Milo is a boy who doesn't know what to do with himself: wherever he is he wants to be somewhere else, but when he gets there he doesn't really know why he bothered. One day a mysterious package arrives in the mail containing a toy tollbooth. With nothing else to do, Milo sets off in his little toy car on a fantastical romp through the Kingdom of Knowledge where he meets a phenomenal cast of characters including the watchdog Tock, the not so scary Which, and (one of my favorites) the Whether Man. He is sent on a quest by Azaz the Unabridged of Dictionopolis and the Mathemagician of Digitopolis on a perilous mission though the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason. There is, however, one very serious problem with this journey they can only tell him when he returns...
There are some books you read as a child that really stick with you, and for me this is one of those. I re-read this book every couple of years and it just gets better and better. With it's playful writing and unique cast this is a fantastic book for both children and adults. While the story is fun to share, there is so much wonderful homophone play that perhaps, at least the first time, it's better to read it to yourself.
Recommended age 8+
Published by Yearling (imprint of Random House)
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