Jeremy and the Enchanted Theatre

Carol L. MacKay is a children’s librarian living in Bawlf, Alberta.

After being pursued on the street by a bully and then an angry dog,
Jeremy takes refuge in a neglected old theatre, where he meets Mr.
Magnus, a strangely preoccupied theatre owner. When Jeremy plays around
with the props in the costume room, he finds himself—along with a
talking cat named Aristotle-transported back in time to ancient Greece.

Becky Citra has successfully mixed magic and myth in this early
chapter-book adventure. The story moves along quickly, with short
chapters of no more than seven pages, each accompanied by at least one
full-page black-and-white illustration. Every chapter ends with some
degree of suspense, enticing readers to keep going. Citra introduces
characters and creatures from Greek mythology, including Zeus, Ares,
Hermes, the Muses, and nymphs. Instead of naming the harder-to-pronounce
gods, such as Prometheus and Hephaestus, the author wisely uses their
descriptive names, such as “God of Fire,” or omits their names
entirely.

Jessica Milne’s full-colour cover art is appealing. Without the added
dimension of colour, however, the interior illustrations seem flat and
oddly out of proportion. Still, they do convey the action of the story
and provide additional details about the characters and setting.
Recommended.