Description: "Confident, bristly-haired Meeselphe tumbles headfirst into a whimsical world of riddles, monsters, and magical landscapes. Malivicious monsters stand in her way and nothing is as it seems in this whimsical and sometimes unfriendly world, but Meeselphe isn't fazed: she has an answer for every riddle and a red paintbrush for every self-conscious ladybug. In detailed illustrations and Claude Ponti's trademark wordplay, cleverly rendered in this inventive translation, young readers will experience the thrill of adventure and the pleasure of coming home again."
Review Quotes: "When [Meeselphe] leaves her house-tree one day to explore a phantasmagorical landscape portrayed in sprightly, clear lines, she befriends a "sadbandoned" baby bird and coolly answers riddles posed by a series of blobby monsters . . . Waters and Kerlidou deal creatively with puns and invented words ("confusifying") in this surrealist excursion that builds . . . to a final triumphant showdown." - Publishers Weekly
"Meeselphe's admirably straight and bristle-like hairdo remains as upright as the girl's resolve throughout a series of strange encounters . . . Readers who enjoy imaginative fare and adventure tales will return to this book many times . . . Illustrations are a blend of the fanciful and realistic, with an emphasis on the fanciful . . . It may remind one of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." - Children's Literature "Fans of Seussical nonsense or Sendak's art style will find comfort in Claude Ponti's whimsical fable-worlds. The gift is in their completeness. The action picks right up - Meeselphe decides to venture out of her treetop for an exploration . . . Meeselphe's lessons of exploration and generosity explain that we are uniquely a part of this strange place." - Luke Steere, Youth Services Book Review"Ponti weaves language like a master puppeteer, turning ordinary words into whimsical spells . . . The illustrations burst with color and imagination, inviting readers to linger and explore . . . Meeselphe embodies curiosity, resilience, and the magic of embracing the unknown . . . So, dear reader, grab your own bristly hair (real or imagined), leap into the unknown, and discover the magic that awaits." - Momma Braga blog "There is so much to love in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed that it was not sparse in language. The abundance of language and repetitions add to the cadence and enjoyment of reading Meeselphe aloud . . . Readers are invited to accompany Meeselphe on her adventure, to be carried from one sentence to the next like a carnival ride, to marvel at all she discovers, and to take their time considering them." - Michelle Nott "A dreamlike absurdist romp . . . This psychedelic realm of optical illusions is full of visual and verbal tricks and puns . . . It's a world you fall into and wander through. A book to be taken to a quiet corner and devoured again and again. A strange journey to be relived." -- Ben Hatke, New York Times Book Review