From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-When two boys discover a box in their barn, the small bundle of papers within starts an intriguing story. Written in an ancient language that takes an archaeologist to decipher, The Poppykettle Papers recount the adventures of a tiny people called the Hairy Peruvians. It seems that the god El Ni-o breathed life into diminutive dolls and gave each one a special gift. This is the tale of five of them as they sail the ocean in a poppykettle, a vessel used to make poppy tea for the gods. At El Ni-o's instruction, the little people go searching for a special feather and a dolphin's egg in order to be provided with a safe harbor. Along the way, they encounter huge iguanas, a terrifying Cunmerrie (part bird, part dragon), and a man-eating clam. Because of their special attributes, they achieve their goals and live happily every after. This unusual novel blends mystery, high adventure, and fantasy. While there are hints of Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe, the story is highly original. Readers will find this a fast-paced page-turner with plenty of monsters and creepy creatures. More importantly, the author emphasizes the power of individual talents and the spirit of cooperation to reach an objective. While Lawrence's choice of a name for his characters may be offensive to some readers, each Hairy Peruvian has a distinct personality with which young readers can identify. Ingpen's illustrations are painterly, giving the impression of danger and excitement without scariness. However, their placement is distracting as they don't always coincide with the text.
Barbara Buckley, Jericho Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Lawrence and Ingpen offer a mysterious quest tale, featuring small, elaborately detailed paintings and a band of finger-sized adventurers dubbed ``Hairy Peruvians.'' After a great wave washes nearly everyone else away, the five survivorsoldsters Astute, Andante, and Don Avante, spunky young Aloof, and his visionary sister, Arnicaset out across the Pacific in a roomy clay teapot, searching for a safer haven. They immediately encounter the sea god, who gives them an obscure prophecy and a pair of dangerous tasks but promises peace and a new country at the end of their journey. Ingpen depicts the wee folk as dolls made of sticks and grasses, with thin, wrapped limbs and bushy hair, sailing through a natural world drawn with crisp, precise realism. The often-contentious adventurers develop distinct personalities, survive plenty of narrow squeaks, and do reach another shore, to be joyfully reunited with all the folk they had thought lost. Before settling down, they must also meet and treat with Oldshadows, painted aboriginal humans who share their new land. Framed as a series of memoirs, this will enthrall readers who enjoy tales of tiny folk whose courage is as outsized as their world. (Fiction. 10-13) --
Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
