Publishers Weekly
With overtones of Chasing Vermeer and The Borrowers, this inventive mystery involves two families that inhabit the same Manhattan apartment: the Pompadays-a slick, materialistic couple, their infant son and thoughtful James, from the wife's previous marriage-and a family of beetles, who live behind the kitchen sink and watch sympathetically as James's charms go unappreciated. Careful though the beetles are to stay hidden, boy beetle Marvin crosses the line, tempted by a pen-and-ink set James receives for his 11th birthday. Marvin draws an intricate picture and then identifies himself to a delighted James as the artist. Before James can hide Marvin's picture, Mrs. Pompaday loudly proclaims her son's talent and even James's laid-back artist dad compares the work with the drawings of Albrecht Dürer. A trip to a Dürer exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art follows, James stowing Marvin in a pocket; before long a curator is asking James to forge a Dürer miniature of Fortitude as part of an elaborate plan to catch an art thief (can a tiny virtue defeat big lies?).
Broach (Shakespeare's Secret) packs this fast-moving story with perennially seductive themes: hidden lives and secret friendships, miniature worlds lost to disbelievers. Philosophy pokes through, as does art appreciation (one curator loves Dürer for "his faith that beauty reveals itself, layer upon layer, in the smallest moments"), but never at the expense of plot. In her remarkable ability to join detail with action, Broach is joined by Murphy (Hush, Little Dragon), who animates the writing with an abundance of b&w drawings. Loosely implying rather than imitating theOld Masters they reference, the finely hatched drawings depict the settings realistically and the characters, especially the beetles, with joyful comic license. This smart marriage of style and content bridges the gap between the contemporary beat of the illustrations and Renaissance art. Broach and Kelly show readers something new, and, as Marvin says, "When you [see] different parts of the world, you [see] different parts of yourself." Ages 8-13. (Sept.)
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KLIATT - Janis Flint-Ferguson
Although some readers may be put off by a story about a beetle and a boy, this is a great mystery for young adolescents. The main character is Marvin, a beetle who lives with his family inside the home of James, his mother, stepfather and baby brother. On James's birthday, his biological father, an artist, gives him an ink set. Marvin, though, is the one who has artistic talent and he uses James's pens to draw a tiny miniature as a gift to the 11-year-old. James's father is thrilled that "his son" seems to have followed in his artistic footsteps and takes James on a trip to the art museum to see famous miniatures drawn by Albrecht Durer. Through a series of coincidences, James and Marvin are introduced to the world of stolen artwork and it will take all of their ingenuity to return the art and capture the thief, while covering up the fact that it is not James who draws, but the little black beetle. Marvin is a great little character, with much curiosity and talent. He and his family live off the crumbs and scraps left behind in the house. James is a quiet boy caught in a divorce and trying to find his own identity. He doesn't know how to explain the prized miniature that thrusts him into his mother's spotlight. The friendship between the two characters is believable and is a major theme as the two seek to help and support one another. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson
Children's Literature - Sharon Oliver
Broach, with two successful juvenile novels behind her, presents a third sure hit with mystery readers. Marvin is a beetle who lives with his family under the kitchen sink of the Pompaday family, Mrs. Pompaday, her son James, his little brother, and his stepfather, Mr. Pompaday. When James receives a drawing kit from his artist father on his birthday, Marvin sneaks in for a closer look and discovers he has a talent for drawing. When the adults think James is responsible for the remarkable drawing, he gets caught up in a plan to fake a famous Albrecht Durer drawing in an elaborate plot to catch a thief. Unfortunately, things go awry and the real drawing is stolen instead. Marvin manages to stay with the painting and tries to get back to his friend James to recover the famous artwork. Aside from a couple of wandering sub plots, this is a great mystery and a rousing adventure. Through it all, James and Marvin learn quite a bit about art, people, and taking credit for work that is not your own. This is a wonderful addition to juvenile fiction collections and is sure to be hit with fans of Broach's previous novels as well as new readers. Reviewer: Sharon Oliver
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8
Elise Broach's novel (Holt, 2008) is the story of a beetle named Marvin who lives under the kitchen sink in a New York City apartment, and his friendship with James Pompaday, a human boy. Marvin feels sorry for James, whose mother never seems to have anything nice to say about him. After an unpleasant 11th birthday party, Marvin decides to do something nice for James. He uses the ink from a pen-and-ink set that the boy received for his birthday to draw a miniature of the scene outside of the boy's bedroom window. Mrs. Pompaday sees the drawing and thinks her son is the artist. Soon James finds himself being compared to Albrecht Durer, the famous Renaissance artist, and becomes involved in a plot to help the Metropolitan Museum of Art recover several Durer masterpieces that have been stolen. Jeremy Davidson skillfully portrays the various characters, easily transitioning between their voices. This marvelous story is sure to be a hit with middle school students.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS
Kirkus Reviews
Eleven-year-old James Terik isn't particularly appreciated in the Pompaday household. Marvin, a beetle who lives happily with his "smothering, overinvolved relatives" behind the Pompadays' kitchen sink, has observed James closely and knows he's something special even if the boy's mother and stepfather don't. Insect and human worlds collide when Marvin uses his front legs to draw a magnificent pen-and-ink miniature for James's birthday. James is thrilled with his tiny new friend, but is horrified when his mother sees the beetle's drawing and instantly wants to exploit her suddenly special son's newfound talents. The web further tangles when the Metropolitan Museum of Art enlists James to help catch a thief by forging a miniature in the style of Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer. Delightful intricacies of beetle life-a cottonball bed, playing horseshoes with staples and toothpicks-blend seamlessly with the suspenseful caper as well as the sentimental story of a complicated-but-rewarding friendship that requires a great deal of frantic leg-wiggling on Marvin's part. Murphy's charming pen-and-ink drawings populate the short chapters of this funny, winsome novel. (author's note) (Fantasy. 10-14)
From the Publisher
Inventive ... Broach ... packs this fast-moving story with perennially seductive themes: hidden lives and secret friendships, miniature worlds lost to disbelievers ... Broach and Kelly show readers something new.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Delightful intricacies of beetle life ... blend seamlessly with the suspenseful caper as well as the sentimental story of a complicated-but-rewarding friendship ... Murphy's charming pen-and-ink drawings populate the short chapters of this funny, winsome novel.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This marvelous story is sure to be a hit.” —School Library Journal
