Maddy Kettle Book 1: The Adventure of the Thimblewitch

Eric Orchard

I received this book, pre-publication, from Net Galley for an unbiased review.

I have to say, I loved the illustrations and how this had the feel of a graphic novel.  I wish there would have been a little more discussion of what the cloudscape was.  The concept was interesting, but only mentioned in passing.  My daughter loved the pictures, and spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the illustrations which were used to fill in the blanks of the spartan dialog.

The story was charming, the characters likeable.  My only complaint is that the introduction of new characters was rather abrupt, and my daughter was left confused.  As the first book in what I assume will be a series, the ending left us wondering what would happen to Maddy and her friends.  I would recommend the book to mid-grade readers, especially as an introduction to graphic novels.