School Library Journal

Gr 4 7—Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge has a bad day and loses her hat. She finds herself lost as well, survives an encounter with a poison-tongued jumping tortoise, and overhears a conversation between two underground-dwelling Leafeaters, who have total distain for humans. Persimmony travels to tell the king what she's learned and is sent on a mission to discover if the mountain at the center of her island homeland is really a sleeping giant. Once she confirms his existence, she finds herself on an even more urgent mission, this one even more dangerous, to save her homeland by preventing the giant from being awakened by the Leafeaters, who are digging for gold and are about to reach his feet. Trafton creates a unique setting with unusual and detailed characters, including the playful Rumblebumps, the polite but dangerous Leafeaters, and the selfish 13-year-old king who has no regard for his subjects. Persimmony's sense of adventure and determination make her an entertaining heroine. Trafton's message about courage and responsibility is conveyed through her, the exaggerated King Lucas the Loftier, and assorted other characters, but it never overshadows the story. Frequent full-page black-and-white illustrations add to the humor and nonstop action.—Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI