Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle

Book Description

"A rousing caper for Pollifax fans."
BOOKLIST
Although Mrs. Pollifax is determined to give up spying for good, she can't help but agree to carry a small object to an agent in Thailand, and get one in return. The moment she lands, however, Mrs. Pollifax is horrified to find her contact dead and her husband kidnapped. The next thing she knows, she's tramping through the ominous Thai countryside, led by a curious fellow who may be trying to help her find her husband. Or he may have other, more sinister plans....

Customer Reviews:

Pollifax too passive.......2006-10-18

The Pollifax series is a great series that I highly recommend. In this contribution, the location is Thailand, which with its local color and interesting characters, has the possible of being one of the best of the series. But somehow it does not quite live up to this potential. Mrs Pollifax is too passive, relaying on her Thai guide to solve all the problems and constantly complaining that he is not doing it fast enough. I prefer a more assertive Pollifax, who because of her empathy for other people, depite stumbling around, always manages to be in the right place at the right time. This book has some of those elements, but not enough. Still for fans of the series, it is a nice contribution. If it is your first visit to the series, I would recommend you start with another. But by all means, start.

Mrs. Pollifax in Thailand.......2003-04-21

Mrs. Pollifax is trying to recover from her last adventure in Hong Kong and is planning a trip to Thailand with her new husband, Cyrus. Just as they are about to leave, CIA emissary Bishop arrives and asks them to go on a "simple mission" in which they would divert their travels only slightly and would deliver something to an agent and retrieve something in return.
She and Cyrus agree and soon they are off on their latest misadventure. As always, in Mrs. Pollifax tales, things do not go according to plan and there are unfortunate incidents of murder, kidnapping, and opium dealing before Mrs. Pollifax finally triumphs and ties up these untidy details in a nice, neat package. This is a typical book in the series.

Golden little tale of suspense and survival.......2003-01-11

Sometimes when I read of the doings of Mrs. Pollifax, I just get exhausted thinking that an over 60 woman could possibly have all the stamina and determination of Gillman's Emily Pollifax. And sometimes, while reading the Pollifax series titles, I have had to set the books aside and shake off my irritation at this super-hero woman.

But this one grabbed me from the start, with Emily and her spouse, Cyrus Reed, vacationing together in Thailand on a "sure-thing" little assignment for Carstairs and Bishop of the CIA, back home in Virginia.

Gillman has a way of making Emily Pollifax an endearing protagonist who empathizes with her adversaries to the point of befriending them, and who survives miles of walking in the wrong shoes, eating the minimum of food, enduring the most hazardous of jungle trails and the dangers thereof.

There are always surprises in store for the reader. The double identities are things one can guess at if you have read very many mysteries, but the touching revelations just add to the delight.

It would be nice to think that there is someone out there like Emily, who at the waning time of life is still up and after it and never too tired to try another adventure. For me, the reader's position is the best place, with the comforts of home as I enjoy another quite dramatic journey that all winds up kosher, thanks to the skillful touch of a fine mystery writer, Dorothy Gillman Butters. Brava, Emily! Brava, Dorothy!

A most unusual spy!.......2002-04-06

"Wanted: Agents for the CIA. Must be able to travel at a moment's notice, able to endure pain and danger,
and willing to lie to your neighbors about where you have been."

If you came across such an ad, what would you do? Most of us would call the editor for running such an
obvious hoax, but Emily Pollifax, a garden-club grandmother, once came across an ad much like that one and began a
series of adventures that I have found fascinating reading.

In Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle,, Dorothy Gilman takes us (and her heroine) to Thailand where she
is to simply deliver a package to one of the CIA's couriers. Afterwards, she and her new husband can enjoy a much-
deserved vacation.

Of course nothing goes as smoothly as it should, and when Mrs. Pollifax attempts to make the delivery she
discovers that the agent is unable to keep their appointment for an excellent reason-he has been murdered! To make
matters even worse, her husband, Cyrus, is kidnaped and only she can follow the trail to rescue him.

Unfortunately her only link to her husband and to the dead agent is a man called Bonchoo, and she is not
sure how well she can trust him. He claims that another agent there has been passing along false information to the
CIA and that he had tried to inform the agency of that fact.

Swallowing her mistrust, Mrs. Pollifax follows Bonchoo into the jungle. There they come into contact with
one of the local bandit gangs, a group interested in smuggling both guns and opium. Are they connected with her
husband's kidnaping? And even if they are not, does she know too much to live?

Matters are only complicated more when she comes across a photojournalist, Mornajay, a man who insists
on getting in her way, and when she meets the Acharya, a reclusive Buddhist holy man.

