The Search for Delicious

"There will be civil war!" the {Prime Minister} burst out at last. "Splits, upheavals, and people taking sides! Smiles will be forgotten and spring will escape notice! Little flowers will push up, only to be trodden down, and birds will sing unheeded." Prime Minister DeCree is making a dictionary, but this is not exactly an ordinary dictionary. Some of the definitions are things like `Affectionate is your dog', `Bulky is a big bag of boxes', and `Annoying is a loose boot in a muddy place.' The King is extremely happy with this dictionary at first, especially the definition `Calamitous is saying no to the King.' He then reads the definition of delicious, which is fried fish according to DeCree, and he says "no." He thinks the most delicious things are apples. The General thinks the definition should be a mug of beer and the Queen favors Christmas pudding. Soon the whole court is fighting over what should be the definition of delicious. So the King decides to send twelve year old Gaylen, DeCree's foster son, to take a poll of the kingdom. The story tells of Gaylen's obstacles and adventures along the way including some helpful dwarfs, a mermaid named Ardis, and a few angry villagers.I loved this book and could not stop reading it. Natalie Babbitt creates such vivid characters and remarkable situations. I recommend this great fantasy to anyone who enjoys extraordinary adventures in imaginative worlds.

I don't know why I picked this up to read it. I just ran across an old copy of a book by an author I haven't read much of and started it. I was absolutely startled to find such a warm book of authentic, feeling relationships, sincere humor, and true depth.The story is of Gaylen. He lives at court where his father-figure, the Prime Minister, is writing a dictionary. The king and the rest of court have a great dispute on the meaning of the word "delicious." Gaylen is sent to poll the country to find out what is truly delicious. On his journey, he finds that the country is about to be throne into a war over the issue, and Gaylen has to try to contact some pretty magical people to try and save the country.The book works on a lot of levels. On one hand, it is a humorous, adventurous, and truly touching little novel. You really love the main character and each of the episodes he undergoes makes you like him more. But the novel does have a little deeper side as the conflict over the word "delicious" comments a lot on the nature of relative truth in a fallen world, and Gaylen is on a search to try and bring order back to the world. From whatever perspective one reads the novel, I think there is something wonderful to find. I am definitely going to purchase myself a copy and recommend it to everyone I know.

My mother read me this story when I was in second grade, reading new chapters each night before I went to bed. I was in love with the story, the characters -- everything about it. There was a sense of magic and mystery that seemed to send me off to bed every night, as Gaylen's quest for delicious, the story of Ardis the mermaid, and the treacherous Hemlock took over my dreams. I often would read the book again and again, throughout grade school, until I misplaced it. Later, once I had entered college, I came across the book at home. I was able to read it in one afternoon, and was amazed at how the power of the story was still within those pages. Moreover, I was able to recognize its allegorical power. It is a must read for everyone with some sense of imagination, as well as an interest in keen political satire.

Babbitt has written a wonderful tale of a boy on a most unusual adventure. My fifth grade class enjoyed the many characters Babbitt invented along the way. The book was filled with adventure, humor, and a bit of a lesson about greed. As the protagonist, Vaungaylen searches for one meaning for the word "delicious" on which everyone can agree, and just when you think the search is hopeless, he finds his answer. An excellent fast read with marvelous characters, The Search for Delicious is sure to be a hit with many young readers.