JULY 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Cassandra Morris’s youthful voice contributes to the lighthearted tone of the first book in a new series. The seven quirky, capable Problim siblings are left alone while their parents are off on an archaeological expedition. Morris handles their individual identities and capabilities as easily as the children deal with the explosion of one home and the move to another, inherited from their grandfather. Can they solve the riddle that leads to treasure and fend off the menace of their greedy neighbor, Desdemona O’pinion? Morris’s narration appreciates the author’s whimsical inventions such as the construct that the children’s gifts relate to their different birthdays and the rhyme that begins “Monday’s child is fair of face.” Wit comes from Frida’s rhymes and Baby Toot’s farts, their scents and sounds reflecting the family members’ moods. S.W. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/15/2018
Seven gifted Problim siblings, each born on a different day of the week, offer an irreverent and delightful twist on the “Monday’s Child” nursery rhyme in this series launch from Lloyd (The Key to Extraordinary). Among them are 13-year-old gardener Sal, a hardworking “Saturday’s child” who grows everything from people-trapping “Wrangling Ivy” to seeping fog; rambunctious “Friday’s child” Friday, who wears a fox costume and speaks in rhyme; and baby Toot, who communicates via different types of flatulence (defined in footnotes). After the children’s home in the Swampy Woods unexpectedly explodes—“Explosions are nature’s way of telling us to start over,” says ever-cheerful 16-year-old Sundae Problim—the siblings relocate to their grandfather’s mansion in the town of Lost Grove, where they become embroiled in a longstanding feud with the villainous Desdemona O’pinion. Family secrets and a fear of the other drive Lloyd’s plot, and the children’s varied talents and humorous antics will leave readers eager to dive into their future exploits. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Feb.)
Chapter 16 Reviews
Young readers with an appreciation for offbeat adventure stories will no doubt be delighted with Natalie Lloyd’s imaginative world and its lively, brave inhabitants—farts and all.
Claire Legrand
The Problim Children is bursting at the seams with magic, heart, and humor. A sheer, riotous delight.
Dan Gemeinhart
An absolute gem, delightfully original but with the timeless charm of a favorite classic.
Heidi Schulz
Filled with adventure, mystery, humor, and heart.I couldn’t help but fall in love with the entire Problim family.
Anne Ursu
An affectionate ode to the wonders of being a weird kid in a weird family. This book is an utter delight!
The Horn Book
Well-developed secondary characters are one of the book’s strongest points, from sisters who both run bakeries to a [girl] trapped at home because of an allergy to air. The whimsy factor is high.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Much quirky fun to be had.... Give this to fans of Ingrid Law’s Savvy or Lloyd’s own A Snicker of Magic.
Booklist (starred review)
★ “With her trademark charm and heavy doses of whimsy, Lloyd spins another heart-warming yarn centered on friendship and family.
Shelf Awareness
In this spellbinding debut novel set in Tennessee, Felicity Juniper Pickle sees magic in the people around her, and her worldview is curiously contagious
New York Times Book Review
Whimsical and bewitching … hang on for the ride!
School Library Journal
12/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Lloyd (A Snicker of Magic and Key to Extraordinary) pens a new series. The Problims are a perfect seven: one child for each day of the week. From the infantile Toot (his lack of vocabulary does not prevent him from communicating in the most amusing and odiferous manner) to the nearly grown Sundae, the Problims have found themselves in need of new lodging. Chasing a riddle from their peculiar grandfather, the Problims reclaim his home in town, though the neighbors aren't particularly thrilled to see the Problims return. With rumors of treasure, exceptionally nosy neighbors, and the twins Thea and Wendell's birthdays to plan, the siblings have their work cut out for them. This first installment introduces the family while focusing deeply on the twins' relationship and their individual identities. Lloyd's warm and playful writing shines here. While the large, quirky family story feels familiar, the Problims' problems are their own. Readers will enjoy unravelling this first bit of familial mystery with them. When the tale is done, readers may feel gently let down, as not much is resolved in this first outing. However, future Problim adventures will likely be requested and devoured. VERDICT A general purchase and a must where Lloyd's previous works are popular.—Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR
JULY 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Cassandra Morris’s youthful voice contributes to the lighthearted tone of the first book in a new series. The seven quirky, capable Problim siblings are left alone while their parents are off on an archaeological expedition. Morris handles their individual identities and capabilities as easily as the children deal with the explosion of one home and the move to another, inherited from their grandfather. Can they solve the riddle that leads to treasure and fend off the menace of their greedy neighbor, Desdemona O’pinion? Morris’s narration appreciates the author’s whimsical inventions such as the construct that the children’s gifts relate to their different birthdays and the rhyme that begins “Monday’s child is fair of face.” Wit comes from Frida’s rhymes and Baby Toot’s farts, their scents and sounds reflecting the family members’ moods. S.W. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-10-16
When the Swampy Woods home of seven siblings is utterly destroyed, the children move to House Number Seven in Lost Cove—and neighbor Desdemona O'pinion tries her hardest to malign, evict, and separate the children.Both text and illustrations offer a nod to Roald Dahl's quirky, juvenile heroes and equally quirky, nasty villains. The distinctive flavor comes both from Lloyd's witty but succinct word mastery and from her unflagging imagination. Each of the titular children was born on a different day of the week, with a name and a personality or appearance that—arguably—parallels the old nursery rhyme "Monday's child is fair of face." Here Monday's child is the lovely but subversive Mona. Tuesday's child baby Toot's "grace" is apparently his ability to communicate with highly specialized farts, while Thea—Thursday's child—moves slowly toward self-confidence during the generally madcap adventure. The story begins with the children gratefully unscathed after their home suddenly blows up and continues with their move to town, where their combined warmth, cooperation, and ingenuity enable them to charm everyone but evil Desdemona. There are ongoing, mysterious discoveries before it concludes with a temporary reprieve on eviction—but plenty of aperture for the next adventure in the series. The family is white; secondary characters include one blind girl and another who is "allergic to air" as well as neighbors of varied ethnicities. Among other novelties, readers will meet circus spiders and revel in "heartspeak."A promising, lighthearted beginning. (Fantasy. 8-12)