Her superiors in Washington are in terror that Emily Pollifax may be on her last mission. Of course, we
readers have much more confidence in her abilities-and in the joys we will encounter in the other Mrs. Pollifax
books!

A Slight Disappointment.......2001-07-04

I am a fan of the entire Pollifax series of books, but "Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle" is by far my least favorite. For some reason, this book just doesn't grab me. It has its share of exotic locales, interesting characters and fascinating plot twists, but it just doesn't hold the attention. Still, I believe it is worth reading for the true Pollifax fan.

6 Titles By Dorothy Gilman Polifax Series (3-8) : 3. The Elusive Mrs Pollifax 4. A Palm for Mrs Pollifax 5. Mrs Pollifax on Safari 6. Mrs Pollifax on the China Station 7. Mrs Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha 8. Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle

Average customer rating:

6 Titles By Dorothy Gilman Polifax Series (3-8) : 3. The Elusive Mrs Pollifax 4. A Palm for Mrs Pollifax 5. Mrs Pollifax on Safari 6. Mrs Pollifax on the China Station 7. Mrs Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha 8. Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000WVVDZS

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle/Not Without My Daughter/The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall/O Come Ye Back to Ireland (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 1: 1988)

Average customer rating:

Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle/Not Without My Daughter/The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall/O Come Ye Back to Ireland (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 1: 1988)
Dorothy Gilman , Betty Mahmoody w/William Hoffer , Ridley Pearson , and Niall Williams & Christine Breen
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000C7MSDS

Product Description

Great reading

Average customer rating:

Pollifax too passive
Mrs. Pollifax in Thailand
Golden little tale of suspense and survival
A most unusual spy!
A Slight Disappointment

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Doubleday And Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000OO7SC0

Customer Reviews:

Pollifax too passive.......2006-10-18

Mrs. Pollifax in Thailand.......2003-04-21

Golden little tale of suspense and survival.......2003-01-11

There are always surprises in store for the reader. The double identities are things one can guess at if you have read very many mysteries, but the touching revelations just add to the delight.

A most unusual spy!.......2002-04-06

"Wanted: Agents for the CIA. Must be able to travel at a moment's notice, able to endure pain and danger,
and willing to lie to your neighbors about where you have been."

Matters are only complicated more when she comes across a photojournalist, Mornajay, a man who insists
on getting in her way, and when she meets the Acharya, a reclusive Buddhist holy man.

A Slight Disappointment.......2001-07-04

Average customer rating:

Pollifax too passive
Mrs. Pollifax in Thailand
Golden little tale of suspense and survival
A most unusual spy!
A Slight Disappointment

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000OIMFIS

Customer Reviews:

Pollifax too passive.......2006-10-18

Mrs. Pollifax in Thailand.......2003-04-21

Golden little tale of suspense and survival.......2003-01-11

There are always surprises in store for the reader. The double identities are things one can guess at if you have read very many mysteries, but the touching revelations just add to the delight.

A most unusual spy!.......2002-04-06

"Wanted: Agents for the CIA. Must be able to travel at a moment's notice, able to endure pain and danger,
and willing to lie to your neighbors about where you have been."

Matters are only complicated more when she comes across a photojournalist, Mornajay, a man who insists
on getting in her way, and when she meets the Acharya, a reclusive Buddhist holy man.

A Slight Disappointment.......2001-07-04

Average customer rating:

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV7TPY

Reader's Digest Condensed : Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle; Not Without My Daughter; The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall; O Come Ye Back to Ireland

Average customer rating:

Reader's Digest Condensed : Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle; Not Without My Daughter; The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall; O Come Ye Back to Ireland
Betty Mahmoody, Ridley Pearson, Niall Williams & Christine Breen Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OZ80A8

6 Titles By Dorothy Gilman Mrs Pollifax Series : The Amazing Mrs Pollifax A Palm for Mrs Pollifax Mrs Pollifax on Safari Mrs Pollifax on the China Station Mrs Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle

Average customer rating:

6 Titles By Dorothy Gilman Mrs Pollifax Series : The Amazing Mrs Pollifax A Palm for Mrs Pollifax Mrs Pollifax on Safari Mrs Pollifax on the China Station Mrs Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle & The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax & Thale's Folly & Incident at Badamya & A Nun in the Closet & The Clairvoyant Countess & Kaleidoscope & Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ( Set of 8 Books )

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Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle & The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax & Thale's Folly & Incident at Badamya & A Nun in the Closet & The Clairvoyant Countess & Kaleidoscope & Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ( Set of 8 Books )

Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GS5QMI

Average customer rating:

MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQR8O4

Amazon.com

It's a graphic short story more than a traditional picture book, by a famous fantasy and comics team. From the front end-flap to the final Fin (and not excepting the copyright page), this is a witty, funny collaboration. Neil Gaiman's grasp of kid-narrative logic and Dave McKean's whimsical layered art tell the story of a dad who "doesn't pay much attention to anything, when reading his newspaper" and the narrator's brilliant idea of swapping him for something more interesting--and of course, the convoluted consequences.

