Simon's Dream

"The Fog Mound, Book Three: Simon's Dream" Written by Susan Schade Illustrated by Jon Buller (Aladdin Books, 2009) ------------------------------------------------ This is the third book in the Fog Mound series, tying up the storyline begun in "Travels Of Thelonious" and "Faradawn," in which a plucky band of talking animals try to solve the mystery of what happened to the humans that once ruled the planet. As with the earlier volumes, this book alternates short comicbook chapters with short prose chapters (which also have some cartoon panels that illustrate the text); the experimental narrative form is enjoyable and gives readers an immediate sense of accomplishment as they plow through chapter after chapter of this fast-moving sci-fi adventure. This volume is the most action-packed of the three, using the long set-up of the other books as a springboard into a final, climactic battle with the evil Dragon Lady and her "ratmink" hordes. After the battle is won there is a quick, rather abrupt, epilogue in which our chipmunk hero has a dream vision in which everything is explained to him, including a lightning-fast explanation of the eco-pocalypse the humans brought upon the world. There are some interesting ideas, but the last few chapters feel rushed and unsatisfying; too much of a deus ex machina, and too much of a hurry to wrap things up. Still, overall this was a good series. It's definitely engaging and original; the apocalyptic themes might be a bit much for younger kids who would be otherwise drawn to the comicbook art style, but for older children, this will be a fun read, and possibly quite thought-provoking. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

This is a top notch graphic novel for young people and adults. The plot is well driven and a lot of fun. The book is a great follow up to the previous two books in the series. But this story stands on its own. The pictures add both depth and humor to the story. The graphic panels fit into the text in a genuinely surprising and entertaining way. I recommend "Simon's Dream" wholeheartedly!

I'm typing this for my eight-year-old son, who has read all three of the Thelonius books. He says: I love the idea of the flying sofa! It's a good book because mistakes turn out to be a good thing, and the animals are good at thinking and they have good legends. They're cool! Especially Wally, who is a porcupine. I think it's funny that they think the snapping turtle is a dinosaur. It's funny that there are good rats and bad rats. Of the three Thelonius books, the second one was my favorite, but this one was good, too.

The art work is really good. The story is entertaining and relevant to current issues.

My seven-year old son and I somehow stumbled across Susan Schade and Jon Buller's first book about the Fog Mound, and we've become devoted readers ever since. This writer/illustrator duo have come up with the perfect combination of prose and comics to keep the plot moving and the reader engaged. The story involves the adventures of Thelonious, a talking chipmunk, and the other animal friends he meets including Fitzgerald the porcupine librarian and Olive, the bear with a helicopter. The reader soon learns that these creatures live in a world that is no longer populated by humans but only the crumbling remains of their civilization. The graphic sections are charming and full of wonderful details. The prose sections are engaging and leave the reader eager to turn the page. As with the first two books, "Simon's Dream" is full of humor, originality, daring escapes and fascinating mysteries. What I enjoyed most of all, however, was my son begging "One more chapter! I'll read this one...just one more chapter!". This series really turned my son on to reading. We've now moved on to other less-illustrated animal adventures like "Stuart Little" and "A Cricket in Time Square". If you're the parent of an ordinarily less-than-enthusiastic reader, "Simon's Dream" and the Fog Mound books are a dream come true.