From Publishers Weekly
On New Year's Eve, Maledictus Maggot, bailiff to His Excellency the Minister of Pitch Darkness, arrives in the laboratory of Shadow Sorcery Minister Beelzebub Preposteror, to remind Beelzebub that he is behind on his contract to wreak havoc on the world, and that if he does not make good before midnight, His Hellish Excellency will "foreclose." In order to avoid this fearsome fate Beelzebub, together with his aunt, Tyrannia Vampirella (who has also been threatened with "foreclosure"), set out to brew the eponymous Notion Potion, a powerful punch that will grant them their every wish. Meanwhile, Beelzebub's cat Mauricio and Tyrannia's raven Jacob get wise to the plot,stet comma/eed and launch a desperate quest to stop their masters and thereby save the world. Ende ( The Neverending Story ) has brewed a potent dose of comic fantasy, bubbling over with clever wordplay and slapstick incidents, and spiked with verse. Although the prose (or perhaps the translation from the German) is not always graceful nor idiomatic, sheer momentum and the raw power of Ende's inventiveness are sufficient to carry readers all the way through this extravaganza. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-- Poor Beelzebub Preposteror. It's New Year's Eve and despite being an ``up-to-date, state-of-the-art sorcerer,'' he has fallen woefully behind in fulfilling the terms of his contract with his Excellency, Satan. The Minister of Pitch Darkness has granted Preposteror ``extraordinary powers'' on the condition that the magician annually render extinct 10 species of animals, pollute 5 rivers, kill 10,000 trees, and generally visit mayhem on Mother Nature. Unless Preposterer meets his quota by midnight, Beelzebub's bailiff, a creature as unpleasant as its name, Malidictus Maggot, is threatening to foreclose. Preposterer has no choice but to join forces (reluctantly) with his aunt, a wicked witch named Tyrannia Vampirella. Unfortunately, this plot summary makes the book sound much better than it is. It is truly never ending in its plodding expositions, painfully forced humor, clumsy dialogue, and one-dimensional characterization. `` `If you can get enthusiastic about something,' '' one character notes, `` `then do it--and if you can't, then go to sleep.' '' Nighty-night . . . . --Michael Cart, formerly at Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
