Some of these kid-friendly references are completely over the top,Īs when, in explaining the meaning of the word 'hyperbole', the narrator spins ThereĪre even modern-day touchstones thrown in (the meat at Ashton Place is cured inĪ quaint smokehouse, not 'purchased in a supermarket, uninterestingly wrapped Prissiness, so that the challenge of teasing out the jokes is great fun. The vocabulary is rich and the locutions have just the right amount of archaic The Mysterious Howling is animated by a life-affirming, confidence-buildingĬreative spirit, and would be fine for even sensitive younger readers as a read-aloud. I couldn't detect a whiff of the cynicism that lurks in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, even the chronicles of He Who Must Not Be That lie at the heart of other popular children's books ( The There is a degree of suspense and mystery, there is none of the fear and darkness One thing I appreciate is that the story is truly safe for children - even though

But the product-tester in my house, aged seven, fell for it every time.

You might think that a gag about canine children ending every word in 'awoooo,' like a howl, would get old after a while.

The tone of the book is perfectly balanced - warm, lyrical, and unrelentingly funny. Maryrose Wood takes her readers on a romp through the English governess genre, complete with unbearable rich people, a vast stately home (Ashton Place), and a dose of gothic intrigue in the form of a mysterious pack of children raised by wolves. This novel is terrifically entertaining, so delicious in its personalities, settings, and language that you might not notice at first how nourishing it is - packed with positive thinking and sterling character traits. The first in a new series for children chronicling the mysterious adventures of a young governess and her wild charges

The mysterious howling book