About the Author Eva Ibbotson, born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner (1925-2010), was an Austrian-born British novelist, known for her children's books. Some of her novels for adults have been successfully reissued for the young adult market in recent years. For the historical novel Journey to the River Sea (Macmillan, 2001), she won the Smarties Prize in category 9-11 years, garnered unusual commendation as runner-up for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and made the Carnegie Medal, Whitbread Award, and Blue Peter Book Award shortlists. She was a finalist for the 2010 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize at the time of her death. Her last book, The Abominables, was one of eight books on the longlist for the same award in 2012. Kevin Hawkes is the author and illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, and is the illustrator of many well-loved books for young readers including Imagine That ! How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat, Library Lion, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, My Little Sister Hugged an Ape, And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends, The Road to Oz, Velma Gratch, and The Way Cool Butterfly. He lives in Gorham, Maine.
G**G
Such an enjoyable read for both of us!
My daughter is nine and luckily for me still enjoys being read to at night. Eva Ibbotson is a wonderful writer who will in the future become one of the best loved writers of children's literature for sure. This book is on a par with Journey to the River Sea and demonstrates the authors’ ability to reach out and engage with the imaginations of the children she is writing for. Her storylines are always engaging; at one moment my child is aghast at the possibility of disaster and in the next sighing with relief as disaster is averted.In this book I will never forget the joy of my daughter suddenly shouting "he has a ###!" out loud as I read to her. Superb.
T**S
Great story. Great Illustrations.
Brilliant book. But beware - the same story is also published with different title - Monster Mission. So, we ended up ordering two books - because we love Eva Ibbotson so much. This version has great illustrations.
G**P
Four Stars
Great
M**N
Five Stars
Eva Ibbotson is the queen!
C**I
Caution: Also entitled - Monster Mission!
"Kidnapping children is not a good idea. All the same, sometimes it has to be done."These are the opening words of "The Island of Aunts" and they set the tone for the wry, gentle humour of this charming book. If you'd love to be whisked away to a hidden island and help look after amazing creatures like: Krakens, boobrie birds, selkies, stoorworms and mermaids - then this is the book for you.The writing is both magical and poetical - and manages to carriy a wonderfully uplifting conservationist message with such subtlety, that the reader is hardly aware of it. The child characters are a delight - and the aunts ... well, the aunts are as all good aunts should be: utterly dotty!A wonderful book by Eva Ibbotson. However, if you are an Ibbotson fan, make certain you haven't got a copy already; it's also sold on amazon with an alternate title : "Monster Mission!"
A**R
Fun, up to and above her usual high standard!
Haven't yet found an Eva Ibbotson my 9 year old and I haven't enjoyed but this one perhaps even more so, imaginative and great fun!
Trustpilot
5 days ago
2 months ago
