Dappled Annie and the Tigrish

Gr 3–5—Annie's home in a coastal, remote area brings her close to the natural world. She and younger brother Robbie, whose presence is sometimes a bit of an annoyance to Annie, explore their world with curiosity and excitement. Annie is particularly engaged by a row of hedges that have names, personalities, and the ability to communicate verbally with her. The main hedges, Mr. and Mrs. Hedge, discover a nest of baby birds—fantails—in their branches, and vow to protect them. Throughout their long lives as hedges and caretakers of nests, they "haven't lost a bird yet." When an earthquake and devastating wind storm disrupts the landscape, the bird's nest goes missing. Annie, Robbie, and Mr. and Mrs. Hedge—who can detach themselves from the earth and sprout legs to walk—are determined to find the fantails. With the help of a mysterious tigerlike creature, the Tigrish, the group sets off on an adventure through an unfriendly forest and an unfamiliar beach to locate the missing nest. Fans of magical adventures along the lines of Daniel Pinkwater's Mrs. Noodlekugel (Candlewick, 2012) will enjoy this mystical romp, though some esoteric writing may confuse more literal readers.—Amy M. Laughlin, Darien Library, CT