Amazon.com: The Search for Delicious: Natalie Babbitt: Books

Review
"Because of disagreement in the castle over a definition for the word 'delicious' for the new dictionary, the Prime Minister's young assistant is sent out to poll the entire citizenry. How the kingdom is saved and the definition found climaxes an imaginative, winning story." --Starred, Booklist
-- Review

Review

"Because of disagreement in the castle over a definition for the word 'delicious' for the new dictionary, the Prime Minister's young assistant is sent out to poll the entire citizenry. How the kingdom is saved and the definition found climaxes an imaginative, winning story." --Starred, Booklist

"A subtly teasing fantasy-adventure that's as fresh and sparkling as spring water. It's truly delicious." --The New York Times Book Review

"A wholly delightful story. The writing is distinguished by an immediate clarity and true poetry." --The Horn Book

"This engaging story begins with a brief glimpse into the past when dwarfs, woldwellers (forest dwarfs), mermaids, and winds of the air openly inhabited the earth. The actual story unfolds much further in the future, when these amazing creatures, mostly forgotten, live in secret places. DeCree, the Prime Minister, inadvertently provokes an upheaval of the townspeople with his attempt to define the word 'delicious' for the official dictionary. Although other of his definitions have been well recieved ... he cannot secure approval for 'Delicious is fried fish,' because each government official has his own personal food preference. To alleviate the situation, DeCree's 12-year-old special assistant and adopted son, Gaylen, polls all the citizens fortheir choices. The villian of the story, the Queen's brother Hemlock, convinces the townspeople that the King will, upon outcome of the poll, prohibit the eating of certain foods; he futher instigates revolt by dammign up the water supply, but Gaylen with the help fo a mermaid foils this and a definition fo delicous is finally agreed upon . . . The definition of this well-constructed-story, combining fine imagery, humor, strong characterizations, legend, and an unobtrusive theme of good versus evil, is: a good book for children hungry for light entertainment." --Starred, School Libarary Journal

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Product Details

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (February 24, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374465363
ISBN-13: 978-0374465360
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #668,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#23 in Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Babbitt, Natalie

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
THERE WAS A TIME ONCE when the earth was still very young, a time some call the oldest days. Read the first page

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Prime Minister, Poor Ardis

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 7 books:

Goody Hall by Natalie Babbitt in Front Matter
Herbert Rowbarge by Natalie Babbitt in Front Matter
Dick Foote and the Shark by Natalie Babbitt in Front Matter
Tuck Everlasting, 25th Anniversary Edition (Sunburst Book) by Natalie Babbitt in Front Matter
The Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt in Front Matter

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25 books cite this book:

Through the Looking Glass: Further Adventures & Misadventures in the Realm of Children's Literature by Selma G. Lanes on page 160, and page 163
Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A Read-Aloud Guide Second Edition by Judy Freeman on page 295
Writing for Children (Plume) by Jane Thayer in Back Matter
One Small Dog by Johanna Hurwitz on page 71
The Integrated Curriculum: Books for Reluctant Readers, Grades 25 by Anthony D. Fredericks on page 169

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	86% buy the item featured on this page: The Search for Delicious 4.6 out of 5 stars (34)
	5% buy Tuck Everlasting 4.1 out of 5 stars (1,251) $6.99
	4% buy The Eyes of the Amaryllis 4.6 out of 5 stars (17) $6.99
	3% buy Goody Hall 4.7 out of 5 stars (3) $6.99

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Customer Reviews

34 Reviews

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good then, Great now, April 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Search for Delicious (Ariel Book) (Hardcover)

My mother read me this story when I was in second grade, reading new chapters each night before I went to bed. I was in love with the story, the characters -- everything about it. There was a sense of magic and mystery that seemed to send me off to bed every night, as Gaylen's quest for delicious, the story of Ardis the mermaid, and the treacherous Hemlock took over my dreams. I often would read the book again and again, throughout grade school, until I misplaced it. Later, once I had entered college, I came across the book at home. I was able to read it in one afternoon, and was amazed at how the power of the story was still within those pages. Moreover, I was able to recognize its allegorical power. It is a must read for everyone with some sense of imagination, as well as an interest in keen political satire.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delicious Book, September 16, 2003

