Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
by: Jonathan Auxier
Amulet Books
Grades 5-8
2011
Genre: Adventure, Middle Grade
Keywords: Thief, Blind, Orphans, Treasure, Magic, Eyes
Summary: There are three things you should know about Peter Nimble: #1 he is an orphan, #2 he is blind, #3 he is the greatest thief that ever lived. When Peter was a wee little baby he was put into a basket that was set on the sea and a raven pecked his eyes out. Quite a rough beginning if you ask me. However, since Peter is eye-less (aka blind) his other senses are much better than yours or mine, which means he can pick any lock, pick any pocket and sniff out any treasure. Peter sniffs out just such a treasure in his tenth year, and immediately knows this is the greatest treasure in the world. Contained in a small box are three sets of magical eyes, and these eyes launch him into an adventure that could only be described as, well you guessed it, fantastic.
The good: There are so many wonderful things about this book. First of all, I was constantly surprised by the odd assortment of characters, the bizarre setting, and the plot of the story. Sure, there were a few plot twists that I saw coming, but I’m going to attribute that to my age and the fact that I’m so smart. Second of all, Peter is a complex kid. Despite the fact that he is a blind orphan, he is also extremely resourceful and only steals to stay alive. He is the perfect, kind-hearted hero who still wrestles with doubt and worry. Third of all (and I’ll let this be my last ‘of all’ because the purpose of these reviews is to keep ‘em quick), the illustrations are beautiful and complement the story without interfering with the reader’s imagination.
The verdict: I would recommend this to everyone. It is a tad on the long side for a middle grade novel, but that appears to be the trend this year. This really is a delightful story that you should treat yourself to whether you have kids or not.
The rating: 8 (fantastic)
***Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with the author & illustrator, Mr. Jonathan Auxier and a giveaway of his book.
Oh, and here is the book trailer:
Filed under: Adventure
