The Cloudchasers

The Sunday Age

Sunday October 12, 2008

Frances Atkinson

THE CLOUDCHASERS

David Richardson, ills. Steven Hunt

ABC Books, $39.95

This is the sort of book that whispers to readers "pick me". With its sepia-toned cover featuring a whimsical hot air balloon drifting among creamy clouds, it promises to deliver something special. The story is about Alice, a girl living in Bankertown, a wasted city shrouded in darkness, governed by pitiless adults who smother any spark of creativity or individual thought. When Alice is caught drawing the amazing creatures that she can see flying through the clouds, she draws the attention of the truly ghastly Catcher, who plans to deceive Alice and have her "re-educated" at the Institute of Creative Conformity. A "chance" invitation to the local fair ends up with Alice hijacking a hot air balloon as she tries to evade the authorities. A visual feast, Steven Hunt's digital illustrations are unsettling, yet compelling, while David Richardson's story (Tim Burton meets Diana Wynne-Jones) will keep older readers enthralled until the next instalment, due out next year.

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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