The Magic Hat of Mortimer Wintergreen

March 1, 1988
This is a lark of an adventure story, set in the 1890s, complete with dastardly villains, a con artist with a heart of gold, daring escapes, balloon rides and an appealing pair of orphaned children. Spoofing many of the conventions of the historical novel, Levoy provides a merry and suspenseful chase, as the orphans run away from evil Aunt Vootch, join ranks with a would-be magician and travel from South Dakota to New York City. The magician's hat, functioning independently of its owner, Mortimer Q. Wintergreen, serves the cause of justice in an original wayit spews taffy neck-high over two robbers. Exaggerations of the genre abound, and readers should be able to distinguish as such the evil aunt's abuse of the children (e.g., chaining them to a post in the pigpen). The abrupt ending and unanswered questions (whatever happened to Aunt Vootch?) suggest a sequel, which will be most welcome. Ages 8-12.

Prepare for a wild ride, set in the 1890s. Narrator Kirby Heyborne draws listeners into the plight of Amy and Joshua, who live under the thumb of their abusive Aunt Vootch. When the children escape and team up with an itinerant magician, Mr. Mortimer Wintergreen, to travel to New York City to find their grandparents, Heyborne hits his stride, dynamically rendering the cross-country chase as the trio is pursued by outlaws as well as the persistent Aunt Vootch. Heyborne gives Mortimer's voice an easygoing tone with a lovely singsong effect when he reacts to the shenanigans of his hat, which gives forth items such as a line of laundry, smoke from a locomotive, bagels, and crayons--or refuses to cooperate at all. This funny, merry adventure is sure to please. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine