Das Geheimnis der sprechenden Tiere

by Eva Ibbotson

Ibbotson at her best: ein Geisterkabinett der Extraklasse!

Was tun, wenn die Schutzgeist-Kröte den Dienst verweigert? Hexe Hilda erlaubt Ivo, einem Jungen aus dem Waisenhaus, sie als Schutzgeist zum alljährlichen großen Zauberwesen-Wettkampf zu begleiten. Doch die Aufgabe dieses Jahres scheint fast unmöglich: Prinzessin Mirella soll aus den Händen eines fürchterlichen Ogers befreit werden. Aber Mirella ist freiwillig beim Oger und möchte dort bleiben ...

Trolle, Oger, Hexen, Zauberer - hier spukt's nach Herzenslust! Nominiert für den "Guardian Children's Fiction Prize" und den "Roald Dahl Funny Prize".

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Adventure, Magic

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2010

About the author

Eva Ibbotson (Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.

She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.

Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.

Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.

Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.

Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.

Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, it seems that my first Eva Ibbotson is her last, which is very sad, because this book was great.

I loved the characters, and the story, and the randomness, and the fact that it's a children's book in which a little boy in it actually contemplated (and thankfully rejected!) murder. When do you ever see that? Usually the "good" characters in these books are so wholesome that you could use them to lower your cholesterol... but here we have "good" characters who actually have human thoughts and emotions! It was great.

But I loved how there wasn't really a good vs. evil theme at all in this book. There were just a lot of characters acting in the way that they thought was best, but who turned out to be wrong most of the time. The only truly bad characters were some ghosts, and they were only brought in as enforcers when plan A had failed.

I did feel bad for the poor Ogre. If anyone was the victim here, it was him. Constantly hounded and harassed, and then attacked for misguided reasons! For shame!

This really was fun and delightful to read, and I hope that the rest of her books are just as good. If so, I know a boy who will love them in a few years.

[Lubinka Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little book that has everything I love about Eva Ibbotson's work - dynamic female characters, a rather unconventional plot line, fun, magic, goofy villains and a feel good ending. I'm never too old to read fairy tales.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only bad thing about this book is that it's the last one from Ibbotson, who is not read as nearly as much as she should be. She was writing terrific fantasies long before Harry P came along and she continued to outdo most of the Rowling wannabees that have come along since the fantasy market exploded.

Reading this on New Year's Eve, I found the very last lines especially moving. They may have been the last lines Ibbotson wrote:

“Anyone who has an egg to watch over has a stake in the future, and the future--they were sure of it--was going to be good.”

Here's hoping she was right.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Light fantasy done right, it's clear that Ibbotson never lost her touch, even towards the very end of her life.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ogre of Oglefort is rarely what you expect when you read the story of a princess and an ogre. And that is one of the reasons I loved it. So did my 8 and 9-year-old, as we read it for one our bedtime story selections.

The story actually begins far away from the Ogre: in London with the Hag and her toad, Gladys. Gladys has become difficult, of late. This small change in the toad's behavior causes the Hag to form an alliance with a young orphan boy--Ivo--whose acquaintance she has made recently. The Hag, Ivo and their friends the Troll and a young wizard who is the victim of an overprotective banshee mother's nagging set off to begin what they expect will be a lovely magical vacation. Things take a dire turn when they are entrusted, instead, with the rescue of Princess Mirella from the castle of the Ogre of Oglefort. With grave reservations the strange little group bravely sets out to accomplish their task.

Princess Mirella isn't at all what they expected and neither is the Ogre!

This hilarious and entertaining story includes: (1)foppish princes and princesses; (2) spoiled, angry brats; (3) sweet, pure friendship; (4) true love (between the Ogre and his dead wife--who DOES make an a crucial appearance); (5) a battle for the Castle of Oglefort so funny your stomach will hurt from laughing while you read it; and (6) ANOTHER battle for the Castle of Oglefort that will cause you to stop breathing for a moment with terror and sadness.

A word of warning: it DID take a couple of chapters for us to really get into the book because it starts off a little slowly. Keep reading! You will not be sorry. This would be a great, fun read-aloud in a classroom and I can vouch for the fact that it provided my family with several rollicking bedtime story hours!

