The Jewel Fish of Karnak [Hardcover]

This is a fun book! Beautifully illustrated and a joy to play with. Another great Graeme Base book that you can enjoy hours AFTER you've read the story. Definitely for the patient and diligent types- trying to crack the code. Much like The Eleventh Hour, it's all in the details in his books... My almost 8 year old son and I enjoyed translating the coded messages, but we have yet to figure out the fish! In response to another's post- there IS a legitimate website. That reader must have typed it in wrong. I wish the solution were included in the book, like in the 11th hour- but after all it's supposed to be a challenge! It wouldn't be fun if he just handed it to ya! I recommend this book for kids of all ages, but for those who want to take it a step further, GOOD LUCK!! :)

This is a great fun book, for ages 4 to 8, with a very nice message/moral to the story.

For Australian buyers, the web site (.au) which relates to the story is not working yet (as of Sept 2011) which can be a bit of a let down, but it's still a lovely book, a great buy!

I have read and reviewed many other Graeme Base books and, as I've said in previous reviews, I firmly believe he is vastly under appreciated as an artistic genius. Every one of his books is a treasure trove of visual imagery, often, as in this case, combined with an intriguing puzzle to solve. How Base comes up with and executes his work is utterly beyond me and I am in awe.

But that said, when reviewing works by such a master, does one compare new works to previous works by the same artist, or to other comparable work (to the extent there is any comparable work)? If judging by the latter standard, "The Jewel Fish of Karnak" unquestionably deserves five (or more) stars. With the possible exception of the equally under-appreciated Paul Adshead, there simply are no other children's authors/illustrators who come close to Base's artistic skill, puzzle sense and ability to deliver a story. But if judged by the former standard, I would have to subtract a star, as I don't think this book quite measures up to Base's previous work.

For one thing, the story, simply as a story, is not as compelling as other Graeme Base books. It is tantalizing and intriguing, but then it just seems to end. Of course, the story continues with the solving of the puzzle, but even allowing for that I was left feeling like I wanted more.

The plot is actually pretty simple. Jackal and Ibis are two rather incompetent thieves who have been brought before the Cat Pharaoh to answer for their crimes. The pair beg for mercy, so Pharaoh (unwisely, it would seem) sends them on a quest to retrieve her jewel fish which was stolen by the Crocodile Prince. She gives two simple instructions for the thieves to follow: do not take anything besides the jewel fish, and do not allow the jewel fish to get wet. Unfortunately, following instructions is another of their weaknesses. In fleeing from the Crocodile Prince (after liberating more than they were supposed to), Jackal and Ibis find that their extra loot weighs down the little coracle they stole when they couldn't' find their felucca. The jewel fish leaps from their bag into the river. When Jackal and Ibis leap into the water after the fish, they find the Nile full of hundreds of jewel fish. How will they ever figure out which is the right one to return it to the Cat Pharaoh?

Fortunately for Jackal and Ibis, Pharaoh is merciful still. She gives them an opportunity to find the jewel fish and return it. But being as Jackal and Ibis are none too bright, they might need some help with this. That's where you come in.

As with all Graeme Base puzzle books, the puzzle can be solved by looking through the pictures on each page, decoding cryptic messages, and putting the clues together. And, like all Graeme Base puzzle books, the solution is simultaneously subtle, yet obvious once you figure it out. First you'll have to figure out how to translate the hieroglyphics at the bottom of each page. Then you'll need to follow the revealed clues to figure out what the jewel fish looks like. Next you need to adjust the dials on the jewel fish at the end of the book to make it look like the correct jewel fish in order to reveal the three extra items Jackal and Ibis stole from the Crocodile Prince. And finally you go to Graeme Base's website to enter your findings to see if you are correct.

The puzzle solving, like the plot, while intriguing, is not ultimately as satisfying as other Graeme Base books. The key to the hieroglyphic messages is subtle and clever, but the messages themselves are mostly irrelevant - only a few are actually necessary to solve the puzzle. Once you've decoded the messages, however, it is almost too easy to find the right jewel fish. But even knowing what the fish looks like, it is nearly impossible to adjust the dials to make the fish on the back cover look correct and reveal the three stolen items. As far as I can tell, there are no hints in the book about what items were stolen, so correctly aligning the fish appears to be a matter of chance.

The artwork is basically up to the standards of other Graeme Base books. You can easily lose yourself staring at each page and almost forget about the story. Unlike other Graeme Base works, however, there are no hidden pictures, which is a bit of a disappointment, as finding the hidden pictures is usually one of the finer pleasures of a Graeme Base book.

The publisher indicates that this book is for ages 4-8, which led me to believe it would be more like Uno's Garden or Jungle Drums for younger readers. But I don't think children below ages 6 to 8 will be able to decode the hieroglyphics and solve the puzzle, at least not without considerable adult help. And the story itself is not terribly compelling without the puzzle aspect. I would wait until your child is reading fluently before getting this book.

If you are a Graeme Base fan like I am, there's no reason to skip this book; it is certainly a worthy addition to his collection. But if you are new to Graeme Base, don't start here. Try Uno's Garden, Jungle Drums or The Golden Snail for younger children or Enigma or The Eleventh Hour for older readers.

4.5 stars

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