Review sponsored* by Amberjack Publishing
The Children’s Book Review | December 1, 2017
Written by Eric Bower
Age Range: 9-12
Hardcover: 244 pages
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing (2017)
ISBN: 978-1-944995-25-6
What to expect: Madcap adventures, curious and quirky personalities
In The Splendid Baron Submarine, author Eric Bower regales readers with the adventurous tales of Waldo Baron and his quirky family. This is the second installment in the aptly named Bizarre Baron Inventions series.
W.B., as Waldo prefers to be called, is a clumsy 10-year-old with a curious mind. The story begins in W.B.’s classroom where he is telling the class how he spent his summer vacation. W.B.’s teacher doesn’t believe his tale and he ends up in the corner wearing a dunce cap. As he wonders how his story could have literally painted him into a corner, he begins to detail his outrageous adventure to find a lost pirate treasure. Joined by his parents, Sharon and McLaron Baron, and their assistant, Rose Blackwood, W.B. goes in search of a lost treasure at the behest of the Vice President of the United States. In just this one adventure, W.B. tells readers about a gravity-changing machine, a shrinking machine, an ingenious tracking device and the namesake splendid submarine, just to name a few of his dad’s wondrous inventions.
As the story unfolds, W.B. gets himself lost at sea, lost on an island, and lost in the desert before travelling to Europe, all the while surrounded by one or another sort of angry animal or supernatural being. His parents and their assistant are often baffled by W.B.’s behavior, but that doesn’t stop W.B. from his appointed duties and ultimately, from doing what’s right. Although the story is seemingly set in the past, readers will surely be able to relate to W.B. as he tries to make the right decisions no matter the consequences.
Readers will be delighted by W.B.’s madcap antics and wild imagination. The Splendid Baron Submarine is perfect for fans of fast-paced and humorous adventure stories. This well-written story would also be a fantastic read-aloud chapter book for caregivers to share with younger readers.
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About The Author
Eric Bower
Eric Bower is the author of The Bizarre Baron Inventions series. He was born in Denville, New Jersey, an event of which he has little recollection, yet the people who were there have repeatedly assured him that it happened. He currently lives in Pasadena, California. His favorite type of pasta is cavatappi, his favorite movie is The Palm Beach Story, and he is the proud recipient of a “Beanology Degree” from Jelly Belly University in Fairfield, California. His wife and family have told him that the degree is nothing to be proud of, since “It’s not a real degree. You know that . . . Right?” and “Eric, they literally give them to everyone who visits the Jelly Belly factory,” but he knows that they’re all just jealous.
Read our exclusive interview » Eric Bower Discusses ‘The Magnificent Flying Baron Estate’
About The Illustrator
Agnieszka Grochalska is an illustrator living and working in Warsaw, Poland. As a child she wanted to be an astronaut or a jet pilot. Eventually she changed her mind and dedicated her keen eye and steady hand to drawing precise and detailed compositions reminiscent of classical storybook illustrations.
She received a MFA in Graphic Arts in 2014, exploring traditional painting, printmaking, and sculpting along the way. Currently she works predominantly in digital medium, striving to make it look as natural as her works drawn traditionally. Her illustrative works were featured in group exhibitions both in Poland and abroad.
Agnieszka enjoys travel and cultural exchange with people from around the world, referencing those experiences in her works alongside the Slavic folklore of her homeland. When she isn’t drawing or traveling, you can find her exploring the worlds of fiction in books and story-driven games.
Agnieszka’s works can be viewed in her online portfolio at agroshka.com.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. Amberjack Publishing sponsored* this non-biased review of “The Splendid Baron Submarine,” by Eric Bower Learn more about getting a book review …