[Abby Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, sweet (at times bittersweet) children's fantasy novel that is dark in all the right places and yet never inappropriate.

An orphan boy has the adventure of a lifetime, an ogre deals with his raging depression (think Shrek if he were bi-polar), a princess escapes an arranged marriage, dry British humor ensues... And all because a toad told a hag no in the first chapter...

A lovely book!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fantasy for upper elementary. Good for boys and girls. While it doesn't need a sequel (or even end suggesting one), it's a shame we'll never know what's in store for Clarence.

[Vera Viselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

che peccato anche solo pensare che questo sia l'ultimo libro di quella grande scrittrice che è Eva Ibbotson. mi sono divertita un mondo a vedere la principessa Mirella scappare a gambe levate da un destino principesco e ad anelare la libertà assoluta e a ritrovarsi nel castello dell'orco grazie a un gruppo di "salvatori" improbabili che man mano riescono a scalfire fantasmi, eserciti e desideri di morte.

" Il tono di voce dell'Orco saliva sempre di più. Il troll versò una cucchiaiata di medicina e gliela diede. disse l'Orco. ".

[Vanessa Linares · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ogre of Oglefort is a good book because, there’s always an exciting part coming up. My favorite part of the book is when the Hag, the Troll, and the boy are trying to rescue the princess. If you enjoy adventure books I recommend this book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ogre of Oglefort is a very funny and creative story. It definitely follows the pattern of the majority of Eva Ibbotson's children's books: The main characters are not within the mold of your average heroes! Instead of princesses or princes or knights being the main concentration, they're ghosts or hags or ogres or strange animals. But it works! She has a way of making the gross and nasty things that revolve around the existence of those creatures seem like part of every day life and, more often than not, it’s absolutely hilarious!

In this book we meet the unlikely tenants of 26 Whipple Road: A Hag and her familiar (a toad named Gladys), a Troll, and a Wizard, among others. They're preparing to go to a meeting that will announce this summer's activity for magical creatures. Unfortunately, Gladys (the toad) states that she's too tired to go. The Hag tries to find another familiar in time for the meeting, but instead finds a little orphan boy who is very keen to join with them!

The meeting starts out wonderfully with the idea that everyone will be going to a fun fair to rid them of a mouse infestation, but the Fates appear with different ideas! Instead, our hapless heroes are told they need to go to the far north to save a princess and kill an ogre!

Along the way, we meet a host of very clever and funny characters: Some dimwitted princes, an ogre who is definitely not what he seems, a group of very exotic and helpful animals, and a sweet little dog. Every part of this book is very clever--such a fun twist on 'horror' stories, where absolutely no one is what they seem! The ogre is supposed to be mean and horrible--but instead, he's just tired. I thoroughly enjoyed his planning of his funeral! I loved all the misunderstandings of the Fates who judge what needs to be done by a 5 second viewing on a screen between naps! I think one of the main themes of every Eva Ibbotson book, be it for children or adults, is that things really are not as they seem. Our first impressions are almost always completely off, and many times even the things we think we've known and understood about someone (or a group) since childhood are flawed. It's all about stepping into someone else's shoes and finding out what makes them tick to realize that maybe that person isn't so scary—or different—after all!

While I read this book out loud to my children I was able to discuss with them some of the nuances of Ibbotson’s humor, which I find to be more intelligent than crass or silly, and we shared ideas about some of the situations. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. However, if you were to want to hand this to a child to read on their own, I would recommend a little older age due to some potentially scary characters (some of the more evil ghosts, the Norns, even the main characters themselves at times), talk of witchcraft and wizardry, and the humor itself, which is aimed toward a slightly older age group.

[Melody Violine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seorang nenek sihir (Hag) dan teman-teman anehnya di asrama khusus orang “tidak biasa” harus berangkat ke pertemuan orang-orang “tidak biasa” se-London. Karena binatang pendamping Hag mogok, ia mencari-cari pengganti dan akhirnya terpaksa pergi dengan Ivo, anak laki-laki dari panti asuhan yang sering mengobrol dengannya. Di pertemuan, tiga nenek cenayang menyuruh mereka (Hag, Ivo, penyihir bernama Dr. Brian, dan troll bernama Ulf) untuk menyelamatkan seorang putri dari ancaman ogre jahat di kastil Ogrefort. Begitu tiba di sana, mereka terkejut menemukan bahwa ogre itu tidak jahat (sudah terlalu lelah untuk berbuat jahat) dan putri itu (Mirella) malah datang sendiri ke Olgrefort karena ingin diubah menjadi burung. Setelah Mirella berubah pikiran dan tidak mau menjadi burung lagi, mereka membereskan kastil itu dan menemukan berbagai hal menarik.

