The Marvelous Land of Snergs

by Veronica Cossanteli, Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator)

Overview

A funny, quirky, brand-new story based on E.A. Wyke-Smith’s classic, the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, featuring wonderful illustrations from Melissa Castrillón.

At the Sunny Bay Home for Superfluous and Accidentally Parentless Children, Pip and Flora were never good at following the rules. When Flora is kidnapped, they find themselves in the Marvelous Land of Snergs, a magical place of cinnamon bears and scrumptious feasts, vegan ogres and disgraced jesters, and a villain dressed entirely in purple.

Their main ally is the forgetful but lovable snerg, Gorbo, who promises to lead them home. That is, if they can get past the wicked Widow Meldrum and her dastardly schemes.

A must-read fantasy adventure full of humor and charm, this whimsical delight will enchant Tolkien enthusiasts both young and old.

“I should like to record my own love and my children’s love of E. A. Wyke-Smith’s Marvelous Land of Snergs … and of Gorbo, jewel of a companion in an escapade.”—J.R.R. Tolkien

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609458096
Publisher:	Europa Editions, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Veronica Cossanteli is an elementary school teacher who lives with three cats, two snakes, one guinea pig, and a large assortment of lizards. Her debut book, The Extincts, was Longlisted for the Lancashire School Library Service Fantastic Book Award. The Marvelous Land of Snergs is her third book.

Melissa Castrillón is an English and Colombian illustrator based in the south east of England. Motivated by punchy color combos, inventive compositions, ingenious page design and unusual patterns, she was awarded the Gold medal by the Society of Illustrators in New York in 2019.

Editorial Reviews

10/03/2022

Based on the 1927 E.A. Wyke-Smith book of the same title that’s notable for its influence on The Hobbit, this archly voiced update from Cossanteli (The Halloweeds) reads like a classic children’s adventure in the vein of Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland. Landing on the same day at the Sunny Bay Home for Superfluous and Accidentally Parentless Children, the two newest residents quickly start chafing at the facility’s strict rules. Pip, the youngest of the Fantastic Flying Frangipanis, shows up when a tiger eats his furious father; Flora, who stops speaking after her mother forbids her constant chatter, arrives after her parents go down with the Titanic. Lured by the promise of freedom, Flora is abducted by a purple-clad woman with a puppy, resulting in a chase that sends both children, portrayed with light skin, through a mysterious gate. On the other side, they are guided by memorably depicted Gorbo, a well-meaning but comically absentminded Snerg—a hobbit-like line of cheerful tree-dwellers who are fond of food and stories—as they try to find their way home, encountering fanciful creatures, attending a Queen’s feast, and ending generational enmity. Ample whimsy and episodic escapades give the quest a friendly, low-stakes feel; interior artwork from Castrillón (Dear Little One) enhances the fanciful vibe. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR THE MARVELOUS LAND OF SNERGS

“The Marvelous Land of Snergs [is] a beautiful book to see and hold. It’s also jolly to read aloud, full of wit and surprise and, in pacing, more exciting than the original.”—Wall Street Journal

“This archly voiced update from Cossanteli (The Halloweeds) reads like a classic children’s adventure in the vein of Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland...Ample whimsy and episodic escapades give the quest a friendly, low-stakes feel; interior artwork from Castrillón (Dear Little One) enhances the fanciful vibe.”—Publishers Weekly

“The author knew just what to include to keep children entertained, magic, mayhem, baddies, secrets, and of course, a puppy. ...The Marvellous Land of Snergs was a great pleasure to read.”—YA Books Central

“This tale of abandoned children and fantastical beings is pure delight.”—Reading the West

“Castrillón supplies elegantly antique montages and spot art, with occasional views of the light-skinned central characters. This story, with clever wordplay and echoes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, will delight.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This new retelling is unique in its style and imagination, with outlandish and spectacular characters and dastardly villains, set in a deliciously atmospheric landscape… This is a delightful fantasy, interwoven with values of courage, loyalty and the strength and love of true friendships.”—Ruth Tolkien

“The glorious cover and internal line drawings by Melissa Castrillón are just perfect for this perfectly whimsical and imaginative tale. The Marvelous Land of the Snergs could make a fascinating book to read alongside The Hobbit and is a real delight in its own right.”—Joy Court, lovereading4kids.uk

“With just the right amount of peril and mystery, and with a perfect ending- The Marvellous Land of the Snergs will satisfy most readers, read independently or with the whole class.”—Nikki Gamble, justimagine.co.uk

“This children’s bookseller read it in one, delicious sitting. It is wild, exciting, adventurous and very funny, peppered with invention, loyalty and daft humour.”—bookwagon.co.uk

PRAISE FOR VERONICA COSSANTELLI

“A breezy adventure with just the right amount of oddball charm.”—Booklist

"A fantastical adventure of mystery and imagination."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2022-07-13
A reworked version of a classic 1927 British fairy story by E.A. Wyke-Smith that strongly influenced J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Cossanteli takes two wayward orphans from the rule-bound confines of the Sunny Bay Home for Superfluous and Accidentally Parentless Children (presided over by Miss Watkyns, a spit-spot mistress distinctly akin to Mary Poppins) into a magic land of goblin-infested swamps and tunnels, armored knights, giant crocopotami, and like terrifying threats. There are also witches good and evil and, most prominently, Snergs, who are a race of short, merry, food- and story-loving folk with names like Wilmus and Pompo. Punctuated by the occasional feast (and sharp comments about the shortcomings of bad parents), the round of exciting chases, captures, and narrow escapes culminate in multiple transformations, from a physical one for fiendishly clever and scary witch Malicia and inner ones for electively mute orphan Flora and her unschooled friend Pip to their Snerg guardian Gorbo’s makeover from bumbling scatterbrain to hero, loyal and true. Castrillón supplies elegantly antique montages and spot art, with occasional views of the light-skinned central characters. This story, with clever wordplay and echoes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, will delight.

A breezy refresh for a little-known story with all sorts of intriguing associations. (Light fantasy. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews