A new story from one of my favourite authors – fantastic! Many of the ingredients I’ve come to expect in a D.W.J book appears in this one. A quirky cast of characters, of which Earwig herself is the undisputed star. An amazing house which holds much more than meets the eye, and there’s magic by the bucketload, of course.

If you are use to the lengthy novels with highly convoluted plots which this author has crafted over the years, you might be tempted to dismiss this little chapter book as a throwaway effort. But don’t be fooled – the tale of Earwig’s battle of wills with Bella Yaga and her fearsome neighbour, the Mandrake, is every bit as satisfying as any of Diana Wynne Jones’ bigger books. Loved the wickedly spidery illustrations by Marion Lindsay, also.

image by gnack gnack gnack