 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
A Treasure's Trove
- By Michael Stadther
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Mediocre story with brilliant marketing.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that young, sensitive readers may be bothered by the apparent death of a cute main character (though it turns out not to be true). There's also an odd (for a picture book) reference to a "warm, slow" kiss.
What's the story?
The forest is slowly being killed, and its inhabitants are endangered thanks to the evil Rusful, the Blight-Spreader, and his minions, the Darklings. These creatures spread a dust that turns living beings into crystal jewels, which Rusful collects and covets. To fight back, some of the forest creatures join forces with the fairies and Yorah, a wise old tree.
Meanwhile, Ana, the newly married wife of Zac, a goodhearted woodcarver, is kidnapped by Rusful, who demands that Zac recover the jewels the fairies have stolen from him and hidden. Throughout the story and pictures are clues to the real-world locations of 12 jeweled creatures, now all found, which the author had hidden around the country.
Is it any good?
Michael Stadther had been obsessed since childhood with treasure hunts, so he decided to write and illustrate a book with clues to hidden treasures. When he couldn't find a publisher willing to bite, he published it himself and taught those snooty publishers an important lesson: With the right marketing, even mediocre fluff like this can hit the bestseller lists. There's nothing really wrong with A TREASURE'S TROVE, and nothing really objectionable either. It's just not very good.
Stadther has considerable talent, and it's clearly a labor of love. But the story is stock and predictable, the characters are straight out of central casting, and the paintings are garish and awkward. That's not to say your kids won't enjoy it, though they may be disappointed that the treasures have all been found. Notably, hardly any children were involved in finding the treasures.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the clues to the treasures. Though all have now been found, it could still be fun to figure out the codes and hints.
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| Author: | Michael Stadther |
| Illustrator: | Michael Stadther |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Treasure Trove, Inc. |
| Publication date: | October 29, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 116 |
| Hardcover price: | $39.95 |
| Paperback price: | $19.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 7 - 11 |
| Read aloud: | 7 |
| Read alone: | 9 |
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