Review: Imaginative and Delightful Story For Young Children
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 18, 2013
Children will love the enchanting and often eccentric characters that are found within the book Becoming Anorak Nid.  This is part one of a two part series that follows the misadventures of a long  suffering orphaned ant named Nid, who goes on an incredible journey with the help of his mute best friend Sile Ant.The book is the perfect mixture of action and strangeness that small children, in particular, will enjoy.  There is just enough suspense to keep things interesting, but not too much to disturb a child's sleep.  So Becoming Anorak Nid is a great choice for an adventure-filled bedtime read regardless of whether the parent is reading the book or the child is reading it his/herself.  I purchased it for my six year old cousin, who I've been babysitting.  He absolutely loved the simple to follow, yet engaging storyline and all the unconventional characters, from the grumpy fairy to the mute ant.  In fact, the author does a remarkable job of creating outlandish personalities on the page that breathe new life into the often cliched children's adventure genre, while developing each personality to where they seem remarkably like us humans.  This makes Becoming Anorak Nid a much more satisfying read, as young readers can relate better to the plight of Nid and the journey on which he must embark.What I enjoyed most about the book was its humor.  It had the perfect balance of being irreverent enough to even get the occasional chuckle out of me while being familiar enough for the child to understand the jokes also.  Because of this, my cousin and I were able to have a pleasant reading experience together.  So many times I've practically groaned at having to sit down and open up a book that I knew would be a miserable experience to read to a child.  With Becoming Anorak Nid, the action is continuous, the humor is spot-on, and the characters are lively enough for it to quickly become a page turner for both readers and listeners alike.  In fact, the biggest problem is that the child will want to read the whole book in one sitting.  It really is that entertaining.While the book is definitely written to be a lighthearted and fun read, I found that there are a few well-intended messages along the way for young readers.  Nid, for example, has definitely experienced tragedy in his past, and he is constantly having to overcome his anxieties and fears which were created from past experiences.  This is a positive message of how we must all transcend the bad things that often befall us in life, which is further developed in the story as Nid must inevitably confront the uber bully Trevor The Webber.I highly recommend this book to parents of young children that love adventure stories.  Both the reader and the child are sure to enjoy it.