Lily and Tom travel the county with Ma Hawker, enthralling crowds with their amazing collection of curios. Always on the lookout for new wonders, Lily is tricked into buying a worthless bag of rubbish. But hidden within is a special piece of scrimshaw. A young woman called Flora Meriweather is desperate to buy the scrimshaw, hoping it can help her solve a mystery surrounding her late mother. But someone else also wants to get his hands on the scrimshaw and ensure that secrets stay hidden in the past. Can the Curio Collectors help the truth come to light?
My Thoughts
This book is sublime! From the gorgeous title, cover illustrations and production quality to the absolutely delightful story, The Curio Collectors is a joy to behold.
I always enjoy Eloise Williams' novels; she is a master storyteller with a delightful lexicon that enriches the story and the reader, with not a word wasted. In The Curio Collectors Eloise has pulled off a blinder, creating a seemingly simple tale that is rich with history, multi dimensional characters, complex relationships (I love the dynamic between Lily and Tom), and conflict. And you only have to hear the fabulous name 'Horatio Pinch', and glance at Anna Shepeta's brilliant illustration, to know all you need to know about the baddy who instantly put me in mind of Ian Fleming's terrifying Child Catcher.
Barrington Stoke (the publishers) list this title as having a reading age of 8, and with a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock so that even more readers can enjoy it. Certainly I can imagine it appealing to younger readers as a challenge, and older readers as a relaxing, easy read. I am 203, absolutely loved it and can vividly see nine-year-old me carrying it around, stroking the cover, copying the pictures and reading and reading it again. Fantastic stuff!