Perma-Bound

"Although this was a best-seller in France, some of its charm must have been lost in translation. Ten-year-old Arthur lives with his grandmother. His dear grandfather, an inventor and visionary who spent much time in generic Africa, has been lost for six years, and a Snidely Whiplash villain wants to steal Grandmothers home. Arthur decides to go to the Land of the Minimoys, a tribe of people less than an inch tall that once befriended his grandfather, in hope of finding help. Once there, Arthur finds himself reduced to Minimoy size and with his work cut out for him--work that takes him into the next book. Besson, a movie writer and director (The Fifth Element ), offers a real hodge-podge here, which includes a nod to Arthurian legend. The only reason to have this on hand is the publishers massive marketing campaign, with print and radio ads along with hype for a movie to be made from this book and its sequel, Arthur and the Forbidden City, to be released in the fall.There may be demand--then disappointment." Gr 4-6-A French film director tries his hand at fantasy for children. In order to save his grandparents' home from foreclosure and find his missing grandfather, Arthur magically enters the land of the Lilliputian Minimoys through the garden, where he falls in love with tiny Princess Selenia. Now Minimoy-sized, he travels with her and her younger brother towards Necropolis, the center of power for the evil Maltazard and the place where he believes his grandfather is a prisoner. The journey is perilous and replete with battles with the villain's henchmen, and the book ends with "our three heroes" facing new dangers on their way to Necropolis. The jacket blurb informs readers that there will be two films based on this book and its sequel. Indeed, the volume is full of situations that are likely to work more successfully on film than in print. The author informs readers about the characters' reactions and feelings rather than revealing them through the story, and sections of the book read almost like explanations of the characters to actors. Arthur shifts from being a very young-seeming 10-year-old to being in love with and wanting to marry the princess in a way that is not believable. The narrator's tone is condescending and there are asides that appear to be addressed to adult readers. With flat characters, pedestrian descriptions of the battles, and an ending that feels incomplete rather than cliff-hanging, this book will have trouble keeping an audience.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.