Sylvie and the Songman

All of London is growing quiet, animals are losing their voices. Then Sylvie's dad, a songwriter, mysteriously disappears. Sylvie, her best friend, George, and her dog, Mr. Jackson set out on an adventure to solve the mystery. Along the way they encounter animals of all shapes and sizes, who help them in their search. All the while running from the mysterious songman and the woodpecker man. Together they attempt to save the world from silence.

Sylvie and the Songman took a while to get into, the beginning of the plot was slow. But once the adventure got underway I couldn't stop reading. Overall the book was interesting, it makes you think and ponder the ideas of animal-human interaction and the power of voice. I think this book is like "indie" music, it's unique and interesting but it most likely will not be a mainstream hit. The text of the book was inter-woven with illustrations. These illustrations showed the setting but still let me imagine. The illustrations are in black and white, and beautifully add another element to the book. The author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. I felt like I was on the adventure with them. The ending wrapped up the story well, except it didn't fully explain the teachers whereabouts. Reading this book makes you think, it is beautifully powerful and exciting at the same time. I would recommend this book to people who like to wonder, but I would tell them it takes time to get into.

I would recommend adult guidance for this book because it can be scary at times. There was some graphic descriptions that are slightly disturbing but very important to the plot.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Amherst, MA USA