The Abominables

Starred review from August 19, 2013
What could be more adventurous than a cross-continental trip? How about traveling with a group of excitable yetis? For years, Lady Agatha has nurtured her yeti friends in a secret Himalayan valley, but now that the area has become jammed with tourists, she enlists siblings Con and Ellen Bellamy to transport the creatures to safer ground on her lavish London estate. With help from a friendly lorry driver, the children journey from Tibet to England and see some disturbing sights, including an ill-kept zoo, a bullfight, and a display of animal-head trophies desecrating Lady Agatha’s ancestral home. Ibbotson’s (One Dog and His Boy) final novel—completed posthumously by her son Toby and editor Marion Lloyd—delivers the same wisdom and satiric wit her fans love and expect; Robinson’s witty, personality-laden cartoons (not all seen by PW) add to the fun. There’s comfort to be found in familiar archetypes, including misunderstood supernatural creatures and the big-hearted children who strive to help them, and the message regarding the cyclical nature of life. A memorable finale to a treasured body of work. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM.