LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Young Herbert Lemon has an honest heart and that matters a lot in Thomas Taylor’s story of magic and mystery. Herbert lives in the Grand Nautilus Hotel in the seaside town of Eerie. The hotel is right on the sea front and the mist that rolls in could be hiding all sorts of things, even the scaly Malamander, subject of so many town legends.
Helping his new friend Violet find clues to the whereabouts of her missing parents – Herbert is a lost and found expert – results in the two children coming closer to the Malamander than they could ever have expected. Eerie is a wonderfully edgy place, strange, gothic and inhabited by some singular people, and Herbert and Violet’s adventures are equally unique and totally enthralling.
Reviewed by Andrea ReeceAndrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece About Malamander
A quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift.
Read the full description
Find This Book In
| Suitable For: |
|
| Other Genres: |
|
About
Malamander Synopsis
A quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift.
It's winter in the town of Eerie-on-Sea, where the mist is thick and the salt spray is rattling the windows of the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Inside, young Herbert Lemon, Lost and Founder for the hotel, has an unexpected visitor. It seems that Violet Parma, a fearless girl around his age, lost her parents at the hotel when she was a baby, and she's sure that the nervous Herbert is the only person who can help her find them.
The trouble is, Violet is being pursued at that moment by a strange hook-handed man. And the town legend of the Malamander - a part-fish, part-human monster whose egg is said to make dreams come true - is rearing its scaly head. As various townspeople, some good-hearted, some nefarious, reveal themselves to be monster hunters on the sly, can Herbert and Violet elude them and discover what happened to Violet's kin?
This lighthearted, fantastical mystery, featuring black-and-white spot illustrations, kicks off a trilogy of fantasies set in the seaside town.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781536207224 |
| Publication date: |
10th September 2019 |
| Author: |
Thomas Taylor |
| Illustrator: |
Thomas Taylor |
| Publisher: |
Walker Books an imprint of Candlewick Press |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
289 pages |
| Series: |
Legends of Eerie-on-Sea |
| Suitable For: |
|
| Other Genres: |
|
Press Reviews
Thomas Taylor Press Reviews
...a wonderfully imaginative and atmospheric adventure, rich in myth and legend and with a delicious gothic edge... Taylor is best known as an illustrator - he famously created the original jacket for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - but Malamander confirms him as a ferociously talented writer... this really is one that deserves all the buzz. -- Fiona Noble - The Bookseller, Children's Book of the Month
I was steeped in the briny world of the Malamander from the very first page. Set in Eerie on Sea, where mythical beasts to walk the misty shores, Thomas Taylor introduces us to a wonderful pair of detectives - Herbie and Violet - with a riddle to solve. This is fantastical storytelling at it's best with a Dickensian cast and a terrifying beast from the deep. This enthralling oceanic adventure had me hoping our heroic lost and foundlings will have more mysteries to solve in books to come. I wanted to read on and on. - M. G. Leonard, Author of Beetle Boy
Full of unforgettable characters and brimming with maritime mystery, Malamander is a masterclass in original story-telling. Taylor's magical touch makes you believe in the impossible. - Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island
Mermonkeys, monsters and magic, oh my! Malamander is a brilliantly plotted mystery swirling with secrets, myths and the enigmatic residents of one unforgettable sea-side town. - Jennifer Bell, author of The Uncommoners
Gripping, magical with shivers down your spine in all the right places, fiercely imaginative and darkly funny; just read it. - Fallen Star Stories
Author
About Thomas Taylor
Thomas Taylor was born in Norwich, but grew up by the sea in Wales. His childhood was mostly about drawing, something he learnt to do in Maths classes.
After art school, Thomas set out to illustrate books, then to write them himself. His first commission was the cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Following this, he pursued a career in picture books, mostly from France where he lived for many years.
Thomas now lives on the south coast of England and has two sons. Sometimes they ask for help with their maths homework, so now they’re learning to draw too.
More About Thomas Taylor
