Monsieur Eek [Hardcover]

David Ives (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

The Great And Glorious Coastal city of MacOongafoondsen (population twenty-one) lies sheltered from the world. Some citizens, like Fierfl the Tailor and Miss Darkniss the Candle Maker, have never even seen the sea. Then a ship washes up with a lone survivor -- a small, odd, hairy figure the townspeople take for a Frenchman and call Monsieur Eek.

While thirteen-year-old Emmaline and her best friend, Philip, welcome Monsieur Eek, devious Shmink the Bailiff has other plans. In short order the newcomer is arrested as a foreign spy and put on trial for his life. Emmaline mounts a spirited defense. But as the town's fear of foreigners (and Frenchmen) grows, it seems that nothing will save her new friend.

In his first book for young readers, noted playwright and humorist David Ives makes a memorable debut, creating a sparkling fable, moving and funny, about two young people who risk everything to change the minds -- and the history -- of an entire town.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

On a dark and stormy night in 1609, young Emmaline Perth's wish for something "significant" to be blown her way comes true. Soon, the great coastal city of MacOongafoondsen (population 21) discovers an unexpected visitor by way of a beached ship. No one knows quite what to make of the ship, nor of its sole inhabitant. "So that's what a Frenchman looks like!" says Bob the Milkmaid. Shmink the Bailiff has already illogically determined that the ship must hail from France. With breathtaking stupidity, the town leaders promptly decide that this "Frenchman"--really a chimpanzee--is a thief and a spy, and take him into custody: "You will be held until your trial in my dank and rat-filled cellar," Shmink announces. "You will be treated humanely, given a fair trial, found guilty, and shot until you are dead." (When Luigi the Carpenter's Husband reminds him that there are no guns in MacOongafoondsen, Shmink amends the punishment to hanging.) Fortunately, wise Emmaline and her friend Young Flurp the Town Fool will have none of this. Justice will be served, but not until they've experienced some high adventure beneath the city in an underground river, upstairs in Shmink's filthy house, in a haunted castle, and by the gallows in a last-ditch effort to save Monsieur Eek, the chimp.

In his first foray into children's fiction, well-known playwright David Ives marries the absurd with a very real message about justice and equality. The truly remarkable citizens of MacOongafoondsen are what make this story "spec-tac-ular" (as Emmaline's dear departed father used to say). There's Ongka the Fat Bread Maker, who is thin and shapely, but she makes fat loaves of bread. Then there's Minister Moonster the Minister (who is Plain Willum the Weaver on weekdays), Kawasaki the Left-Handed Farmer, Barbara the Carpenter, and Mayor Ignoratius B. Overbite, each unique and memorable in his or her own way. Highly recommended. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Set in a small fictional town in 1609, Ives's first children's book, a fairy tale-like story full of absurd characters who make bizarre interpretations, results in a fun read with a thoughtful message. Feisty 13-year-old Emmaline longs for life beyond MacOongafoondsen (population: 21). Then one day a ship arrives with only a monkey on board (whom the townspeople illogically deduce is a Frenchman). The shifty town bailiff, Lexter Shmink, accuses the monkey whom he calls Mr. Eek, thinking the sound he makes is his name of spying and of being responsible for a string of recent robberies, and sentences him to hang. Emmaline then promptly appoints herself as his lawyer. Ives combines suspense (Emmaline and her best friend, Flurp the Town Fool, get caught breaking into Shmink's house to find the stolen goods and flee to a haunted castle with Monsieur Eek in tow) and a carefully woven message about how fear of the unknown can cause disaster. But it's the characters who will win over readers. The townspeople, from Bob the Milkmaid to Onderdonk the Very Tall Woodcutter, a short man who cuts very tall wood, are charmingly odd, while villains Shmink and Mayor and Mrs. Overbite step straight out of melodrama: cold, greedy and more than a little inept. Readers will cheer at Emmaline's impassioned speech at the gallows, and revel in the guilty ultimately getting their comeuppance. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (August 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060295295
• ISBN-13: 978-0060295295
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,872,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very fun book, September 8, 2001

By 

Griffin Sweeney (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monsieur Eek (Hardcover)

I picked this up for my twelve year old son to read, but I got stuck with nothing to read one night and I started it. (I originally bought because I liked Lemony Snicket's comment on the book jacket.) Anyway the book is a delight, with a charming and exicting story of a shipwreck near a mythical town in 1610.

The townspeople of this very small and isolated town investigate the wreck and find the sole survivor: Monsieur Eek. Wild accusations regarding this foreigner ensue. The townspeople are delightful characters and of course there is an evil villain. I don't want to reveal anymore except to say, that I was having a very fun time reading it, and after I got a little bit into it, didn't want to put it down. It would be a wonderful book to read aloud. If you are a fan of the Baudelaire Orphans I think you will also like this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky adventure, August 29, 2002

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monsieur Eek (Hardcover)

Playwright, writer and humorist David Ives dips into the world of children's books with the adaptation of an old legend about a monkey and a small coastal town. With plucky preteens, cartoonish baddies and a very energetic chimpanzee, this is a fun short read.

The tiny but self-important village of MacOongafoondsen (Population: 21) has been experiencing mysterious thefts, right before a strange, seemingly empty ship runs aground on the beach. Emmaline (not "Emma-leen") and her linguistically-gifted friend Flurp (actually "Philip") encounter a small, hairy, odd-looking creature who will only say "Eek," locked in one of the ship's cabins.

The repugnant Bailiff Shmink and stupid Mayor Overbite immediately decide (in a display of hideous logic) that as the ship is foreign, it must be French, and as Monsieur Eek (as the stranger is now called) is a foreigner and has a lot of body hair, he must be a thief and a spy. As the daughter of the late mayor (before Overbite), Emmaline decides to be Eek's lawyer at a fair trial where the verdict has been pre-decided. But the mayor and bailiff manipulate the situation for their own ends...

"Monsieur Eek" is based on a legend, possibly true and possibly not, about a coastal town in England where a chimp was put on trial. Happily, Ives doesn't cling to historical fixings and instead provides a quirky cast of characters, cartoonish situations, and last-minute saves. One example, for instance, is Flurp wearing a baseball cap and eating sandwiches long before everyone else did. The writing style is quick and funny, full of hilarious or chilling situations, and the dialogue is pretty realistic overall.

Emmaline (whose picky pronunciation of her name is a running joke) is a good heroine, with a smotheringly nervous mother and a townfull of people who don't have her clear vision and sense of justice. Readers will feel almost as frustrated as she is. Flurp is a good sidekick, who recognizes what a good friend Emmaline is, and doesn't care how strange the townsfolk think he is. Monsieur Eek (or rather, Samuel) isn't in the book as much as the kids are, and somehow the monkey never becomes quite as lovable as his costars. The villains are stupid, illogical, bigoted, and willing to do anything for themselves -- and readers will hate them.

It's an entertaining little adventure, probably destined to be a favorite among fans of Lemony Snicket, as the writing styles are somewhat similar. The main difference is that "Monsieur Eek" is a more upbeat tale, with definite lights at the end of the tunnel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun!, February 20, 2002

By 

J. Daniel (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monsieur Eek (Hardcover)

This was a very fun book to read. I love the way the author told the story, and I liked the characters in the town of twenty-one. They were all interesting in there own way. This was an easy to read book with some twists and great laughs.

Check it out!