Orangtua Mirella mengirim tentara untuk menyelamatkannya dan tiga nenek cenayang mengirim tiga hantu karena menganggap Hag dan kawan-kawan gagal melaksanakan tugas. Tidak ada yang berhasil menumpas ogre itu (Dennis) atau membawa pulang Mirella. Dennis meminta ketiga bibinya datang untuk memberikan kastilnya, tapi mereka mengeluh dan memutuskan untuk pulang ke rumah masing-masing. Ketiga bibi ini meninggalkan sebutir telur yang sudah lama seharusnya menetas. Mirella dan Ivo dan anjing mereka yang dinamai Charlie dengan senang hati merawat telur itu.


Penuturannya sangat cocok untuk anak-anak, panjang-pendek kalimatnya sesuai dan punya rima yang enak untuk dibacakan. Setiap karakter dideskripsikan dengan menarik dan ada banyak hal yang lucu dan mengerikan sekaligus, sehingga anak-anak akan tergelitik membacanya.

Sebenarnya novel ini berpotensi bagus, tapi setelah sepertiga bagian pertama yang menunjukkan tanda-tanda ceritanya akan seru, sisanya malah membosankan. Jalan ceritanya memang tidak terduga, tapi malah mengecewakan. Menarik bahwa ternyata ogre itu tidak jahat dan sang putri datang atas kemauannya sendiri, tapi kejadian-kejadian berikutnya pasang surut dan tidak ada tanjakan sampai klimaks. Serbuan tentara dan hantu sempat membuat ceritanya menarik, tapi setelah itu hanya ada ribet sana ribet sini tanpa hal mendebarkan sama sekali. Bahkan telur itu tidak menetas di akhir cerita.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted here.

I have read a couple (and reviewed one) of Eva Ibbotson's historical romances, but had never read one of her MG fantasies until now. The Ogre of Oglefort was the last fantasy Ibbotson wrote prior to her death in 2010. After reading it I'm very interested in her other such works, particularly as I have a daughter who would gobble them up like chocolate I think. (The copy of Ogre is already in her excited hands.) This book has all kinds of kiddie appeal.

The book starts out with a witch needing a familiar because hers has gone on strike. Orphan Ivo volunteers and finds himself on an adventure of a lifetime. The Princess Mirella wants to live with animals and enjoy the outdoors but her parents want her betrothed to a smarmy prince from a neighboring country so she takes matters into her own hands. Ivo and Mirella are engaging young characters but the book is just as much about the witch, wizard, troll and ogre as it is about them. They are a quirky and delightful cast. None of them are explored in depth and there is not much development of relationships in the story. The narrator mostly tells the reader what everyone is doing and how they are getting on, but I think the intended audience would love them all and the crazy antics they get into.

The plot here is all kinds of fun, with several irreverent twists on old story tropes. The Norn (fates) make an appearance as senile old women who aren't so good at their job anymore. There are several helpful not-quite-as-they-seem animals, a battle involving thrown furniture, and an ingenuous solution to a haunting. Like I said, loads of kid appeal. I quite enjoyed it myself (more than I enjoyed Ibbotson's historical fantasies for sure).

[Namratha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when you have:
a) A fine and upstanding troll with a good heart.
b) A hag is who is kind and cheery in the tradition of the best old-fashioned grandmothers.
c) A mother-pecked wizard who brews nothing more that odious smells with dastardly results.
d) An orphan who prefers a madcap adventure with the aforementioned trio rather than facing one more monotonous day at the dreary orphanage.

You sit tight as they get sent on the much loved and severely clichéd quest of them all: *RESCUE A PRINCESS* ---- *FROM AN EVIL OGRE*

But.....

