High In The Clouds

Forced to leave his woodland home, destroyed by the expansion plans of the evil Gretsch, Wirral the squirrel vows to find the fabled land of Animalia, where all the animals are said to live in freedom and without fear. Aided and abetted by Froggo the hot-air-ballooning frog, Wilhamina the plucky red squirrel, and Ratsy the streetwise rodent, Wirral's personal quest turns into a full-blown plan to save enslaved animals Everywhere -- a plan that is fraught with danger. Exciting, poignant, and funny, this lavishly illustrated epic tale will delight children of all ages. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal Grade 2-4-McCartney joins the ranks of celebrity authors with his first childrens book. Wirral the squirrel sets off to find Animalia, a tropical animal sanctuary. He knows of it from his mother, who is crushed to death when bulldozers begin mowing down the Woodland. With her dying breath, she urges him to find the fabled island. His quest takes him to Megatropolis, a loud, polluted city, where he sees animals imprisoned in factories and learns of a plot to destroy Animalia. With the help of his friends Froggo and Wilhamina, Wirral finds the island and leads the animals of the Woodland and Megatropolis to a happy, if predictable, end. Ardaghs writing style and humor are evident, although some of the jokes fall flat. The cartoon illustrations resemble animation cels reduced to fit the books pages, with the result that occasionally Wirral and his friends become lost in the surrounding scenery. Due to its length and vocabulary, the book will appeal to children who are ready for long read-alouds or beginning chapter books.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR Copyright å¨ Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review "'Young audiences will delight in the clever wordplay and smartly - drawn comic characters.' Independent" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.