 |
| What the Dickens |
On a dark and stormy night, after the power has gone out
and the food is almost gone, the Ormsby children are tired and frightened. Their parents have left them in the care of
Gage, an older cousin, and the rest of their neighbourhood has been
evacuated. Determined to be home when their parents finally return, Dinah, Zeke and Rebecca Ruth are resigned to waiting out the
storm. What could possibly get their minds
off their predicament? How about a
story?
So begins What the Dickens, the story of an orphan
skibbereen. Skibbereen are a race of tiny creatures who are never seen by humans. They are the world's are tooth fairies -- after all, one tooth fairy wouldn't be able to handle all those teeth – and they also grant wishes to human children. But an orphan skibbereen doesn’t know any of
that. Alone in a tin can, he is
discovered by the cat, McCavity. Before McCavity can have his way with him, a human child finds him and
names him What the Dickens.
After some time on his own, What the Dickens meets
Pepper, a fellow skibbereen on a mission to replace a tooth with a shiny
coin. What the Dickens follows Pepper to
her colony, Undertree Common, a vast expanse of skibberee living space located
underneath an old tree stump. There he
learns about his kinsmen and embarks on a wild adventure…
The stories of the Ormsby kids and the skibbereen
intertwine in this fantasy adventure that pays homage to the art of
storytelling. Suitable for grades 3 and up.
