Kurt Nickle-Dickle of Whiskers
by N.J. McNeill
Published by OakTara
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Reviewed by Shawn Remfrey
Generations ago, the Pied Piper played his sweet tune and led away all the children of Hamelin town. What is not common knowledge, is that the children were taken away from the corrupt town and taken to a new home, a land later to be called Whiskers, where light and love prevail. Whiskers is a magical place filled with talking animals, metal trees, and every morsel it will take to fill your fanciful imagination.
When Kurt Nickle-Dickle is caught in a storm with his dog, he ends up following him into a cavern, which in turn leads him to the strange land of Whiskers. Armed only with a mysterious keepsake from his father and his trusty dog, Charlie, Kurt must battle the forces of evil in order to save the land of Whiskers and find his way home. Will he succeed? Or will he find himself wanting to stay in this new, wondrous world?
To be honest, most of the books that I pick up these days are wonderful reads, but lacking that ‘classic’ quality. From the first page of Kurt’s story, I found myself absolutely dumbstruck with the craftsmanship of this book. Each word is finely honed. Each sentence finely tuned, creating a poetic, musical masterpiece of literature. I took several days reading and rereading each page because I was so struck by the beauty of the wording.
This book is an ingenious blend of Alice in Wonderland, The Neverending Story, and the writer’s own imagination. Though having many qualities that children look for in books, this isn’t necessarily a book just for children. I found myself being transported back to being eight years old. My adulthood stripped, my inner child savored every bite that the land of Whiskers had to offer. Most of the wording in the book is more advanced than the average child would understand, but I can’t help but think this is the type of book that every parent will want to share with their child.
Armchair Interviews says: Reading age suggested: age 9 to adult, so everyone can enjoy this wonderful 320-page feast of fantasy in words and images.
Author’s Web site: http://www.NJMcNeill.com