It always strikes me as odd that some animals inspire great love in some people and great loathing in others. For many people black cats are a big no-no because of the old wives’ tale that they are unlucky and while I’ve always been quite fond of rats, for some individuals they are just vermin that induce a deep sense of revulsion and fear. Here in this magical and spooky new middle grade adventure from Jan Eldredge, both kinds of animal come together in a wonderful partnership that will have young readers rooting for them as they battle not just evil forces but also fate.
For kitten Nimbus, the usual peace and harmony of the home he shares with owner Fletcher has been disturbed not only by the presence of the boy’s Aunt Caroline, who has come to take care of him in his father’s absence, but by the arrival of two old jars that are making her feel distinctly uneasy. Heading upstairs to Fletcher’s bedroom, Nimbus finds him examining one of the jars and trying unsuccessfully to open it. In desperation, the boy hits it with a rock from his collection, loosening the stopper. As the temperature in the room suddenly plummets, a smoky figure curls its way out of the jar and takes on the physical form of a goblin before attacking Fletcher.
Determined to protect her owner, Nimbus attacks the goblin – becoming injured in the process – and when it dissolves into smoke and disappears, she believes she has killed it. Summoned by the noise, Caroline rushes up to find that Fletcher has claw marks on his face and assuming Nimbus is responsible, scoops the kitten up and drives her away from the house before dumping her and removing her collar and tag so she cannot be identified. Poisoned by the creature’s attack on her, a weakened Nimbus lies exhausted until she is found by a talkative rat called Rhett.
Recognising that Nimbus needs help, Rhett guides her to the house of an elderly lady who takes in cats and soon Nimbus is being cared for alongside the woman’s other guests. Before long, Nimbus learns that the woman is a witch called Agatha and determined to try to find her way back to Fletcher, does all she can to leave the house but finds that magical forces thwart her efforts at every turn. When she finds out that her encounter with the goblin has left her with magic powers of her own, Nimbus discovers that the creature she thought she had killed may still be very much alive. Will she be able to leave Agatha behind to return to Fletcher and what is the destiny that magic has in store for her?
I think most, if not all, children love stories about animals and magic and here the two are combined brilliantly well. Nimbus is a character who young readers will adore – brave, determined and fiercely loyal to both Fletcher and those who become her friends through the story. As she learns more about her powers, she tries to use them for the benefit of others as well as for herself, even though she is aware that by learning more about magic she may be leading to her not being able to return to Fletcher, who she loves dearly.
As well as a few spooky sections which are not overly scary, and hence unlikely to upset younger or more sensitive readers, the book has some very humorous parts too – often linked to Rhett, who has theatrical ambitions and quotes Shakespeare at the drop of the hat. He and Nimbus make a great pairing and all of the minor players within the story are brilliantly written too, making this a wonderful independent read for confident children in Year 4 upwards, or a shared one for slightly younger children too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and must thank publisher Scholastic enormously for my gifted review copy. Nimbus publishes 14th September and is definitely one to add to your basket.
Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library 