Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers (Hardcover)

For more than one thousand years the land of Een has been safely tucked behind an invisible curtain that cannot be crossed by anyone from the world outside. Within this hidden land reside tiny elf-like people (“smaller than rabbits, but bigger than mice”) along with forest animals that are well familiar to us ordinary humans. Since Een folk can talk to animals, the creatures help them with various daily tasks. In the land of Een the rhythm of life for all is similar to ours-until, that is, the “Red Thief”, a terrifying flying monster penetrates the shielding curtain and steals the Eens’ most guarded possession, the Box of Secrets.
Kendra Kandlestar, an overly curious eleven-year-old elf, sneaks into the council chamber during a meeting of the elder Eens, which includes her whiskered uncle Griffinskitch. The emergency session must result in a plan for retrieving the Box of Secrets. The box contains the secret of the magic curtain, and is therefore a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. Kendra is discovered along with her rule-breaking friends, Oki the timid mousling, and Ratchet, mischievous raccoon and amateur (bumbling) magician. Coincidentally, Kendra and Oki are the ones chosen by Winter Woodsong, the “eldest of the elders” to accompany Gregor Griffinskitch, Broon Bumblebean, a scholar and expert on creatures from the outside world, and Captain Juniper Jinx, a super strong, sword-wielding grasshopper, on the dangerous quest to the distant castle of Krodos where the thief, as shown by the Eens’ magic crystal orb, has deposited the Box of Secrets.
The story of a young girl finding herself away from the safety of her home, making a long and dangerous journey for the sake of keeping her world safe will appeal to young readers. It is an excellent book to give youngsters who are starting to read with some facility. Parents will not find anything objectionable in this book for children seven and eight years of age, especially because the fear factor is low. The adventure isn’t gripping for the most part, but the book as a whole has some depth. First, there is the sub-plot of Kendra’s missing parents and brother. Kendra has been brought up by her uncle Griffinskitch because her immediate family had inexplicably disappeared in the world outside of Een. Second, there is an interesting psychological dimension to the notion of secrets kept and guarded from everyone else, which adds a darker shade to this otherwise child-oriented story. It is precisely this theme-given the concrete form of a huge, fire-breathing villain who thrives on the fears of those who have an embarrassing truth to conceal-that lends excitement to the conclusion. The villain is frightening more for being sinister, for knowing more about the characters’ inner life, than for his giant, scaly frame.
This is a good book for young readers, but a couple more narrow escapes on the way to the showdown with the red thief could have made it better.
Olga Stein (Books in Canada)
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

For over a thousand years, the Box of Whispers has guarded the most precious treasure in the Land of Een. But when the Box is suddenly stolen, young Kendra Kandlestar finds herself swept away on a magical adventure where doors speak in riddles, plants spit poisonous venom, and strange creatures lurk in every shadow. With only a handful of enchanted carrot seeds to help her, will Kendra be able to face these dangers and find the fabled chest? There’s only one way to find out: peer inside The Box of Whispers, and enter a world of magic, monsters and mystery...

Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers is a perfect book for lovers of fantasy, aged 8 and up. The book features over 100 black and white illustrations by the author.