Continuing in the above rhetorical vein;
What DO you do when:
a) Said princess yells at her startled rescuers as she doesn’t want to be rescued.
b) Said Ogre just wants to die peacefully in his satin pyjamas and lie down beside his beloved late wife, the Ogress.

In true and tried Eva Ibbotson fashion, The Ogre of Oglefort humanizes the vilest of the after-life. The author has the endearing ability of banishing misgivings of *things-that-go-thump-in-the-dark*. In fact more often than not, her books are likely to make little sleepyheads peek under their beds, hoping that a kind-hearted (albeit severely misunderstood) ‘creature of the dark’ is hanging around, just waiting to banish their more prosaic troubles.

I have the greatest respect for the late Ibbotson. Her books for young readers are funny, quirky, unpredictable and choc-a-bloc with odd twists and turns. This book is no different. Steeped in fantasy, it has an odd anchor in reality. Yet again, the author displays how the biggest monsters we face are basic everyday issues.

Loved the quirky characters. Loved the bizarre plotline. Loved it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From August 2011 SLJ:
Gr 3-5–In post-World War II Britain, as their lands have been taken over by modern industry, hags, trolls, wizards, and other magical beings have been forced to move to the cities and find menial jobs. The one bright spot in an otherwise drab existence is the annual Summer Meeting of Unusual Creatures. The Hag of the Dribble, who runs a boardinghouse in the middle of London, is beside herself when her familiar, a tired old toad, won’t go. Her young neighbor Ivo has an idea–he will serve as her familiar so she can attend the meeting and he can get away from the orphanage. The meeting at the luxury hotel starts off routinely enough, but the Norns–the three Fates–unexpectedly appear to announce that the summer task will be rescuing Princess Mirella from the terrifying Ogre of Oglefort, and the Hag and Ivo, along with their troll and wizard companions, find themselves charged with slaying him. Surprises are in store, though, including the fact that that the princess is there voluntarily to escape a planned marriage (she wants the ogre to turn her into a bird), and the ogre is suffering from severe depression. Adding to the complications, Mirella’s parents send an army to rescue their daughter, and the Norns enlist the help of some bad-tempered ghosts when they feel that the Hag and her group are not moving quickly enough. Ibbotson’s fans will find plenty to like with her signature quirky characters, twisty plot, and happy resolution that underscores the many forms friendship can take.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Mirella has run away from her family, from her castle, from being a stuffy princess who has to be polite and marry any old Prince who will have her. And she's run to Oglefort, where there's an ogre who, she hears, will change anyone into an animal of their choosing.

Alas, the ogre has recently lost his wife, and is determined not to change anymore people into animals--it's not very ogreish to make people happy, after all. Instead, the ogre has decided to die. So he enlists the help of Mirella--and the hag, and her familiar (an orphan boy) Ivo, and the troll, all who've come to kill the ogre and save Mirella--to plan his funeral.

And there are ghosts and armies, and ogre aunts and happily ever afters, and this, which is the last line of the book:

"Anyone who has an egg to watch over has a stake in the future, and the future--they were sure of it--was going to be good."

Which is really an amazing note to end a career on. Right on Ms. Ibbotson. You are missed.

I will say, I didn't enjoy this book overmuch. It was dark in the right ways, gross in the wrong ones (and that's for me, I am just a person who does not enjoy gross), and funny in ways that are alien to me. I liked it, but I couldn't love it, because I am not the reader this book was looking for. Seriously, I think this was a great book, but it was not my book.

[Joe Steward · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't find this book the greatest read, I am aware that it was Eva Ibbotson's last and from reading reviews from other people it is in keeping with her writing, with "her usual cast of fanciful characters and a couple of kind, well intentioned humans who help save the day."

A princess who decides she no longer wants to live the "princess" life style goes off in search of an ogre who will change her into something more common and "normal". However when she "goes missing" a group of supernaturals are sent off to rescue her. The ogre has problems of his own and so there is much to be resolved at Oglefort castle.

Sounds similar to the plot of Shrek I know, however that may not be a bad thing when using in the classroom as pupils will have ideas and some creativity to use when writing about this story or using it in a series of lessons to create their own fictional story.

