Hercufleas

A flea with aspirations to heroism joins forces with a girl determined to defeat a giant. Folk- and fairy-tale elements are reworked and deftly woven together in this likable fable about courage, size, gallantry and revenge. Hercufleas, as he names himself, is born into a fleamily of extraordinary fleas endowed by an alchemist with superior strength and talent. They are housed in Mr. Stickler's stovepipe hat and maintain the sly entrepreneur's library of catalogs featuring heroes for hire. Greta, a white girl whose parents and neighbors have been guzzled by the dreadful enormous Yuk, comes to Stickler with her town's last gold. But nothing for Greta, nor for Hercufleas, goes according to any plan. While Stickler's monsters are out to get Greta, the dangerous botanical monsters of the "woodn't" separate Hercufleas from his family. It's only when a truly powerful weapon is offered to the small hero that he begins to realize his own capacity for brave decision-making. Gayton's narrative is nicely and convincingly detailed, both in the matter of monsters, villains, and minor magics, and in the matter of being incredibly small. Twists and turns, reversals, and chance meetings prove several times over that hope and determination are the most reliable weapons--and armor--no matter the size or situation of the hero. (Fantasy. 8-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-The village of Tumber is plagued by an ogre who appears every new moon, ripping the roofs off houses and snacking on the townsfolk within. The adults, with the exception of the wise (and slightly witchy) teacher, are of no use. Greta, a sad, determined girl whose parents were among the ogre's first victims, steals the last of the town's gold and makes her way to the storefront of Happily Ever Afters, hoping to hire a hero who can help where many others have failed. It so happens that the proprietor of Happily Ever Afters employs a family of fleas to act as typists. Hercufleas, an insect with an instinct for adventure, is disappointed to learn that his fleamily does not take a more active role in the hero work. He takes advantage of a moment's distraction, hops onto Greta's shoulder, and is off to save the day. The book is full of wordplay, and the main action compensates for a slow start and rather thin premise. Greta and Hercufleas travel across icy wastes and through an enchanted forest ("the woodn't") in search of the ultimate weapon. Eventually, they return to unite the villagers in their own defense. The story occasionally takes a turn for the gross: our hero finds himself lodged in another character's nostril twice, and the flavor and properties of different animals' blood are explored in depth. The conclusion suggests that the journey makes the hero, not his stature or the strength of his weapon. Gayton also emphasizes the power of collective action and the critical importance of believing in the possibility of change. VERDICT A clever tale of the power of the small over the mighty, with an itchy twist. A solid addition to large middle grade collections.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2016
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Gayton makes a strong case for the proposition that smallness doesn't negate skill with this bravura tale of a flea whose thirst for adventure takes him where none of his kind has gone beforeinside a giant's nose, for example. Desperate to halt the steady consumption of her fellow villagers by a giant who has already dispatched a string of professional hired heroes, young Greta sets out to find a bona fide giant killer. She ends up with Hercufleas, an eager but naive hatchling who quickly discovers that the world is a far more dangerous place than he had supposed. Having warmed up by helping Greta survive murderous villains and the deadly flora and fauna in a woodn't (as in, you wouldn't want to go through it ), he sets out on a quest to collect the last surviving drop of Black Death, which would make him powerful enough to slay the giant with a bite. But this plan poses many dangers, and Hercufleas must decide whether to give in to temptation or opt for a chancier strategy. Gayton layers in puns and moments of both terror and hilarity, gives Greta a significant role at the head of a colorful supporting cast, and crafts a diminutive but doughty protagonist whose moral choices are as heroic as his deeds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)