Customer Reviews

Island of the Aunts

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Etta, Coral and Myrtle are three eccentric aunts who dwell on an island where they take care of the creatures who live there, including some very unusual ones: selkies, a boobrie (a sort of cousin of the dodo), mermaids, and a stoorworm (an Icelandic wingless dragon). Since the aunts are getting old, they need some younger people to help out and take over when they're gone, so they decide to kidnap, or "choose," three children who are unappreciated by their families. As usual with Eva Ibbotson's books, the story is filled with idiosyncratic characters, likable and unlikable (and the latter, of course, are hilariously obnoxious!). There's a kraken who's not at all like the usual sea monster; he's the Soul of the Sea, who patrols the ocean with his Healing Hum, the Song of the Sea. This is one of Ms. Ibbotson's best (and they're all very good!). Note: This was originally published in the U.K. under the title "Monster Mission."

Island of the Aunts is an imaginative story of an Island that not only is the habitat for normal gulls, seals and dolphins, but also selkies, mermaids and wingless dragons, not to mention a couple of ghosts. There are five aunts who originally cared for these creatures, but one of them went to foreign countries to stop people from eating rare animals, and the other was a snotty stuck-up sister who went and got filthy rich by marrying a man with three types of toilet refreshener in his bathroom. Now there are only three aunts still remaining on the island and if you want to know what happens to these aunts on the endless journey to keep the island a secret and find worthy children to watch over the island when the aunts die, read this beautifully written story Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson.

If you have read this book already and enjoyed it then two other books similar to this one also by Eva Ibbotson are Which Witch and The Secret of Platform Thirteen.

Before I review the book, I wanted to comment on something. As you may have read from other reviewers, this book is identical in text/content to another book called "Monster Mission" from the same author. Please don't blame the author for this, as the problem lies with two different publishers both owning rights to print the book. (Puffin, and Macmillan) The book by one publisher has a different title and different cover art but it is the same book, word for word. This happened to another Ibbotson book "The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood" and "The Haunting of Granite Falls", are identical as well. To make it more confusing, I bought a book before these US releases, "The Haunting of Hiram" in Canada, and it is also the same book with yet another cover and title.

As long as you know BEFORE you buy, it's OK since you can pick which cover art you prefer. I happen to like the Macmillan cover more than the Puffin cover on both books myself, but at least I could choose. The down side of all this, is that I think that buyers are hesitant to rush to buy a new Ibbotson book until they learn more about is, as they are afraid it may duplicate a book they have. This gets harder when you are buying for someone else.

Now, the book that is for sale on this page "Island of the Aunts", is a great story. It is about three aunts that live on a magical island, whose mission is to care for the magic and mythical creatures of the world, mending them when they are hurt and that sort of thing. As they are getting up in years, they decide they need someone to take their place and it will take some time to train them. They know that it must be children, as they could understand the magic better and believe what they are seeing. So these kind gentle souls decide the best way to get them to the island is to kidnap them! They travel to London to take their time studying different kids to find those that have the right tempemperment and the best chance of success... they need good kind-hearted, smart kids. They find some but, also accidentaly steal another kid who is a beastly mean brat. To make matters worse a ship has arrived to pollute the island and exploit the creatures. This story is sweet and hilarious, dripping with suspense, full of imagination and memorable characters.

Ibbotson, Eva. Island of the Aunts 2000. 281p. illus. Dutton Children's Books. $15.99. ISBN-0-525-46484-0 Gr.3-5 In Eva Ibbotson's third novel, Island of the Aunts, three elderly ladies, Aunt Etta, Aunt Myrtle, and Aunt Coral are living on a remote tropical island with only two other humans, but a menagerie of beasts. The Aunts, as they call themselves, are the caretakers of the inhabitants of the island, which range from a two-year-old merman to a 500 ft. "wingless dragon" that talks. They find themselves growing old and realize that someday they will die, so they decide to kidnap helpers. The results are Minette, Fabio, and Lambert. Minette and Fabio are a dream come true for the Aunts but Lambert is a nightmare. Looking upon animals in disgust he is locked in his room and of no use, but don't forget him! After a day of introduction the children get to work de-oiling mermaids and (Ahem) mermen and feeding everyone else. It looks as if things can only go uphill . . . This incredible novel is masterfully written and takes on the some magical build as The Secret of Platform 13 and Which Witch. So Harry Potter fans come this way Eva Ibbotson is the author for you!

