Attila, Loolagax and the Eagle

Three misfits are thrown together in a quest to find somewhere they can be accepted, somewhere they belong. They are: a Penguin, who can’t bear the cold, a vegetarian vulture and a hedgehog who thinks he’s an eagle. These three are pursued on the journey to their eventual haven (the Galapagos Islands – perfectly sensible if you think about it) by evil animal collector, Mochin Accord, and his meek and much put-upon sidekick.

The animals are helped on their way by all manner of sea creatures – walruses, whales, dolphins, a giant turtle, even a lamp fish – which leads to a fair amount of uninspired eco-preaching. A series of far-fetched adventures are linked together in a linear structure which, combined with the profusion of absurd names, makes the book read very much as though it was developed from a bedtime story, but there’s still enough energy, inventiveness and charm to give it a genuine appeal to children.