Mattimeo

May 15, 1990
The cruel fox Slagar steals a group of young woodland animals from Redwall Abbey--and among them is the great warrior mouse Matthias's son, Mattimeo. Slagar's motive is revenge, but as Matthias and a band of Woodlanders pursue their children's captors far across the desert to a horrible slave kingdom, Slagar attempts to destroy the champion Matthias to make his victory even sweeter. This final book in the Redwall trilogy is a truly thrilling conclusion to a swashbuckling, heroic adventure. Jacques's realistically drawn characters are full of personality, from the most humble bankvole to the foppish, lop-eared rabbit and the vicious, back-stabbing fox. The fierceness with which the Redwallers fight back to save their young lends the story credibility within the realm of the animal kingdom, while at the same time taking wonderful liberties with the imagination. Ages 10-14.

This episode in the popular series concludes the adventures of the peaceful creatures of Redwall Abbey. Slagar, the evil fox, kidnaps the children of the abbey. Among those taken is Mattimeo, son of the warrior mouse Matthias. Young Mattimeo must find his inner strength in order to help the others survive the trials and hardships of captivity. Magnificently read by the author and a full cast, the production is one of exuberant performances as the woodland inhabitants endure a forced march to slavery in the rat kingdom and suffer heartbreaking defeats and glorious victories in the battle sequences. Musical underscoring is used to good advantage, never distracting from Jacques's exquisite descriptive language or the enthusiastic performances of the cast. Thrilling storytelling for Redwall-Mossflower fans. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

August 1, 2004
Gr 5 Up-Brian Jacques' Redwall saga continues to be successfully translated into a full cast audio performance featuring the author as narrator. In this volume (Philomel, 1990), the title character leaves home a mischievous boy and returns having earned his rightful title of warrior. The son of Matthias and descendent of Redwall's original warrior, Martin, Mattimeo's story echoes with themes that will be familiar to loyal fans of the series while also providing the uninitiated with plenty of background information to help them enter the fantasy realm. More than a dozen actors contribute to the reading of this tale about revenge, the politics of slavery and freedom, the prodigal son, and even feminism-for while the small animal men of Redwall are away, the abbey is protected from invaders by its rodent women, including Cornflower, Mattimeo's mother. Jacques' storytelling is a perfect fit for oral performance, and this recording will delight listeners.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.