forest keep. that awful toy soldier is such a traitor but is he really ......? dying to read the final part to the trilogy!!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe ever so slightly better than the first book. Maybe. Again, this one ends with a pause and not a true ending (Thank you, Lemony Snicket, for that cliffhanger book ending style).

One good thing about the book is that it is a very fast read.


Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

[CompassBookRatings · Rating 5 out of 5]

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