Travels of Thelonious (Fog Mound) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: untamed forest, Fog Mound, City of Ruins, Secret Way (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Thelonious is a young chipmunk who lives in a world where humans exist only in legend. During a violent rainstorm, his tree is ripped from the ground, and he is swept away to a city populated by animals of the lowest criminal element. He soon finds himself in the company of Olive, a bear with a gift for mechanics; Fitzgerald, a porcupine who guards the books that were left behind when the humans died; and Brown, a shifty lizard who joins their group to escape a life of slavery. Together they must find their way back to the idyllic commune that exists atop the Fog Mound. In doing so, they will discover clues as to what happened to the humans. Written in chapters that alternate between traditional prose and comic-book format, the story is a gentle introduction to graphic novels. The illustrations are delightfully cartoonlike, and they are tinted in a soothing blue that beautifully complements the postapocalyptic setting. Unfortunately, the narrative is heavy-handed in espousing the evils of humanity's lack of concern for the environment, and the story takes a silly idealistic turn when the animals arrive at their destination. Despite these flaws, this is an easy and entertaining read that will appeal to reluctant readers as well as those exploring the graphic-novel genre.–Heather M. Lisowski, Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. The team behind several early reader books, including the Danger Joe Show series, offers the first episode in the Fog Mound series, introducing Thelonious, a young squirrel with a taste for legends who is swept away by a flood and left in the Ruined City. Exploring this strikingly imagined world, he meets a porcupine librarian and a helicopter-flying bear, and together they make a dangerous journey to the Fog Mound, an idyllic land holding clues to humanity's disappearance. The alternating chapters of illustrated prose and charming, highly detailed sequential art display a fascination with the power of stories to inspire adventure and unlock mysteries. Form doesn't always seem to suit content: the action is largely presented in prose, and the lengthy conversations are comics. The transitions are smooth, however, and one memorable escape scene makes full, thrilling use of graphic storytelling tools. Elements of Watership Down, The Wizard of Oz, and the film Planet of the Apes contribute to a genuine sense of discovery, and although many answers are left for future volumes, this book will be a great way into prose for reluctant readers. Jesse Karp
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068987684X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689876844
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #649,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, beautifully illustrated, excitingly told, May 24, 2006

By	Rowena Smythe (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

Thelonious is wonderfully illustrated with great care, detail and imagination. That, together with the humor, originality and pace of the story, which works well on both the cartoon pages and the text pages, has my nine-year old completely fascinated and captivated. A terrific encouragement to young readers. More of this please -- my child and I are eagerly awaiting the further volumes.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Come follow follow follow follow follow follow me, May 27, 2006

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There's nothing I love more than a good post-apocalyptic children's book. Your "Eva"s. Your "Z is For Zachariah"s. You know what else I love? Cute woodland creature books. Things like "Poppy" and "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH". Gosh, wouldn't it be swell if we could combine those two things into one great big post-apocalyptic furry woodland creature story? Bambi meets Logan's Run. Well now there is an answer to my prayers in the form of "The Travels of Thelonious". The second children's book to come out this year with the name "Thelonious" in its title ("Thelonious Monster and the Sky-High Fly-Pie" was the other), Susan Schade and Jon Buller have brought us an odd but amusing little tale of talking chipmunks, bears with thumbs, and a world post-human beings. Part graphic novel, part prose, this is one of those titles that bridges genres and may well get twice the readership as a result.

You can't tell Thelonious the chipmunk that the Human Occupation was a myth. Though his sister Dolores mocks him incessantly for it, Thelonious is convinced that humans were once real. As proof he owns a postcard of a skyscraper which he believes was an honest-to-goodness human creation. Soon, however, Thelonious is able to see firsthand what a human city must have looked like. One day a particularly violent rainstorm picks up Thelonious's tree home and deposits him in the midst of a dirty run-down and dangerous city. Once there he meets a shifty lizard who wants to sell the little chipmunk to the local despot, The Dragon Lady (less "Terry and the Pirates" and more komodo). He also comes across a porcupine with a penchant for human books and a bear named Olive who has harnessed the power of flight. Now chipmunk, porcupine, bear, and even lizard are going to try to make it back to Olive's idyllic home at the top of the Fog Mound. It will take their respective skills and talents to get there, but the trip will certainly be worth it.

The idea of making a book part graphic novel and part, um, novel novel is not a new idea. With the ever-rising popularity of comics in bookstores and libraries alike, publishers are slowly realizing that this may well be a smart way to go. For those parents who would like their kids to branch out a little, books like "The Travels of Thelonious", come as welcome crossover titles. Whenever the text ends and the pictures begin, those same pictures continue the story along rather than bogging it down.

Yes, but is it any good? Actually it is. For such a dark concept (all the humans, save one, are dead dead deadski) the book moves at a fast and cheery clip. Schade is clever enough to slowly parcel out the information as we come to it. In this way, then, we learn that some animals have gained the power of speech while others still cannot. We also discover that many creatures have grown opposable thumbs and that the Fog Mound is as idyllic as it is because some concerned human(s?) made it that way. The writing itself isn't going to blow you away. It's good for what it is (the first of many future adventure tales apparently) but nothing so deep as "Watership Down" or "The Wind In the Willows". Consider it "The White Mountains" for younger kiddies.

As for the art, I liked what I saw of Buller's style. Chipmunks in general aren't overly expressive characters, but Thelonious is a delightful hero. Also, while I can think of many many mouse and rat heroes of children's literature, chipmunks are few and far between. Buller takes a great deal of care with his characters and settings. The style is fairly cartoony but with plenty of details as well. Also, I was impressed by how well he strategically presented the one naked human the animals come across later in the story.

I mean, I wouldn't go shouting its name to the hilltops, but for a book that's a lot of fun for a wide range of child readers, this first adventure in "The Travels of Thelonious", comes across as a worthy read. This may well be one of those rare titles that attracts both hard-core reader fans of books like the "Redwall" series AND the "Captain Underpants" / "Babymouse" reluctant reader crowd. All the fun of reading a graphic novel with the rewards of simple prose.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ADULTS WILL LOVE IT TOO!! , June 15, 2006

By	LorenMojo (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

They say the book is for Ages: 8 - 12 and Grades: 3 - 7 . But when I spotted this book in the bookstore I immediately wanted to pick it up and read it for myself ! For one, the illustrations (especially the cover) were beautiful! It reminded of the retro children's books of my day (well Im 24) I think this book is colorful and adventurous and humorous for even adults to enjoy (especially if you're a child @ heart) and we all can learn something from these talking animals ! The cliffhanger at the end was nice .. I cant wait to read book 2 ! I didnt know this book just came out this month. So Im now a fan in anticipation ! lol
My boyfriend couldnt wait til finished the book to him so he went and got his own copy too lol.