Well, of course I loved it. I read this years ago along with the companion Arabel and Mortimer and enjoyed both thoroughly. I am sad to say these two have been discarded from my library and I was just able to grab this one before it went in a bin.Joan Aiken is of course a well-known and loved children's author and I had particularly liked The Wolves of Willoughby Chase which I read as an adult, as I did these. If you know a child who loves animals, quirky humor, wordplay and British authors, this is for that child.It is the tale of Arabel, a young girl who makes the acquaintance of a highly individual raven whom she knows instantly is Mortimer. They quickly take a fancy to each other and Arabel looks on fondly as Mortimer turns everything upside down in Arabel's parents' home. Mortimer will eat or drink almost anything, especially flights of stairs (which becomes quite awkward), hates to fly but loves being pulled around in a red wagon by Arabel, and chooses his bedtime locations carefully (the coal hod, the airing cupboard, the bread box). He also spends some time in a trumpet.The book is written as a series of short adventures with delicious illustrations by the genius Quentin Blake (who adds a star). There are jewel heists, deathly childhood illnesses and a lovely evening with a babysitter-in-training. The language and malapropisms are wonderful--it's a book to have a great time with. Please introduce it to a lively young reader you know, or perhaps an adult like me.