Customer Reviews:

Funny Absurdism -- with a VERY nasty edge........2007-07-20

One minor problem for me, that is evidently not a problem for many others, was the art. I was put off by the blotchy, surrealistic, color-schemes, which were distracting, and rarely added to whatever charm the line-drawings themselves possessed.

Getting past that, I was able to enjoy the silly story. Humor is often generated when the tension is created by horror or fear, but then is punctured by the absurdity of the situation.

All decent people should be horrified by the idea of buying and selling other human beings, in pursuit of materialistic goals, as though they were mere objects. Here, however, the absurdity of the situation breaks the ice. We know that virtually no real child would want to sell his or her father. Moreover, the idea of this rather useless dad permitting himself to be bartered all over town by children, without ever once looking up from his newspaper, is completely nonsensical. I suppose children might laugh (just as I did).

Another saving grace is that, even though the story is told from the point of view of the creepy little sociopath of a son who sells his dad, there were other characters for me to root for. I was completely on the side of the little sister, who (quite properly) objects and protests the scheme. She (quite properly) rats him out to his mother, who is also suitably furious, and makes this creepy little materialist promise never to sell his dad again. Morever, since the bulk of the story concerns the quest to RECOVER the bartered-off dad, even the boy is doing the right thing for much of the narrative.

But then comes the TWIST. You see, he never promised anything about not selling his little sister. The last panel shows the brother's huge shadow, mouth open with glee, reaching like an ogre for this little girl, who looks small, isolated, helpless.

This time, I did not laugh.

Why not? This time, sadly, the absurdity of the situation does not puncture the horror. It is not absurd enough, and it is too horrific. We do not think the boy is joking. Earlier in the tale, we actually saw the little sister bound and gagged by the older brother to prevent her ratting on him to Mom (a disturbing enough scene in its own right). Moreover the pictures make the boy look much larger and stronger than his little sister -- the situation lacks the obvious jokiness of bartering off one's much-larger dad while he never looks up from his newspaper. Even the THREAT of selling your little sister to your friends is potentially a nasty and frightening form of abuse.

Gaiman's afterword tells us the story reflects real and bitter hostility that existed between two of his children, and further reflected a similar bitter hostility between himself and his own sister. This eerily suggests that the final panel might have been inspired by genuine malice. How, then is it a joke? If bitter hostility between siblings is a problem -- and it often is -- ought not the message, in a picture book ostensibly marketed for children, be a bit more positive? Payback time, little girl! I guess she shouldn't have ratted out her creepy older brother. Funny to Gaiman, perhaps, but not to me.

The Day I Read A Whole Children's Book Aloud in the Store..........2005-10-01

This book is a whimsical tale about a boy who sets covetous eyes on his friend's goldfish, and after rummaging through all his belongings, finally hits upon the idea of swapping his dad for the goldfish. Though the friend initally doesn't think it's a fair swap ("I've got two goldfish, you've only got one dad"), he eventually agrees. But when Mom gets home, the boy has to go return the goldfish and get his dad back. Returning the goldfish, he finds his dad has been swapped for something else, and so the boy has to go through the town returning item after item until he eventually gets his dad back.

Though it's dressed up and marketed as a children's book, it's a little long to hold the interest of anyone under 7 or 8, and a little too simple for those over that age, but who aren't old enough to really see the humor in it. But as an adult, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The illustrations by Dave McKean are delightfully creepy, and the story is just silly enough to remind me how I thought about the barter system when I was a kid. The story is funny, and the ending even funnier. My wife and daughter enjoyed hearing me read the whole thing aloud in the store, and by this merit I was allowed to buy it. The edition that I got has a CD insert with a recording of Mr Gaiman himself reading the story. Though my performance was masterful in the extreme, I have to concede that Neil reads it better than I do, and I've listened to the disc several times since I got it.

If you're reading it aloud to kids, make sure you've got a patient audience first, since it takes a while to get through. But if they'll sit for it, they'll probably enjoy it. I personally loved the illustrations, done in a mixture of media, collages of photograph and hand-drawn images, a staple of McKean's artistic style. Not the typical happy-cartoony children's book drawings.

