E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! (The Guardians #2)

Gr 4-6--Joyce weaves together imaginary beings, fictional characters, and references to real geographic places to create his fantasy world. Two spreads of sketches show "our heroes" and "the villains" to help readers sort out the cast of players. The characters must travel to Easter Island where the Pooka lives. There they meet E. Aster Bunnymund, who explains that he makes the best chocolate in the universe. He uses milk from an "intergalactic bovine creature that on occasion jumps over the Moon" or another chocolate concoction of "marshmallow made from the whipped eggs of Asian peacocks." Still another chocolate is made with "cacao leaves that grow in the dark center of the great caves of Calcutta; it contains a pinch of mint from the ice caps of Mars." Not only can he make delicious treats, but he can also travel through space and help the Guardians as they battle The Nightmare King. Chapters have fun and informative names and there's lots of "egg-straordinary" wordplay. Children will read and reread the story to enjoy all the nuances of this plot-driven fantasy with strong visual imagery. Joyce's fans are sure to welcome his newest offering.--Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego