Simon's Dream (Fog Mound)
Grade 3-6–The chipmunk hero Thelonious is back, along with his companions from the earlier volumes–bears, a porcupine, a renegade lizard, and the shrunken scientist Bob, who may be the last human on the planet–to stop the burgeoning war between the mutant crabs with their robot soldiers and the army of ratminks led by the vainglorious Dragon Lady. Along the way, Thelonious learns secrets about the ultimate fate of humanity and more about the origins of the varied clans of intelligent animals. The illustrator and author continue to alternate between chapters of illustrated prose and comic-book narrative. The conclusion is satisfying, but events leading up to it raise as many questions as they answer, and a rushed final journey of discovery as to how the humans made the planet uninhabitable for themselves feels too much like a visual recap of earlier exposition than a satisfying final revelation. On the other hand, the book does provide enough of an ending to give a sense of closure while still leaving the door open for future episodes. The lessons about trust and prejudice work well, even though the environmental moral lacks punch. The book demonstrates increased skill on the part of the storytellers, despite the poorly paced denouement.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.