Young Arabel's life is changed forever when her father, a taxi driver, brings home an injured bird he finds in the street. This wacky raven eats everything in sight, answers the telephone by squawking "Nevermore!" and causes chaos wherever he goes—but Arabel loves her new feathered friend, whom she names Mortimer. Chaos follows Mortimer, the zany and impulsive raven, wherever he goes and the Jones family is not the same after young Arabel Jones discovers Mortimer in the family's fridge early one morning. The Jones family's affection for this odd pet is silly and outrageous, making for ridiculous adventures and wacky situations between a quirky but loving family and their outrageous black pet raven. Set in a small quaint village outside London more than half a century ago, readers will enjoy the old-fashioned British dialogue and wonderful descriptions of the place Mortimer quickly calls home in Rumbury Borough. A typical English supper at the Jones' house is mince pies, cheese patties, tomatoes, and chips. Arabel's weight is measured in stones. Mrs. Jones considers her nieces and nephews to be "a spoiled lot." Babies are pushed about in prams, and soot from the family's heating system falls into the hearth whenever Mortimer flies up into the chimney. Children (and their adult reading partners) will find great pleasure in these high-spirited engaging stories because the text is rich with wonderfully descriptive phrases as well as uniquely hilarious and witty situations. Fans of this classic story will picture a hairy-beaked raven squawking "nevermore" every time they hear a phone ring, and the thought of this crazy bird will be a delightful reminder of this fabulous story.
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"I apparently missed this book when I was a kid, but I'm looking forward to making sure my kids don't have the same misfortune. Extremely silly and funny! The reader for the audiobook also did an excellent job." — Jackie (5 out of 5 stars)
"I apparently missed this book when I was a kid, but I'm looking forward to making sure my kids don't have the same misfortune. Extremely silly and funny! The reader for the audiobook also did an excellent job."
“No one but the author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase could create such a mélange of inventions, sustain such a pace, and give such vigor to the telling.”
“Children (and their adult reading partners) will find great pleasure in these high-spirited engaging stories because the text is rich with wonderfully descriptive phrases as well as uniquely hilarious and witty situations. Readers of this classic story will picture a hairy-beaked raven squawking “nevermore” every time they hear a phone ring, and the thought of this crazy bird will be a delightful reminder of this fabulous story.”
“This audio collection contains the first three of Joan Aiken’s tales about Arabel and her raven, Mortimer. Their silly antics and predicaments will entertain young and old alike. Sneha Mathan’s performance is a real treat.”
" Another Aiken book that I loved when I was 8 or 9. I remember this as being very funny. "
" Take an unusual family, add an unusually intelligent and all too usually mischievous raven, and chaos ensues! Fun, quick read. "
" I have discovered I love Joan Aiken's whimsical style, reminds me of Roald Dahl. Mortimer, the raven, is a great mischeivous yet lovable character. "
" This is one of my favorite books. "
" This is one of my favorite children's books ever! "
" Would make a GREAT read-aloud to any kid! "
" a delight, a remant. 'To think I'll never see him digging for diamonds in the coal-scuttle any more!' "
" A wonderful read-aloud and the illustrations will bring out the laughs. "
" We enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook, which was lovely with the British accent. Looking forward to getting the next Raven book to read--quite funny. "
" Man, I totally wanted a raven to name Mortimer! "
" Loved this for Kylin, enjoyed it for me, too! Am off to see what else I can find by this author... "
" This was a cute book about a little girl and her pet Raven who keeps eating or pecking at everything. Very British. "
" The kids liked this one as well. "
" I read this a long time ago when I was a kid... but I'd really like to read it again and remind myself. "
" This book was total nonsense. At times the story was slow, but mostly a delightful read. "
" Meh. More mediocre children's lit. "
" Cute stories. I can see how a younger child would find them hilarious. "
" One of my all time favorites! I just love Joan Aiken "
Joan Aiken (1924–2004) was the daughter of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Conrad Aiken and started writing herself from the age of five. During her lifetime she published over a hundred books for children and adults, including the acclaimed Wolves of Willoughby Chase, which began the Wolves Chronicles. In the UK she received an MBE from the Queen for her services to children’s literature.
Sneha Mathan is a voice actor and audiobook narrator. Her audiobook work has received several Earphones awards, and she is a three-time Audie Award finalist. She lives in Seattle.
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