Forever in trouble for sketching in her notebook, Penny Pickering dreams of her famous authoress aunt turning up at her boarding school and whisking her away. So when Aunt Harriet appears at Miss Strickland’s School for Girls of an Enquiring Mind and asks Penny if she would like to join her on an adventure, Penny knows exactly what to say – yes, please!
Penny soon finds herself headed for Hampshire and a strange place called Mr Toddington’s Museum of the Curious and Absurd where bewitched kittens are said to have a tea party at midnight.
Allison Rushby was raised on a wholesome and steady diet of classic English literature. Some of her favourite books include Rumer Godden’s The Dolls’ House, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden and Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. These influences shine through in Rushby’s own magical and daring writing. With the enquiring mind of Penny Pickering – and the mystical mysteries she needs to solve – you have the perfect recipe for adventure in Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens, the first book in Rushby’s new junior fiction series.
There’s a lot to love about this novel. I was instantly hooked by Penny’s wild, wondering imagination and the journeys she sketches in her notebook. This opening immediately set the tone for the novel and the peculiar adventure we go on.
While well-known for her Penny Dreadful tales, these stories are also the reason why authoress Aunt Harriett has limited interaction with her niece. So when Penny’s parents suddenly pack their bags for Switzerland without saying goodbye, it’s strange that they appoint Aunt Harriet as Penny’s guardian. From Penny’s parents disappearing to mysterious kittens who have midnight tea parties, there are a lot of clues to solve – and you might not get answers to all of them!
Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens is beautifully illustrated by Bronte Rose Marando. Marando’s whimsical artworks are placed perfectly throughout the novel – they give a sense of the characters and world Rushby has created, while still allowing plenty for the imagination. It’s clear her artwork is influenced by our natural world, the unknown and all things mysterious and magical.
Beautifully told, this book is an ode to the power of storytelling. Penny is often scolded and put down for her imagination, but she learns to stand out and use it to her advantage. With a climactic ending, I can’t wait to see what adventure book #2 takes us on. I recommend Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens for children aged 7+.
Buy a copy of Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens here.
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