A Kid's Review

"There will be civil war!" the {Prime Minister} burst out at last. "Splits, upheavals, and people taking sides! Smiles will be forgotten and spring will escape notice! Little flowers will push up, only to be trodden down, and birds will sing unheeded." Prime Minister DeCree is making a dictionary, but this is not exactly an ordinary dictionary. Some of the definitions are things like `Affectionate is your dog', `Bulky is a big bag of boxes', and `Annoying is a loose boot in a muddy place.' The King is extremely happy with this dictionary at first, especially the definition `Calamitous is saying no to the King.' He then reads the definition of delicious, which is fried fish according to DeCree, and he says "no." He thinks the most delicious things are apples. The General thinks the definition should be a mug of beer and the Queen favors Christmas pudding. Soon the whole court is fighting over what should be the definition of delicious. So the King decides to send twelve year old Gaylen, DeCree's foster son, to take a poll of the kingdom. The story tells of Gaylen's obstacles and adventures along the way including some helpful dwarfs, a mermaid named Ardis, and a few angry villagers.
I loved this book and could not stop reading it. Natalie Babbitt creates such vivid characters and remarkable situations. I recommend this great fantasy to anyone who enjoys extraordinary adventures in imaginative worlds.

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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book and found it very interesting, April 17, 1999

By	Bryan W. Young (USA) - See all my reviews

The book that I read was titled The Search For Delicious, written by Natilie Babbit. I believe that it would be most enjoyed by readers of fantasy books. It is purely a fantasy story. The story is basically about a boy named Gaylen who is sent on a quest through the kingdom to find what people think is truly delicious so that his father can complete his dictionary. Unfortunately, what start out to be a simple question turns into something that will tear the nation apart.

My first opinion of the book is that its characters were mainly understandable and believable. I found this to be strange, knowing that it's a fantasy. The mythical characters led lives similar to mortals but each different in it's own way. For my second focus, I'd like to explain how I chose this book. I picked this book out primarily for its unusual title. It drew me to it because it made no sense at the time. The last item I would like to bring to focus is the author's vivid description of the mythological character like the mermaids and winds. Phrases like "a voice so low and soft that he had to bend close to distinguish it from the lap of the water at the rock" and "...leaves of exquisite tree frothed low..." frequently appear during the piece and make it quite realistic and enjoyable.

As you have probably inferred by yourself, this piece is splendid for young and old fantasy lovers and even those who aren't. This book will give you a marvelous insight into how much there might be, beyond what we know.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous fairy tale
When the earth was young, there was a circle of mountains inhabited by dwarves. The circle was quite dusty, until one day a spring magically appeared. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Emily Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully delicious!!
I recently purchased this book at a Scholastic Book Fair at my daughter's elementary school, not realizing that it was written in 1969 and it was a reissued edition with an... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Georgann P. Schultz

5.0 out of 5 stars Maddie's Grammy
I bought this for my grand-daughter, who really enjoyed another book by Natalie Babbitt. Maddie was thrilled to receive it; I imagine she will enjoy this one, as well.

Published 18 months ago by Geraldine Wuelfing

1.0 out of 5 stars The Search For Delicious By Natalie Babbitt
I think I would have to fall asleep in order to express how I really feel about the book, The Search for Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt. It just isn't a fun read. Read more

Published on January 15, 2007

3.0 out of 5 stars An afternoon read
This is great for a short afternoon read by the pool. The book can be read in an hour or two at most. Read more

Published on June 23, 2006 by Roy J. Meek

5.0 out of 5 stars No need to search further..this story is delicious
Though initially turned off by the cover of the paperback edition of this title, I loved this story. It is one of my all time favorite reads. Read more

Published on June 3, 2006 by nesarey

5.0 out of 5 stars Search for Delicious
I read Search for Delicious and I recommend it for 3rd graders and up. The story is about a king who is trying to make a dictionary and is stuck on the word, delicious. Read more

Published on February 9, 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Classroom Read Aloud for Grade 4-6
Back when I was teaching, I blindly chose this book to read aloud to my 4-6th graders because we enjoyed Natalie Babbitt's book Tuck Everlasting so much. Read more

Published on January 22, 2006 by Larisa Murphy

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicous Indeed
The Search for Delicious is a both humorous and, hmm... mysterious? Perhaps, as the plot (Uh oh, a "plot!" Fairly weak foreshadowing that was... Read more

Published on November 21, 2005 by Kupo!

5.0 out of 5 stars best book ive eeeveerr read
This was a very good book. i usually dont like fiction books but i read it anyways and i liked it so much, i read it twice. I highly recomend it

THANK UUUUUU

Published on December 26, 2004

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