Joe "Grumble Guts" Quail has never had an adventure and is, when he thinks about himself, "the wrong kind of boy." Then he experiences a special night out of his own as he quests for friendship in the Kingdom of Afterdark. Joe's awe for this nighttime world and his revelations about himself drive Eve Karpf's narration. Joe's despair as he contemplates a solo outing, the trepidation with which he views the Palace of Nighfall, and his delight at mastering tasks are mirrored in Eve Karpf's fresh and immediate voice. She adds just the right amount of scariness for enemy dragons and trolls and cheerily affirms Joe's delight in defeating his personal terrors. Annie Dalton has taken the ordinary world of young listeners and turned it into an extraordinary fantasy in which everyone can change for the better. A.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
