From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8. This friendly little house spirit takes his work seriously?putting things to rights. Although he is best at solving small indoor problems, here he is challenged by huge outside trouble. While searching for a new home, he is unexpectedly invited into a peddler's wagon-house. At the first stop, he is surprised to find the man selling him to a farm family to help them. Their pond has gone all black; nothing lives in it or by it any more. Nothing seems to be alive in the garden or house except for something living in the kitchen drain and a water spider hiding in the house. The smoke hides in the chimney, afraid to come out, keeping the cooking fire from burning properly. The farmer's children are frightened by all of this. In his typical bumbling fashion, Hob puts the pieces together and restores order, to everyone's delight. He, of course, gets his well-deserved cup of tea. Those who enjoyed Hob and the Goblins (DK, 1994) or The Book of Hob Stories (Candlewick, 1997) will not be disappointed by this sequel. It also stands on its own for those new to these stories. Maynes's rich, innovative use of language provides nourishment for serious readers of any age. This book can work as a solitary read or as a read-aloud in families or classroom. Don't miss it.?Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. Hob, who debuted in picture books, then appeared in
Hob and the Goblins (1994), which was written for an older audience, is back, once again fixing things that go wrong where he lives. After a peddler sells him to a nice family, Hob discovers something ominous lurking in the pond behind the family's house. He must draw on all of his resources to solve the problem: it seems that the peddler has stolen a sea serpent's egg, wrapped it in pieces of night, and hidden it in the pond. To set things right involves straightening out a disordered night sky. The magical elements in the story are appealing, but what makes the Hob books so unusual is Mayne's language, which has an otherworldliness about it that is at once intriguing, challenging, and beautifully poetic. Graced with equal parts humor and suspense, this will satisfy fans of fantasy and fairy tales alike.
Helen Rosenberg