Though I've gotten mixed responses from the groups of children I've read this to, I enjoy the book a lot, and think that you will, too.

The day I swapped my dad for 2 goldfish.......2004-02-13

This is not a children's book. It is dark. Don't read this to yor children. This person should not be writing childrens books.

BRILLANT, SWEET, CHARMING, TWISTED.......2002-11-27

I'm sure I'm not the first reviewer here to say that I love this book as much as any kid ever could. Great story, great writing, exceptional artwork by the inimitable dave mckean. If you don't fall in love with this book, then I'd be willing to wager that you never had a childhood.

By any means necessary, no matter how old you are, read this book; even if you have to swap your favoritest family member for a copy. (I've heard Amazon does in fact accept this kind of bartering system)

Iï¿½ll swap my dad any day if thatï¿½s book Iï¿½ll get for it..........2002-04-06

Take Neil Gaiman, put him in a room together with Dave McKean. What do you get? Wonders. This dream-team has worked many times before and has produced some of the best Sandman comics in the bunch.

Although it is presented as a book for those who are still children at heart and offers a moral which should not be overlooked, it spins a wondrous yarn about a boy and his friends, and mocks the sixdegrees theory in its undertow...

Gaimanýs words are beautiful and McKeanýs art is fantastic. You can read this book over and over again and never tire of it, or just leaf through the pages and marvel at the pictures, which are a great source of amusement for children who are yet to be able to read on their own.

Book Description

"I'll swap you my dad," I said.
"Oh-oh," said my little sister.

What if you wanted your best friend's two goldfish so much that you'd swap anything for them, even your father?

What if your mother came home and found out what you'd done?

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is a hilarious adventure and was the first book for younger readers from the acclaimed author and illustrator of the New York Times best-sellers The Wolves in the Walls and Coraline. Chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's Best Children's Books of the Year, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is beloved by readers of all ages. This new edition features brand-new jacket art and an afterword by the author on the origins of this unique and wonderfully funny story.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Family Story.......2007-08-06

I bought this book so my daughter could read along with the recording of it on her music player. It was a nice surprise to have the CD included in the book, as well. This is a funny story that we all enjoy.

Lovely.......2007-05-09

This is a wonderfully fun book about a boy who trades his dad for two goldfish. His mother tells him he has to get his dad back, so he goes on an adventure, walking from house to house, swapping items until he finally gets his dad back. His dad seems to have been oblivious to the whole thing, just reading his paper the whole time. A fun book with beautiful illustrations (typical Dave McKean drawings). My 6 year-old daughter loves it.

I bought this book just beacause of its artworks/design.......2007-03-15

and I mean it. They are awesome, and come together very nice in the whole.
But the most impressive is that they are so thoughtful, full of collages, hidden messages, paint textures that they tell the tale just like the text.

For All Ages.......2006-12-14

This is a great little book that can be enjoyed by children of all ages, or children at heart. The story is basically about a boy that swaps his father for 2 goldfish. What he finds out is that the person he swapped with has swapped his father with someone else and this continues in a chain until he finally finds his father.

This is such a great book, right up to the caliber that would be expected of Mr. Gaiman. As usual, Dave McKean's illustrations are absolutely amazing. Even if you don't read the story, this book is great to have just as an art book. Enjoy it!

A Review for a bedtime story.......2006-11-05

I liked the illustrative quality of this book, the story is simple , original, and with humour, my six year old daughter enjoys it, although it is very different from her world, in every way.

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish

Average customer rating:

Out there
My Nephew's Favourite Book

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
Neil Gaiman
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060587032
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

"I'll swap you my dad," I said.

"Oh-oh," said my little sister.

What if you wanted your best friend's two goldfish so much that you'd swap anything for them, even your father?

What if your mother came home and found out what you'd done?

Customer Reviews:

Out there.......2007-09-17

Picked up this book by chance, and my 6 yr old loved it (as did I). The irreverance about the dad, who's basically not paying attention, is funny, and taps into kids hidden feelings. And the connect-the-dots effect of the story is very appealing.

My Nephew's Favourite Book.......2006-12-21

My four year old nephew loves this book. He laughs so much when I read this. I was a huge Neil Gaiman fan when I was a teenager, I had no idea he had kid's books out. I will be buying more of his kid's books!!!

El dia que cambie a mi padre por dos peces de colores/ The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish/ Spanish Edition

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El dia que cambie a mi padre por dos peces de colores/ The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish/ Spanish Edition
Neil Gaiman
Manufacturer: Public Square Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594970769

Book Description

From the creator of the blockbuster Sandman series. . .One day a young boy has an idea, the kind of idea (like discovering electricity or fire or outer space or something) that changes the whole world. He decides to swap his dad (the silent guy behind the newspaper) for two goldfish. Written for children and the young at heart, this is the unforgettable story that will take readers on a lavishly illustrated journey into the quirky mind of a young boy and the perils of striking a bargain.

