Amazon.com Review
Mr. Beastly has a secret, there's no doubt about it. Or at least that's the conclusion sixth grader Nick Dill reaches after he and his mom stumble across this strange man's little building--the Beastly Arms--while apartment-hunting.
Like his mom, who teaches photography at City College, Nick always seems to be looking at the world through a camera lens. Everyone looks like an animal: His best friend, Inez, is a spider monkey; his teacher, Mr. Kirkaby, reminds him of a gray fox; and Sixto, the guy at the newsstand with big circles under his eyes and the same white vest over a black T-shirt every day, is a panda. But Nick just can't figure out what sort of animal Mr. Beastly looks like--or why he has such a fondness for Miriam, the kangaroo rat who travels around in Nick's shirt pocket.
For better or worse, Nick is about to find out a whole lot more about the mysterious Mr. Beastly, and not just because of the interview assignment that Mr. Kirkaby gives Nick and his class. As it turns out, Mr. Beastly has a very attractive vacancy in the Beastly Arms--and Nick and his mom have no idea what they're getting into. But, as Mr. Beastly himself says, sometimes you just have to follow your gut. (Ages 10 and older) --Paul Hughes
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Featuring colorful characters, a hint of mystery and an unusual perspective on urban life, Jennings's (Faith and the Electric Dogs; Putnam and Pennyroyal) winsome novel traces the remarkable discoveries of Nickel Dill, an 11-year-old nature lover and photography buff. Walking around the city with his camera (passed down by his grandfather), Nickel looks beyond the crowds and grime. His artist's eye allows him to see wildlife in cloud formations ("There's a mud puppy, catching a ball.... And the shrew who threw it!") and he gives each of his neighbors an animal identity ("Mr. Huddleston, the flower-stand man, was a bobcat, with his goatee and hairy ears, and Agatha, the pie lady, was a walrus"). When the rent goes up on their apartment, the boy and his mother are forced to move. One day while they are apartment hunting, they come across a mysterious man named Mr. Beastly (Nickel "couldn't put his finger on what kind of animal he was"), who offers them an apartment in his building for an incredibly low rent. Jennings doles out just enough clues to the Beastly Arms' history such as Mr. Beastly's fascination with Nick's pet kangaroo rat and the litter box smell that permeates the building to keep pages turning at a rapid rate. Nickel's passion for photography and his touching relationships with both his mother and his best friend, Inez, lay the groundwork for his ability to recognize and appreciate Mr. Beastly's gifts. Readers will remain alert and entertained as they wait to find out what secrets the young hero will uncover. Ages 10-up. (May)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
