Imp

Allan Baillie (author)

Caroline Magerl (Illustrations)

Puffin Books, Australia: 2002; 91pp

ISBN: 0141314168

Genres: adventure, fantasy

Issues: friendship

An Aussie Bites book.

When he and his parents move into their new house, Brian is sure that the previous owners must have been involved in magic. Why else would there be a knee-high stove - just the right height for a cauldron - and strange shapes left behind in the dust on the walls?

There are noises and voices at night, and things are moving without Brian touching them, although his parents are sure that he is to blame for the smashed sugar bowl. When his parents go shopping, leaving Brian behind to ‘mind the house', he decides to investigate. Much to his horror he discovers that he and his parents have inherited a House Imp: a little green man with magical powers who delights in causing mischief and mayhem.

Children will love this imaginative story because it is such a reflection of the occasional spookiness of a house at night. Despite the vocabulary limitations and word length imposed by the ‘Bites' series, Allan Baillie manages to create a wonderfully complete story, with lively and three-dimensional characters.

Good fun.