Average customer rating:

Don't listen to the other reviewers...
Funny Absurdism, with VERY NASTY Edge.
Denigrating Adoption

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000B5RXP4

Customer Reviews:

Don't listen to the other reviewers..........2006-08-17

This book is a treasure, and one of my favorite bedtime stories for my kids.

I won't give a synopsis of the plot here - the title is synopsis enough. The writing is excellent. Mr. Gaiman does a wonderful job of writing from a young boy's perspective, without writing in a childish way. It is written in an interesting mix of a conversational first person style and 'comic book' word balloons that is well-suited to reading aloud. The plot is interesting, funny, and entertaining.

The artwork is also wonderful...fanciful, complicated images, interesting use of perspective and contrast, as well as humor.

A word about adoption - the narrator's little sister does indeed threaten to tell everyone at school that he's adopted...she also calls him an idiot, tells a policeman he is a gorilla, and threatens to tell "everyone" that he is a space alien. What kid sister doesn't say these sort of things? If your child has siblings, or goes to school, or interacts with other children at all, then he or she has already been exposed to exactly this sort of bickering, and will 'get it'.

If you're looking for a book that you'll enjoy reading to your kids as much as they enjoy listening to it, and that treats them like intelligent young people instead of drooling imbeciles, this is the book for you.

Funny Absurdism, with VERY NASTY Edge........2006-02-24

One minor problem for me, that is evidently not a problem for many others, was the art. I was put off by the blotchy, surrealistic, color-schemes, which were distracting, and rarely added to whatever charm the line-drawings had.

Getting past that, I was able to enjoy the silly story. Humor is often generated when the tension is created by horror or fear, but then is punctured by absurdity.

All decent people should be horrified by the idea of buying and selling other human beings like objects, in pursuit of materialistic goals. Here, however, the absurdity of the situation breaks the tension. We know that virtually no real child would want to sell their father. Moreover, the idea of this rather useless dad permitting himself to be bartered all over town by children, without ever once looking up from his newspaper, is completely nonsensical. I suppose children might laugh, just as I did.

Another saving grace is that, even though the story is told from the point of view of the creepy little sociopath who sells his dad, there were other characters for me to root for. I was completely on the side of the little sister, who (quite properly) objects and protests the scheme. She (quite properly) rats him out to his mother. The mother is also suitably furious, and makes this little materialist promise never to do sell his dad again. Morever, since the bulk of the story concerns the quest to RECOVER the bartered-off dad, even the boy is doing the right thing for much of the narrative.

But there's a catch. You see, he never promised anything about not selling his little sister. The last panel shows the brother's huge shadow, mouth open with glee, reaching like an ogre for his little girl, who looks small, isolated, helpless.

This time, I did not laugh.

Why not? This time, sadly, the absurdity of the situation does not punctuate the horror. It is not absurd enough, and it is too horrific. We do not think the boy is joking. Earlier in the tale, we actually saw the little sister bound and gagged by the older brother to prevent her ratting on him to Mom (a disturbing enough scene in its own right). Moreover the pictures make the boy look mush larger and stronger than his little sister -- the situation lacks the obvious jokiness of bartering off one's much-larger dad while he never looks up from his newspaper. Even the THREAT of selling your little sister to your friends is potentially a nasty and frightening form of abuse.

Gaiman's afterword tells us the story reflects real and bitter hostility that existed between two of his children, and further reflects similar bitter hostility between himself and his own sister. This seems to confirm that the final panel reflects genuine malice. How, then is it a joke? If bitter hostility between siblings is a problem -- and it often is -- ought not the message, in a picture book ostensibly marketed for children, be a bit more positive? Payback time, little girl -- I guess you shouldn't have ratted out your creepy older brother. Funny to Gaiman, perhaps, but not to me.

Denigrating Adoption.......2005-10-17

This is a wonderfully whimisical, fantastically illustrated book. But ...

As I was reading it to my adopted daughter, late in the story, a girl chides her brother with the supposedly damning news that he is adopted.

How does this make an adopted child feel?

In a world of orphans and unwanted children, adoption should not be defamed, especially in children's stories. Mr. Gaiman, Mr. McKean, and a host of Harpercollins editors couldn't espy this insensitivity?

For this oversight, I give the book only two stars.

Change the adoption passage in future editions, Mr. Gaiman, and I'll up the rating to five stars.

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