Customer Reviews

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first encountered this book while babysitting, many years ago. It was the kids' new favorite book (they were aged 6-10 perhaps). I read it to them & was enchanted with it (they just liked the story). I put the kids to bed & proceeded to spend 3+ hours (and I was a TV-loving young adult) trying to solve all the riddles & the find the answer to the mystery. I finally figured it out, but later, when I read the previously sealed "who-dunnit" section, I realized how much I'd missed in fantastically re-created architecture & secreted clues & jokes. The author/illustrator is incredibly imaginative & incorporates amazing artistry. I was totally engrossed & completely hooked. The family who introduced me to this book felt strongly about providing intelligent, stimulating & highly creative resources to their children. Since then I have bought this as a gift more than once... The story is simple & rhymes pleasantly so that it is appealing to children. The pictures are complex & fantastic to look at. However, I'm sure the wonder & adventure I found is lost on many children & adults. They may not have the patience or love of mystery that I do, but perhaps they could grow into it, certainly, over time, new discoveries would appear to even the most uninterested reader.

My mother first bought this book in 1989. She didn't know about anything about Graeme Base, but was greatly impressed by the illustrations and got it for my siblings and I to pore over. Not only were the illustrations lively and BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL, but the mystery itself was so cleverly set up! I never would have guessed...actually we did correctly guess who it was, but we had no idea how until after we opened the seal in the back. Once we did, we realized we didn't know the half of it. By the way, did anybody ever find out the name of the Swan? Because my older sister did, and that was even harder to figure out than "Who Stole The Feast?" (Here's a hint, and I hope it doesn't give the answer away: The Card Game) I guarantee if you buy this book, you will NOT be disappointed!
P.S. "Animalia" was pretty good, too!

I think one of my great regrets in life so far is that I opened the answers to The Eleventh Hour before solving it for myself.

Don't let it happen to you!

My six-year-old sister recieved this book for Christmas last year. From looking at the cover I thought it was meant for kids aged 5-7, but after reading it I was determined to solve it. When my friend came over for a sleepover, she read it and we cracked it within one hour. Although I know who stole the feast, I still enjoy looking at all the little details in the pictures.

I`m a Thirteen year old, and i got this book from my brother when i was about 3. I read it up until i was about 11. I never did read the pages within the seal [of course, my brother had already broken it - he`s about 9 years older than me] and i figured it out. last night i looked through the pages of the seal, and i had figured everything out, EXCEPT the swans name. i really want to know her name. what helped me the most figuring it out was the musical notes, i played them out on the piano and it was a dead give away. but anyways, i would recommend this to ANY other child. Along with Animaila - i still read these books. [and in animalia, try to find the kid with the shirt in all the illustrations.]

When Horace turned eleven, he arranged himself a birthday party at his stunning house. He invited eleven friends to his party, and made an eleven course feast for them to eat at eleven o'clock, after playing eleven games. But after the eleven games are played, they return to eat the feast, but it has vanished. You are invited to turn back the pages, and look in the pictures for clues to find out which of the guests was the guilty one. I first saw The Eleventh Hour at a friend's house a few years ago. I was tatally amazed at how many codes and details could be packed into so few pages! The pictures, though, were beautiful nontheless! And even though there were so many codes and puzzles, it was still really difficult to figure out who-done-it. This book is a masterpiece for anyone who enjoys mysteries, puzzles, or Graeme Base's books, and I recomend it to nearly anyone.

I have 35 copies of this book and we start the school year with a focus on problem solving. My middle school students, in groups of four, solve as many of the puzzles as they can, determine the names and costumes of all the guests (one is almost impossible) and learn a lot about working together as a group in the process. This book is really great, captures the imagination of my students and is a great way to start the year.

I first saw this book when my six year old son saw it at the library. He wanted to check it out because his summer school teacher had read it to him and he said it was really good. So we brought it home and read it. Of course, by the second page my son was revealing the answer to the mystery (because his teacher had explained it to him). So, I didn't get to figure it out like everyone else. After we read the book, I put my children to bed and promptly went back to the couch and picked it up. I went to the "top secret" section in the back that reveals the answer to the mystery. Detailed explanations about each clue on each page were there and everything was so fascinating. If you've had this book forever and not figured out the mystery, your missing out on a lot of neat info by not opening the back section! I plan to buy this book for road trips... I think my kids could entertain themselves for hours trying to find all the mice!

-- And it's a "kids book"!!!

I'm 26 now, but I remember the astonishment and awe I first felt borrowing this book from my 5th grade class's "library" when I was 10 years old. Back then, I gave up after 4 hours of not being able to figure anything at all out and had to look in the Sooper Sikret Section, but this time around, I got a few more of the clues on my own before having to look up the Section :P

A great book to sate the inquisitive mind of a bright child, honestly. Highly recommended!

This book is great for readers of all ages but while the child will love the cute stories and the vibrant pictures the adults will enjoy the hidden clues and secrets. Base is truly a genius in his imagry taken from real architectual masterpieces blended with an elephant touch. His witty wordplay is cute and will occasionaly make you groan at an enjoyable pun. There are small jokes and some odd clues that lead to nowhere but if you claim to have solved the entire book without the help of the answers in the back then you are lying. All in all-this book is amazing.