Monsieur Eek

by David Ives

Book Overview

Nothing ever happens in MacOongafoondsen (population 21) ... . . . that is, until a mysterious ship washes up on the town's beach. The lone survivor is a small, hairy figure the townspeople take for a Frenchman. While thirteen-year-old Emmaline Perth and her best friend, Flurp, the Town Fool, welcome Monsieur Eek, the rest of the town is a little uncertain of the stranger. In fact, Shmink the Bailiff thinks Monsieur Eek is a spy In short order, Eek...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064473015
• ISBN13: 9780064473019
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Brilliant wordplay and humor.

A total delight. If you're familiar with Ives' plays, you'll recognize his edgy humor here, tailored to a children's story with real depth. Can't wait to read his new one: Scrib.

Quirky adventure

Playwright, writer and humorist David Ives dips into the world of children's books with the adaptation of an old legend about a monkey and a small coastal town. With plucky preteens, cartoonish baddies and a very energetic chimpanzee, this is a fun short read.The tiny but self-important village of MacOongafoondsen (Population: 21) has been experiencing mysterious thefts, right before a strange, seemingly empty ship runs aground on the beach. Emmaline (not "Emma-leen") and her linguistically-gifted friend Flurp (actually "Philip") encounter a small, hairy, odd-looking creature who will only say "Eek," locked in one of the ship's cabins. The repugnant Bailiff Shmink and stupid Mayor Overbite immediately decide (in a display of hideous logic) that as the ship is foreign, it must be French, and as Monsieur Eek (as the stranger is now called) is a foreigner and has a lot of body hair, he must be a thief and a spy. As the daughter of the late mayor (before Overbite), Emmaline decides to be Eek's lawyer at a fair trial where the verdict has been pre-decided. But the mayor and bailiff manipulate the situation for their own ends..."Monsieur Eek" is based on a legend, possibly true and possibly not, about a coastal town in England where a chimp was put on trial. Happily, Ives doesn't cling to historical fixings and instead provides a quirky cast of characters, cartoonish situations, and last-minute saves. One example, for instance, is Flurp wearing a baseball cap and eating sandwiches long before everyone else did. The writing style is quick and funny, full of hilarious or chilling situations, and the dialogue is pretty realistic overall.Emmaline (whose picky pronunciation of her name is a running joke) is a good heroine, with a smotheringly nervous mother and a townfull of people who don't have her clear vision and sense of justice. Readers will feel almost as frustrated as she is. Flurp is a good sidekick, who recognizes what a good friend Emmaline is, and doesn't care how strange the townsfolk think he is. Monsieur Eek (or rather, Samuel) isn't in the book as much as the kids are, and somehow the monkey never becomes quite as lovable as his costars. The villains are stupid, illogical, bigoted, and willing to do anything for themselves -- and readers will hate them.It's an entertaining little adventure, probably destined to be a favorite among fans of Lemony Snicket, as the writing styles are somewhat similar. The main difference is that "Monsieur Eek" is a more upbeat tale, with definite lights at the end of the tunnel.

Wonderful fun!

This is a book which will make you laugh out loud (or at least chuckle softly!). It's marvelous. When a shipwreck occurs on their shore, the townspeople of a small isolated village are forced to deal with their fear of strangers...specifically their fear of the especially evil and vile French. The townspeople---including such wonderful characters as Bob the Milkmaid and Kawasaki the Left-Handed Farmer---become divided as the trial of the mysterious Frenchman, Monsieur Eek, looms. Will Monsier Eek be found guilty of not only stealing the town's prized possessions but also of being French (a truly heinous crime)? Don't miss out on this one!

Fun!

This was a very fun book to read. I love the way the author told the story, and I liked the characters in the town of twenty-one. They were all interesting in there own way. This was an easy to read book with some twists and great laughs.Check it out!

A very fun book

I picked this up for my twelve year old son to read, but I got stuck with nothing to read one night and I started it. (I originally bought because I liked Lemony Snicket's comment on the book jacket.) Anyway the book is a delight, with a charming and exicting story of a shipwreck near a mythical town in 1610.The townspeople of this very small and isolated town investigate the wreck and find the sole survivor: Monsieur Eek. Wild accusations regarding this foreigner ensue. The townspeople are delightful characters and of course there is an evil villain. I don't want to reveal anymore except to say, that I was having a very fun time reading it, and after I got a little bit into it, didn't want to put it down. It would be a wonderful book to read aloud. If you are a fan of the Baudelaire Orphans I think you will also like this book.