Ancell's Quest

A funny, interesting romping yarn for children. Think Wind in the Willows at sea. A great read for young confident readers. Following the adventures of Ancell and the Crew of Misty across the ocean to Australia in their quest. I loved it and so did my grandson.

A crew of animal sailors must confront the evil of treachery and the loss of a loved one as they search for the children captured by pirates. Their determination to overcome every adversity makes this an uplifting tale of courage, loyalty and true friendship. Builds to a nerve-wracking climax and great animal characters children will love.

Children will love these larger-than-life animal sailors who never give up helping Ancell, a very unadventurous hedgehog in his search for the kidnapped children. From the non-stop chattering beaver and his friend the dour polecat to the cocky little harvest mouse stowaway and the pompous chaos causing owl, every member of the crew has a part to play as they narrowly survive one desperate situation after another. The trust the animals place in one another despite their differences to battle and outwit the pirates makes their adventures an enjoyable upbeat story.

I think other children would enjoy this story about the adventures of this crew of animal sailors searching for orphan children. My daughter, who is not particularly an animal lover, became so engrossed with the animal characters and their strengths and weaknesses, that she got quite cross about Ancell's failings and was so pleased he eventually achieved his task. A lovely, often humorous story with a triumphant ending.

What a lovely little book, adventures on the high seas and exotic lands, whimsical, heroic characters! I really loved the nautical theme that ran throughout. Will definitely be included in some of my stockings to fill this year.