My main issue with this story is that it became to predictable for my liking, while a child may not see these twists coming as an adult I found this predictability take the fun out of the story for me. However I do see potential in the classroom for this book, especially with the opportunity to discuss characters and be creative with this. This story would be appropriate in a series of lessons for later key stage 2.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness me, what an outstanding imagination Eva Ibbotson has. Mike and I absolutely loved this story. The magical creatures of the world have all been displaced from their homes due to modern man's reclamation of swamps and cutting down of forests. Many of them have moved to London and are working in ordinary, everyday jobs. Most of them are miserable with their lives but every year they attend a conference for magical creatures where they are all assigned a fairly simple rescue mission which is, in essence, a chance for a lovely holiday for them all. This conference is the highlight of the year and they all love the opportunity to dress up and socialise together as well as enjoy the holiday opportunity. This particular year, however, the conference ends in chaos and confusion as a "real" rescue mission that involves rescuing a princess from a man-eating ogre is on the agenda. Due to a mishap, the Hag, the Troll, a tiny Wizard and the Hag's human familiar get selected for this task. This story is a truly wonderful adventure for your imagination and involves lots of interesting characters, some good and some bad. It is a tale of friendship and a reminder that looks can be deceiving and that working together can overcome a lot of obstacles and problems in life. I would recommend this book for young readers aged 9 to 11 years old.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When young, wealthy, yet defiant Princess Mirella has vanished and thought to be in the clutches of The Ogre of Oglefort, who is nasty and changes humans into animals, a hag, wizard, troll, and a young orphan named Ivo are charged with killing the Ogre and rescuing the Princess. But, sometimes not all is what it seems and Princesses do not always want or need to be rescued.

When the band of rescuers reach the Ogre's castle, they find the Princess Mirella is very much in charge and is demanding her way. She WANTS to be changed into one of the animals that she loves so dearly...but, the Ogre will hear nothing of it! So, the rescuers are confused, yet determined in their own way to make things right for all. Over time, with humor and companionship, the Ogre, the Princess, and the rescuers become a family of sorts...however, back home, there are those that think the Princess must still be saved!

Will she? Who will save her? Or is Mirella just feisty enough to gather her own troops and save herself and her new friends? With humor and light-hearted ghostly shenanigans, The Ogre of Oglefort is just creepy-scary enough and full of gross, nasty situations that middle readers will enjoy of minute of it.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star parts: A long while ago I read The Secret of Platform 13 1/2 and it left me with this lovely warm fuzzy feeling inside. This was Ibbotson's last book before she died. This one isn't so warm and fuzzy, if anything all the characters are a little dark: the hag, the troll and the Princess! Yes, they are all a little on the dark side. But we do feel for them. We feel for them far more than the Ogre and people who are bothering the Ogre at his castle. They're actually kind of annoying. And the ogre's sisters, oooh they're awful.
In the end everything works out, more or less, and you're left with a certain sense of satisfaction.

Black clouds: But there were times where I wondered where the story was going. And whether that bit was entirely necessary. And the Ogre really is a right royal pain and I'm not sure he gets enough of a comeuppance. The ending seemed a bit over long.

Do I recommend it: Basically I did enjoy it. It was funny and clever in parts, but I just have that memory of that 'other' book and maybe I think that that one was better. So if you haven't read that other book, read this one first. That's my advice.

[LCL Children'S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hag, a troll, a bumbling wizard, and an orphan boy are an unlikely set of adventurers, but they may be just what is needed in these circumstances. You see, it appears that Princess Mirella has been kidnapped by the fearsome ogre of Oglefort -- but, as we all know, appearances can be deceiving! Strong-minded Mirella ran away from an arranged marriage, the ogre is suffering from depression and has decided to just lay down and die, and Oglefort proves surprisingly comfortable and homelike to the hag, troll, wizard, and orphan, all of whom were feeling useless and displaced back in London. There are a few problems, though: the Norns (creatures something like the Fates) sent the adventurers to defeat the ogre, and they will be displeased if the mission fails. Also, Mirella's parents are preparing to send an army after their daughter -- never mind her unwillingness to be rescued!

