Sinéad O'Hart

Chris Riddell’s work is always a delight, and this – the second in his Cloud Horse Chronicles duology – is no exception. We follow the tale of Tiggy (whose name is a vital plot point) as she travels, Dorothy-like with friends gathered along the way, to undo the terrible magic keeping her homeland of Thrynne trapped in perpetual winter. As the story unfolds we learn, via chapters told in different points of view, about the history and magic of Thrynne and its peoples.

Written in an inventive and engaging style, this is a heartwarming, thoughtful story of a mouse named Clementine and her quest to get ‘home’ to her friend Rosie the chimp. Clementine is a laboratory mouse, genetically engineered for super-intelligence. Held in captivity and under threat of death, she manages to get free from the lab where she has lived all her life (in the company of Hamlet, a fellow lab mouse). All she wants is to ensure the freedom of the other animals in her lab, most especially Rosie.