Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher- a box that contains three pars of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick- a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of a horse and a cat- and the magic eyes, Peter Nimble embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.

The Good

Peter does not want to steal things from other people, he is forced to by his cruel master. Peter and several of his brave friends risk their lives to save the people in the Vanished Kingdom.

The Bad

Peter lies several times. There are sea monsters, giant evil apes and crazed thieves. Peter’s eyes take him to the place they last looked and turn him into whatever animal he last touched. Mr. Seamus forces Peter to steal and locks him into a dark room without much food.

Ages

10+ is a good age for this book. It’s also a good read-aloud.

My Take

I really enjoyed Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes. One of the things I love about it is that you think the good guys are actually the bad guys. It makes the story very interesting. In many ways it reminds me of the WIngfeather Saga, with the evil uncle, ordinary kids turned royalty, not knowing who to trust, traveling through intriguing lands, etc. I would definitely recommend this book.

Review by Kaitlyn