This is a fun read without a great deal of depth. I find most of Ibbotson's juvenile fantasies to be that way, in fact -- I much prefer her historical romances. This is certainly not a bad book, and I'll recommend it to the target audience of middle-grade fantasy fans. --MT

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romp of a fantasy novel features a couple of likeable humans whose lives intersect a hag, a troll, and a wizard, and a castle belonging to an ogre. When the hag, the troll, and the wizard--plus Ivo, the hag's stand-in familiar--head off to find out their Summer Task, it turns out to be harder than any of them had imagined. Once they journey to the ogre's home, they catch him as he appears to be getting ready to kill Princess Mirella. But all is not as it seems, and the princess had just persuaded him to turn her into a bird in order to avoid the arranged marriage and life her parents had in mind for her. As is often the case with this author, there's plenty of humor in the book's pages, but she also creates unforgettable ghosts and villains who turn out to be less villainous than expected. Much of what happens seems to occur through various accidents, and as is fitting, everyone gets their just desserts. Middle grade readers will fly through this one, and applaud Mirella for following her own path to happiness.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last of Eva Ibbotson's books (I'm guessing, given her death last year) and it's a wonderful one. We start in post-war London, where there's a boarding house with Unusual People: a Hag, a troll, a wizard, an enchantress, a couple of hankies and a very normal human. Oh, and Gladys, the Hag's familiar. Gladys decides she's too tired to continue on, and so the Hag must find another familiar before heading to the Meeting, at which all London's Unusual People will learn the Summer Task. Of course, she finds an orphan, Ivo.

The task, it appears, is to rid a Fun Fair of micekill an Ogre and rescue a Princess. Abandoned by all the other UPs, the Hag, troll, wizard and Ivo head off to Oglefort... where it is not all as it appears to be. I can't say more without spoiling things, but if you like Wrede's "Enchanted Forest" series this book will be a hit.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Nathan Dehoff]

It's the tale of a kindly hag accompanied by a friendly troll, a reluctant wizard, and an orphan boy named Ivo who are tasked by the Norns with slaying an ogre and rescuing a princess. It turns out that the Norns have misinterpreted their vision, however; the princess is actually nagging the ogre to turn her into a bird, and he's worn out and depressed from transforming people who requested it. The hag and her friends help to bring about a successful resolution for everyone involved. I actually wish there had been a little more about the life of the hag and her tenants in London before they came to Oglefort. The story plays on several fantasy stereotypes, sometimes in the obvious way of making beings that are normally thought of as nasty being helpful and friendly, but also in slightly more subtle ways as with the ogre himself and the rather ignorant Fates.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange group of Londoners sets forth on a quest: to rescue a princess and slay an ogre. But nothing is at it seems. The princess doesn't want rescue, thank you very much, and the ogre can no longer stand the pressure of other's demands. So the witch, the wizard, the troll, and the orphan stay in the castle to nurse the ogre through his collapse. And everyone discovers whats/he really needs. And a really cute dog called Charlie. Very sweet, and soothing to the soul, but a fun inversion of the standard tale.

By the bye, I don't think Ibbotson ever really got over the war. It appears here in a few asides in an otherwise contemporary tale.

Library copy.

[Johara Almogbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh oh, I do think this was my favorite of the four Eva Ibbotson books I've read! Lovely story, interesting turn of events and the right amount of humor.

I really do recommend this author if you have any kids who like to read, it's accessible but not dumbed down and it has plenty for them to get interested in.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love eva ibbotson - what can i say? yes she can be clunky and very obvious - i.e. she loves animals and the countryside/hates nasty greedy folk who only care about money etc. The ogre turns out to be not such a bad guy. there are the usual orphan children helping out monsters and witches and other mysterious creatures. and all is well that ends well. what's not to like?

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her work. In highschool I borrowed Which Witch, Star of Kazan, Journey to the river sea and Not just a witch. To be honest, I think she helped me a lot with with, witch which and white. Since I am not native and also half deaf it has been really hard for me to learn to spell.

Anyway I loved this book cuz it feels cozy, warm and happy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a fun book to read, and has characters that I cared about right away. This is a book for kids, maybe 3rd grade and older. This is a book with fantastical characters as well as normal humans and animals.

[Ratforcekids · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous fantasy with twists and turns and very kooky characters.

[BookishKirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, but not my favourite Ibbotson.