From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6?The Mennyms are back and worried about Sir Magnus's premonition that they will all die on October first. For this rag doll family, brought to life by the love and spirit of their human creator, the thought of dying is confusing and hard to accept. On the chance that Granpa Magnus is right, they all work to put their lives in order. After the unthinkable happens, the story shifts to the human owners of the house as they try to figure out the mystery and destiny of the Mennyms and to find someone who will care for and love them. This latest book in the series stands fairly well alone, but draws readers irresistibly to the previous titles. The Mennyms are fully realized characters and Waugh has beautifully integrated the fantasy of their existence into an everyday setting. Readers will clamor for another tale, hardly able to wait to see how the Mennyms will adapt to their new home and caregiver. Children who love Mary Norton's The Borrowers (Harcourt, 1953) must meet the Mennyms.?Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4^-6. When Sir Magnus Mennym has a premonition that he and his relations, a family of rag dolls known collectively as the Mennyms, will die together on a certain day in October, the others are sufficiently in awe of him to prepare for the worst, even though they don't entirely believe the prediction. But when their maker's spirit leaves them on the appointed day, they become the lifeless inhabitants of a house inherited by someone else. Soon most of the Mennyms are moved to a new home and displayed in tableaux. The last page opens the way to sequel, good news for anyone in premature mourning for the oddly captivating family. This fourth Mennym novel brings into sharper focus two human characters who appeared previously in the series and further develops the characters of the dolls, who seem so much more believable than many fictional humans.
Carolyn Phelan
