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by Timothee De Fombelle
Toby Lolness may be just one and a half millimeters tall, but he’s the most wanted person in his world — the world of the great oak Tree. Toby’s father has made a groundbreaking discovery: the Tree itself is alive, lowing with vital energy, and there may even be a world beyond it. Greedy developers itch to exploit this forbidden knowledge, risking permanent damage to their natural world. But Toby’s father has refused to reveal his findings, causing the family to be exiled to the lower branches. Only Toby has managed to escape — but for how long? And how can he bear to leave his parents to their terrible fate?
"While abrupt, the conclusion provides both a satisfying culmination to Toby's character arc and an edge-of-the-seat cliffhanger for the promised sequel. Witty, original and devastatingly entertaining. Ages 10+." - Kirkus Reviews.
" It’s hard not to see some of the book’s antecedents - the Borrowers, the Littles, etc. - but de Fombelle has built a unique world with a fully developed social and political structure. Ages 9–up." - Publishers Weekly.
"Fantastical situations, appealing characters, and whimsical illustrations help carry the book, but the overriding themes ... are written with such a heavy hand that readers will quickly tire of the propaganda." - School Library Journal (Grades 5+)
This information about Toby Alone was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Timothée de Fombelle is a French playwright. Toby Alone is the first of a two-part series which has won many awards and, apparently has been translated into twenty-two languages. Illustrated by Francois Place.
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