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The Mystery in the Bottle Text by Val Willis, pictures by John Shelley (Scholastic London, Farrar Straus Giroux New York 1991). |
| This was the third and final Bobby Bell book, and is my personal favourite from the series. Bobby goes to the seaside and finds a mermaid in a bottle. Trouble once more begins when he takes her to the school swimming lesson, and the pool erupts with sea life. For this work I filled the borders with nautical and marine references, while the main spreads gave me more opportunity for direct humour. |
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"Again, Shelley's imaginative, skillfully drawn illustrations--and especially his
witty, detailed borders: comical extensions of the story and of the characters'
inner lives--are outstanding" - Kirkus Reviews
"An understated and engaging fantasy...Shelley's kinetic watercolor
illustrations add excitement to the story, filling the pages with action and wide-
eyed, sharp-nosed people. Wrapped around each double-page spread are
delightful borders filled with detail and activity" - School Library Journal
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