Book Review: The Adventures of Tilda Pinkerton

The Adventures of Tilda Pinkerton
by Angela Shelton
Quiet Owl Books, July 31, 2012
272 pages

This is a truly lovely story.  If Dr. Seuss had written a novel it would be just like this--whimsical, charming, colorful as an artist's palette, with moral values wrapped in parables like peaches in whipped cream, with epic struggles of good against evil and full of the wonder and wisdom only ever comprehended by the heart of a child.  This story will speak to every child heart aged 8 to 88.

One of the quirks of this story is the blatant flouting of the general 'wisdom' that writer's for minors must avoid long, obscure, and obsolete words or in other words any word over three syllables not in common everyday use by the age group.  Ms. Shelton does not shy from the uncommon vocabulary nor coddle young minds with tepid familiarity in words or deeds or ideas.

I would love to read this story aloud to a young child and watch the wonder light their face and ignite their gleeful giggles when they encounter Gladys Galeanthropy* the toad who purrs because she things she is a cat, Frank Fabulist the fish who speaks French and wears sunglasses against the glare of light emanating from Tilda's antennae and lighting up his fish tank residing in the crown of Tilda's hat, walking trees harnessed and ridden like horses, musical notes plucked from the air like fireflies and carried in one's pocket, chocolate grass, telescopes that spot abandoned ideas and stories and languages cluttering the expanse of night sky, and Tilda Pinkerton herself who drops from the sky in a bubble as a child of seven who speaks in rhyming couplets and transforms into a young woman who knows more than she should about many things but can't remember where she came from or where she was going when she crashed or why she fears someone she calls her rival.

__________
* Galeanthropy: the condition of believing one is a cat. (this is one of the ways Ms Sheldon handles the strange words--by using them as names and defining it either in surrounding context or in a footnote like this)


From the Publishers:

Somewhere out in the Sombrero Galaxy, Tilda Pinkerton-mystical maker of mysterious, magnificent, magical hats-is being hunted by the Keeper of Darkness.

Yet Tilda simply does not recall, at all, after taking a tremendous fall.

No one on Ooleeoo, where Tilda crash-landed, knows she is from another planet. Only Star Jumper Randy can tell her-but he's light years away, frantically searching for his missing love, desperate that without her, the entire galaxy soon may be lost.

Even in the middle of cosmic danger, Tilda loves to create hats, for which she has a rare and uncanny knack. All who receive them sparkle, in fact-and spark their innermost talent. With a Tilda hat, people can suddenly do whatever they dream of, causing brilliant ideas to grow madly.
With Gladys the toad, who thinks she's a cat, and Frank the fish, who lives in her hat, Tilda must discover who she is and what her enemy wants from her so badly.

But the Mayor of Moodle has other plans, including a ban on all wearing of hats, everywhere on Ooleeoo. His dark and forbidding actions seem to coincide with something unworldly, threatening all with a nameless dread and slowly blacking out the sky. With Ooleeoo itself turning upside down, how can anyone survive?

In this first in a series of Tilda Pinkerton adventures, Tilda must fight the battle of her life and risk all-even the galaxy and stars-by revealing her most electrifying secret.

Written for children but adults enjoy it too!

What they are saying: 

"The characters of this book are whimsical yet colorful. There is good versus evil mixed in with the innocence and wonder of a child and the jaded anger of misinformed adults. In the end (no spoiler alert here) the reader will be mesmerized by the larger battle of wills. Does good prevail? Only Louyne knows.  I recommend this book for all ages 8 and older. A great experience and shared reading adventure for youth and adults alike. Quick go buy it! And hold on to your hats for an adventure on Ooleeoo with Frank the Fish, Gladys the Toad, and Tilda Pinkerton - a heroine for a modern day."- Rhonda Dean, Amazon Reviewer

"Tilda is genius!  Angela like Shakespeare used all of life to influence her art! Tilda is a teaching book about truths on many levels, stretching the imagination, showing how important it is to do what we love! It is for all ages with information about this world and others, lessons about life, universes, imagination, possibilities, parables, perception, encouragement, overcoming fear and anger, spiritual, educational and an inspiring fantasy! A lot of whallop Angela was inspired with when she wrote this book. "- JoShel Anton, Amazon Reviewer

Angela Shelton is an author, actor, blogger and public speaker. She has been writing since she was eight years old. Her first novel was adapted into the movie Tumbleweeds. Angela won a regional Emmy award for her portrayal of Safe Side Superchick in The Safe Side video series created by Baby Einstein's Julie Clark and America's Most Wanted's John Walsh. After living in Los Angeles for over a decade, Angela left the big city for a one-light country town to marry her first love and fulfill her dream of writing books in a barn house.

Find out how Angela has incorporated the character of Tilda Pinkerton into an entire line of book projects, each geared towards a different age group at  www.MagicHatShop.com

Angela Shelton on Twitter
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Tilda Pinkerton on Twitter




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