Cornelia and the Jungle Machine - Hardcover

"A family moves into a new house, and a child finds a playmate.

Cornelia is not a fan of the family's new multistory Victorian house, with its copious antiques and dearth of playmates. The parents suggest having 'a look around outside' instead. Sporting a blue cape, Cornelia and a scruffy dog companion wander into the tall surrounding trees. They find a ladder, climb into the treetops, and find a marvelous branched-out treehouse. Lounging in a hammock on the porch is Fredrik, who welcomes them and shows off many inventions: There are hanging, bed-sized nests of pillows and cranks for watering hard-to-reach plants--but 'the best' is a 'Jungle Machine.' After some wheel-twisting and button-pushing, tropical plants emerge from gramophone-like horns, sprouting into a full jungle, complete with swinging vines, a river, and a red-plumed bird large enough to ride. After some adventuring, Cornelia returns home more optimistic about the new living situation. The matter-of-fact, largely wordless text provides only a slight lift beyond the unexplained, implausible circumstances, but it also allows readers' minds to wander through the fantastical possibilities. Characters present white; the eye patch-wearing Fredrik has the demeanor of an arboreal Pippi Longstocking. The pictures are intricately lined and rich with detail. Expansive images push beyond their edges to make grand use of the tall, rectangular trim.

An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam."--Kirkus Reviews

"'I don't want to live here, ' says Cornelia.

A moving truck sits on the lawn of a large, gloomy house. Cornelia, slumped in a chair, looks around a cluttered room. When she vents her dissatisfaction to her stressed parents, they suggest that 'if [she's] not going to help, ' she should 'go and have a look around outside.'

Along with her scruffy gray dog, Cornelia crosses an isolated island-of-a-hill, down to a sea of dense trees through which signs of fun can be seen: a treehouse. A long rope ladder descends, and Cornelia hangs onto her dog as she climbs up into an increasingly whimsical world. A boy named Frederik, wearing an eyepatch and a huge grin, waves at her from a hammock on the deck of his nautical-themed treehouse. Frederik welcomes Cornelia inside, where he lives with his many inventions. The 'best' by far is the 'Jungle Machine, ' which does exactly what its name suggests: a jungle is conjured, complete with exotic birds and animals, vines and a river to sail along--all the way to a dock outside Cornelia's new home. When she asks if she can visit again, Frederik invites her to come back 'every day' if she wishes.

Illustrative details abound in this atmospheric picture book of a mere 112 words. Brech perfectly depicts an oversized, overstuffed, gothic-looking mansion and the frustration of its new young inhabitant, who is small in comparison. Colors brighten as Cornelia's world expands, and both the forest and Frederik's tree-based home seem to contain more light and air. At the end of this mysterious, magical day, Cornelia, it seems, really does want to 'live here.'--Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI

Discover: A girl feels oppressed by her new home, until she discovers her young neighbor and his wild inventions in a treehouse next door."--Shelf Awareness

Cornelia and her parents move in to a new house. Bored, she is sent to play "outside." She discovers a hidden treehouse and a boy her own age.

"Do you really live here all alone?" she asks.

"No I live here with my inventions. Come and take a look . . ."

Inside Cornelia is introduced to a magical machine. A jungle machine!

Nora Brech's gothic illustrations are packed with imaginative details and perspectives. Through an extreme wide-angle lens, she draws the reader in to a powerfully detailed, filmic world.