The Ominous Eye

The protectors of the forest return to face a monstrous new threat in the sequel to The Mysterious Abductions (2016).Sugar glider and master of love Bismark, nervous pangolin Tobin, and fearless fox Dawn--the Nocturnal Brigade--face an unprecedented mystery in the woods. Without warning, the ground cracks, ashes fill the sky, and a large boom shakes the air. No one can predict when the earth will open again or say what is causing this terrible occurrence. A solitary tuatara, Polyphema, appears to have the answers. She tells them a great monster is in their midst, a beast bent on destruction and death. However, something about her raises concerns for Dawn. How does she know of this danger? What brought the creature to the forest? Everyone else believes that Polyphema holds the key to surviving the terror--even Bismark and Tobin believe Polyphema knows best. Will the Nocturnal Brigade survive the rift in their ranks, or will the monster get to them first? Hecht continues to charm readers with delightfully drawn characters and consistent suspense. Bismark's trademark, multilingual adulations fuel both Dawn's eye-rolls and readers' chuckles. Tobin remains cautiously adventurous. His quiet remarks and social perceptiveness ground Bismark's slapstick and elicit warmth from Dawn's cool leadership. Each animal, from the common to the exotic, shines with quirky personality and endearing traits. A welcome return of the colorful and curious trio--their next can't arrive soon enough. (Fantasy. 9-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 15, 2016
Grades 4-8 In this satisfying second installment (The Mysterious Abductions, 2016), our intrepid heroes Dawn (a beautiful and mysterious fox), Bismarck (a mouthy sugar glider), and Tobin (a plodding but steadfast pangolin) encounter a nasty adversary: Polyphema, a scheming tuatara (a large, three-eyed nocturnal reptile that actually exists. Who knew?). Once again the Nocturnal Brigade springs into action when their fellow jungle denizens are threatened by outside forces. Polyphema makes use of unexpected cracks in the earth (a volcano) and the discovery of a fearsome beast (a dinosaur fossil) to make dire predictions that terrorize all the animals into doing her bidding. Luckily, our heroes are there to save the day, and, as in the first volume, when they uncover Polyphema's underlying motives, learn about an important issuethis time, protecting endangered species. Returning fans will be rewarded with the expected engaging plot twists, plenty of humor, Bismarck's unrequited mooning over Dawn, and reaffirmation of the trio's mutual loyalty and friendship.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)