Synopses & Reviews
Gaylen, the Kings messenger, a skinny boy of twelve, is off to poll the kingdom, traveling from town to farmstead to town on his horse, Marrow. At first it is merely a question of disagreement at the royal castle over which food should stand for Delicious in the new dictionary. But soon it seems that the search for Delicious had better succeed if civil war is to be avoided.
Gaylens quest leads him to the woldweller, a wise, 900-year-old creature who lives alone at the precise center of the forest; to Canto, the minstrel who sings him an old song about a mermaid child and who gives him a peculiar good-luck charm; to the underground domain of the dwarfs; and finally to Ardis who might save the kingdom from havoc. The Search for Delicious is a 1969 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
Review
“Spirited and humorous, sensitive without ever being sad.”—
The New York Times Book Review“Fantasy-adventure thats as fresh and sparkling as spring water. Its truly delicious.”—The New York Times
“The writing is distinguished by an immediate clarity and true poetry. . . . A wholly delightful story.”—The Horn Book Magazine
“The definition of this well-constructed story, combining fine imagery, humor, strong characterizations, legend, and an unobtrusive theme of good versus evil is: a good book for children hungry for light entertainment.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Here is a beguiling tale, here is a story perfectly suited for reading in the still of an endless summer twilight.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fresh and imaginative, this play on words and on human foibles is a welcome and happy book.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A made-up fairy tale that works. . . . This one is for kids who thrive on the discovery of new words.”—McCalls
Synopsis
Natalie Babbit's memorable first novel, The Search for Delicious, about a boy who nearly causes a civil war in the kingdom all because of his work on the royal dictionary.
Gaylen, the King's messenger, a skinny boy of twelve, is off to poll the kingdom, traveling from town to farmstead to town on his horse, Marrow. At first it is merely a question of disagreement at the royal castle over which food should stand for Delicious in the new dictionary. But soon it seems that the search for Delicious had better succeed if civil war is to be avoided.
Gaylen's quest leads him to the woldweller, a wise, 900-year-old creature who lives alone at the precise center of the forest; to Canto, the minstrel who sings him an old song about a mermaid child and who gives him a peculiar good-luck charm; to the underground domain of the dwarfs; and finally to Ardis who might save the kingdom from havoc.
The Search for Delicious is a 1969 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
Featured in 4 episodes as part of the Jackanory BBC children's television series.
Synopsis
"Because of disagreement in the castle over a definition for the new dictionary, the Prime Minister's young assistant is sent out to poll the entire citizenry. How the kingdom is saved and the definition found climaxes an imaginative, winning story".--Booklist, starred review. New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year; Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year.
Synopsis
In this kingdom, one word can start a war.
About the Author
A gifted artist and writer, Natalie Babbitt’s novels are inspired by a brilliance and imagination that is completely original. She began her career in 1966 with the publication of a picture book, The Forty-Ninth Magician, a collaboration with her husband, Samuel Fisher Babbitt. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious, established her gift for writing magical tales with a more profound meaning embedded within them. Kneeknock Rise earned her a Newbery Honor Medal, but it is Tuck Everlasting which has insured Babbitt’s place in the history of children’s literature. This modern classic, which has also been made recently into a major motion picture starring Alexis Bledel, William Hurt, and Sissy Spacek, asks an enduring and powerful question: If we could live forever, would we want to?
Babbitt has written six more novels including The Eyes of the Amaryllis and Goody Hall—each one presenting her unique vision of an enchanted world. Her latest novel, Jack Plank Tells Tales, was published in Spring 2007.
Natalie Babbitt lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a grandmother of three. When asked what she wants readers to remember about her books, she replied, “the questions without answers.”