This was such a fantastic book, that if you decided not to read it, you would be missing a great treat. From the minute that I picked up this book, I could not set it down! It is so well written, and there are some hilarious parts that will make you cry with laughter. The author describes each character so well, and each one's personality comes across perfectly. Ibbotson creates a mystical world of mermaids, talking seals, large whales ("krakens"), huge birds, friendly giant swamp worms, and a great assortment of other creatures. If you like Harry Potter, this book is just for you, and if you don't like Harry Potter, you should try reading this book anyway. I bet you'll like it! You should also try reading "Which Witch" and "The Secret of Platform 13" by the same author.

At first, I chose this book because I have read and enjoyed all of Eva Ibboton's books so far. Once again, I was not dissapointed. Island of the Aunts is about three aunts who take care of all kinds of mystical sea creatures. However, they are growing older and need some people to take care of their "residents" when they are gone. With this in mind, they kidnap two children that are named Minette and Fabio. Minette and Fabio, are two extremely wonderful children that come from horrible families. At first, Minette and Fabio are frightened, but they soon grow to love and adore the aunts. Later, all the animals as well as the aunts are in danger for horrible people who are trying to find them, and it is up to them to save the aunts and creatures they love.

Can you believe world with mermaids and, sea creature even exists? Well, I didn't until I discovered the world of "Island of The Aunts!" There are three aunts that live in one island and they care of the island but what is going to happen to island when the aunts die? Well they need somebody take care of the island but who is it going to be? If they pick adults to take care of the island well they will destroy the island and make the creatures extinct, but if they pick kids the kids will love the island and they wont do harm to any of the creatures! How are the aunts going to get some kids to take care of the island? They are going to kidnap children! Find out when you read " Island of the Aunts!" This book has love, courage, and danger! Discover the world of mermaids, sea dragons, big boobrie, and lots more unusual creatures! If you like books that have adventure well, this is the right book for you!

Oh, my, goodness, this is the best book! It's perfect for ages 0-1,5876. It is an imaganative story about an three aunts (there are supposed to be five, but one got put in jail for hitting a chef on the head with a wok because he was making steaks out of an endangered animal, and the other one shaved her legs(oh, the horror) and married a tax inspector) who live on an island and take care of all the animals there. It's a truly spectacular book, and I recommend it to everyone.

Aunt Etta, Aunt Coral and Aunt Myrtle are getting old and can no longer keep up with all of the magical creatures of the island like they used to - after all, mermaids, selkies, and boobries take a lot of work. However, they know that they cannot trust other adults to take care of the island the way they do so they decide that they need some children. There is only one problem - they don't have any children to train. The aunts decide that the only way is to resort to kidnapping. After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped. So the aunts set of to mainland England and start sorting through children. They quickly learn that most children are horrible, nasty, selfish creatures who don't know how to work at all. The aunts are ready to give up when they discover Minette and Fabio, two children who are clever, hard workers, and, most especially, underappreciated at home. Aunt Etta and Aunt Coral arrive back at the island, having successfully kidnapped their likely candidates and are quickly followed by Aunt Myrtle, who panicked and kidnapped a totally unsuitable monster of a boy. What happens next on the island will surprise and delight young readers as amazing and wondrous events take place...

This is an absolutely enchanting fantasy book for children. It is always fun to hear about normal people triumphing over great odds, and even more fun when those normal people happen to be normal children doing extraordinary things. Eva Ibbotson has a very nice, easy writing style that is quite simple and makes everything easy to understand. She is very attentive to her audience and always introduces new creatures with a bit of background information so that everyone is clear on what her view of a selkie/mermaid/boobrie/kraken/etc is. The type font is larger than usual and so perfectly suited to younger children. I think that this book is a marvelous option for those younger readers who are not quite ready to dive into Harry Potter. Although The Island of the Aunts deals with some serious subjects, Ibbotson treats them in such a way that they are very light and nonthreatening. A perfect book to read with your children or to offer to an older child as a longer alternative for their own reading time.

I am 14 and am almost finished reading Island of the Aunts. While this is definitley not my favourite book, it is enjoyable to read. The story revolves around three aunts who kidnap two children, Minette and Fabio, to help with work on a magical island. The end of the book is more exciting than the beginning. ubt overall I recommend this book for girls and boys ages 9 - 13.