The Abominables product reviews

The Abominables is such a delightful book to read and I don't find that often with books. It starts when Agatha Farlingham is taken in the middle of the night by Father Yeti who needs help raising his children, despite her initial fear she soon realises that Yetiâ ™s are gentle creatures and strict vegetarians (good for my children who have many vegetarian family members).

Deciding to stay Agatha teaches the Yetiâ ™s how to talk, read and most importantly manners. As time passes further family members join and all is quite well until they are found by a couple of children. Agatha, upon finding out that her beloved yeti's are no longer safe, asks the children to help the yeti's (and a yak who is in love with one of the yeti's joins in) to get to a safe haven.

This book feels more like it was made of several short stories that are all interlinked, but this doesn't hurt the book and makes it more of a fun read. The hope and the love in this unconventional family is wonderful, and of course, the big surprise at the end of it all (don't worry, no spoilers).

I highly recommend this book, it is well worth a read and I shall be loaning this out to my mother, grandmother, brother and a friend or two as well as reading it to my children.

I have always been fascinated by the Yeti or Abominable Snowman so when I found a children's chapter book about them I had to read it. This book is definitely fiction and as an adult it was hard to read without picking holes in the totally preposterous plan to move a family of yeti from the Himalayan Mountains to an estate in England lead by a child.

It is interesting to note that the author Eva Ibbotson died in 2010 and the book wasn't published until 2012. There is no mention of the book was finished by anyone else so I am assuming she had completed in before she passed. Although this was written for children there are several comments throughout about the wisdom of elders and the elderly dying.

The book is targeted at children with the interest and reading level of an 8 to 11 year old. It is never mentioned what age the children in it are but I assume they were in this age range too. The six yeti in the story all have distinctive personalities and the illustrations of them throughout the book are gorgeous line drawings. They are very humanised and trained with manners of the British upper class.

I enjoyed reading it and as frequently surprised by the plot twists and turns. I am sure that children in the target age will love it too.