Book Review: The Caretaker of Imagination, by ZR Southcombe

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” – C S Lewis

Looking at books like Harry Potter, Aesop’s Fables or Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I can’t help but agree with the words of C S Lewis. For those books may have been written for children, but are enjoyed years on by most who read, child or adult. Also, when it comes to children’s books or fantasy novels, the title and the cover do matter more than others. When the author approached me for a review for this novel, it was the title that made me curious – The Caretaker of Imagination.

The book follows John and his cat Theo as they “run away from home”, leaving their world in pursuit of adventure. And adventure does follow! They meet a waiter, who turns out to be a pirate, or so John thinks, and the waiter sends them to a friend of his, Edgar, who turns out to be someone unexpected, and who tells stories. Edgar sends them off to find The Caretaker of Imagination, so they try to enlist the help of that “pirate” waiter. And another adventure begins.

To take a 42 year old accountant and his cat (yes, you read that right) and send them off on an adventure in a car named Myrtle was brilliant. I loved both their characters immensely and enjoyed reading about their adventure. It showed me that there can be fun and adventure around the corner if I believe there can be, and let my imagination run wild. I loved the tone of narration and the characters that popped up, be it the pirate or Edgar or the wizard or Jess or Midnight. It was the fun which made the book a quick-read. I loved Jane Thorne’s illustrations a lot, and thought that the first illustration, of John and Theo in Myrtle, would have made a brilliant cover page than the current one, though the current one is not terrible or anything.

When it comes to fantasy, I love books that come to life in my imagination, and I really felt that this one did. I want to know more about the character of Lucy, who I feel has a wonderful imagination too, so I hope a sequel or another book comes from the author with one of Lucy’s adventures. I’m really glad to have read this book and I hope to read more from Zee’s pen very soon.

Book Details
*Title:* The Caretaker of Imagination
*Author(s):* Z. R. Southcombe *Illustrator:* Jane Thorne	*Genre:* Fantasy
*ISBN/ASIN:* B00UB7IH9S	*Publisher:* Self-Published
*No. of Pages:* 62	*Price:* INR. 62

Reviewed for the author, who gave me a soft-copy of the book. The views expressed here are my own, frank and uninfluenced.

Author: Vinay Leo R.

Poetry and writing are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world. View All Posts