With this ninth novel in the ongoing, richly developed Redwall saga, Jacques will once again captivate his myriad fans. As usual, the action is played out on more than one front. When forces of the evil pine marten Mad Eyes threaten Redwall Abbey and demand the return of some pink pearls that they had stolen from an otter holding, young hedgehog Tansy leads a group in an attempt to solve the riddle and find the pearls. At the same time, mousewarrior Martin, grandson of Matthias, leads a brave band in pursuit of the enemy, a long chase that sees the group joined by otter warrior Grath, sole survivor of the raid when the pearls were stolen. The hunt leads them across the sea to Sampetra, island domain of the mighty Emperor Ublaz (also known as Mad Eyes but not to his face) and haven to corsairs, searats, and all manner of vermin wavescum. Also as usual, the deeds--both the daring and the evil--and the deadly violence are leavened by the antics of various creatures, including the abbey young'uns, as well as by the many lovingly described scenes of cookery, banquets, and merriment. Another winner. (Reviewed February 15, 1997)

Jacques's popular combination of gory and cozy this time involves a struggle between the dear innocent little ones of Redwall and a mad, evil pine marten emperor who wishes to retrieve six rose-colored pearls hidden at Redwall. The tangled plot, unveiled in alternate chapters at Redwall and out adventuring, is as suspenseful and melodramatic as ever; fans will not be disappointed.

Jacques (The Great Redwall Feast, 1996, etc.) has outdone himself in this ninth Redwall epic, weaving strands of a thrilling tale into a complex, persuasive whole. Opening when hedgehog maid Tansy and squirrel child Arven find a skeleton in Mossflower wood, the story features Ublaz Mad Eyes, the evil pine marten who rules the tropical island, Sampetra, populated by a vile lot of seascum. Ublaz burns to possess the Pearls of Lutra—six rose-colored pearls of unparalleled beauty- -stolen by his command years before and lost when their greedy captors tried to keep them for themselves. There is Grath Longfletch, intent on revenge, and kindly old Abbot Durrell, who is captured by searats and carried off to Sampetra. Deciphering elaborate clues in cryptic verse, Tansy leads the treasure hunt for the pearls—hidden in Redwall Abbey—and breaks their spell forever. The fast-paced, meaty text jumps from Redwall to Sampetra to the high seas, each time leaving readers on the edge of their seats, until gradually the various branches of the story converge in a glorious climax. With several strong female characters, fewer battles, and more mystery—as well as the usual complement of humorous sidekicks and mouthwatering feasts—this is a victory for Redwall. (Fiction. 9-14)"

In this hybrid mystery/adventure, the latest Redwall saga, six beautiful pearls are hidden in Redwall Abbey. A marauding mob of corsairs seeking the jewels kidnaps the Abbot as a bargaining chip, thereby setting the plot off in two distinct directions. In one, the denizens of the Abbey, led by the young hedgehog Tansy, must solve a series of riddles to find the pearls; theirs is a fun- and food-laden search that harks back to a similar hunt in the series opener, Redwall. Chapters of this quest alternate with a more epic tale, as the warrior mouse Martin leads a small band on a great chase across the open sea to rescue the Abbot. After an intriguing meeting with """"sealfolk,"""" the rescuers snatch the Abbot off an island in a bloody-and implausible-battle with the corsairs. The triumphant return of Martin and his cohorts diminishes the importance of the hunt for the pearls, a disappointing loose end; in Redwall, Matthias puts the sword he has quested after to good use. The pearls do allow Tansy, one of a number of strong female characters in key roles, the chance to prove that she is fit to be the first Abbess-but only by throwing them away. The incomplete meshing of the two story lines, and the recycling of a plot from a previous installment, suggest that even though there is plenty of adventure left, this well-loved series may finally be running out of steam. Ages 6-up. (Jan.)

K-Gr 4--To adapt this classic story from the length of the standard versions, thus counteracting the movie images of the Disney animation and the current live-action film, takes an exceptional individual. Young has achieved almost complete success. The artist's note explains his approach; he uses the stock-in-trade of the Italian theater, commedia dell' arte, to capture the slapstick and exaggeration of the adventures. The result is a theatrical and readable presentation with chapters defined as scenes. Overall, the large-format book is attractive, with paper-collage illustrations emphasized with textured surfaces and backgrounds. Edges of shapes are deliberately not glued flat to add dimension and attention to technique. Quibbles are that on some spreads, the black text on dark backgrounds is hard to read, and that details in the illustrations don't always match descriptions in the story. Pinocchio's "little jacket of flowered paper" is a solid green color throughout; on the final page, when Pinocchio turns into a boy, "the bright face of a real boy looked at him with wide-awake blue eyes, dark brown hair..."--but both are painted black. This picture-book rendition should not replace standard versions such as the Macmillan edition (illus. by Attilo Mussino, 1937, `69), the Macmillan Classics (illus. by Naiad Einsel, 1963), or the Knopf edition (illus. by Roberto Innocenti, 1988). But the combination of the story's popularity with Young's name recognition and appealing cover will draw a large audience.--Julie Cummins, New York Public Library