This was a really enjoyable tale. It tells the story of tale of how Peter Peabody Pepperell on a secret mission managed to save the world. When Peter was just seven years old, he began to shrink until he was only a few inches tall. Being so tall he was able to use tame animals and birds as modes of transport. My children loved this book as did I can I cannot wait to read it to my class also. It is exactly as fantastical tales should be written.

I've read a bunch of children's book and though I don't count myself an expert (for that I go to my son who's following along the lines as I read) and there is one really big problem with this book. Most kids don't want to grow SMALLER, they want to grow BIGGER.

When I first read through the synopsis, and I must admit I also loved the cover art so there goes my initial attraction, I gave into hoping for the adventure part to compensate for it. But I must say that from the very beginning, we got kind of hung up on that...Wait, but the boy is small now...he can't do this and that...yes, but he can...OK, but he's small now forever?

And so it wasn't such a smooth ride at all. And this wasn't going to become a favorite.

Other than that, I liked Robert Lawson's imagination. Writing not so much. I've read nicer and more magical styles written for YA and this is a children's book. Kids - at least as much as I know from teaching English to children and reading to my own son - don't go for big fancy words so much as "show, don't tell." And while pictures and explanations help, their attention span is short and you can lose them quickly even with one page sans magic or action.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I hadn't read this original of this book but was excited to get the ARC. When I requested it I didn't even know it was originally printed earlier but the language gave it away and when I looked into it it made sense. Overall the story is an excellent adventure and the illustrations are beautiful. A great read for any young reader!