New Book Review: Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children

Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children

by Conn Iggulden

(J Iggulden) (2009)

For ages 10 and up.

A tollin is not a fairy. Tollins are bigger and not very delicate. They have wings to get them from flower to flower, but not much farther than that. They can wrestle bees. They cannot be seen by humans, that is, until humans realized they could see a tollin if they wore specially filtered glasses.

These particular tollins live near a human Fireworks Factory. One day a tollin accidentally gets shot off in a firework experiment. Gradually humans deduce that the here-to-fore unknown tollins are what give the fireworks that extra "bang." With the invention of special glasses the humans can find and collect tollins for their fireworks. One clever tollin stumbles upon a way to save his kind, but he must break their number one rule to do it.

This book has three stories about tollins: How To Blow Up Tollins, Sparkler and the Purple Death, and Windbags and Dark Tollins. The illustrations, part photograph and part drawing are exceptional. The book starts off with a cast of characters and a map, a la J.R.R. Tolkein. It is a humorous tale that is sure to catch children's attention and keep them intrigued and amused. It is at a 3rd-4th grade reading level.

-sc-

Posted in: Fiction,New Book Review