Dr. Marthe Reed
English 204
28 February 2012
Imagination Land
At my first glance of a book entitled, Phosphor in Dreamland by Rikki Ducornet, many thoughts began to formulate about what was to come. I remember thinking that this dreamland better be a sensational one. Let me assure you that it turns out to be one of a kind. It is a stimulating story of an orphan boy named Phosphor’s inventive life and journey through a very imaginative, creative, and unique place known as “Birdland”. Phosphor in Dreamland is an underground five star novel in which the author creates a very eventful plot, outrageous but appropriate characters, and a consistent flow, which in turn has a wonderful lasting impression on its reader. From the first few paragraphs of this book you can tell that the author has a well thought out story. The narrator begins in the prologue by writing the first of many letters to a friend, which foreshadows many future events. The prologue gives the reader an understanding of how the story is going to flow. She explained fictitious multitudes of objects, creatures, and histories of the island. Exciting points in the book include Phosphor falling in love with a girl, becoming an inventor, and going on a journey through Birdland. This journey is to capture the island for his rich new friend and boss named Fantasma on a camera-like device, which Phosphor invented. On this journey the last lop lop, a very rare and native bird on the island, is killed. The detailed plot really puts the reader in the story and is very successful for the novel. The detail really adds to pulling in the reader because how fantastic the journey, characters, creatures, and histories are. Along with realizing the eventful plot to come in the first paragraphs you can also find out how ridiculous Ducornet’s characters are going to be. Her first character being a “scholar” named Fogginius who cured a deaf man’s cough “by stuffing his ears with parsley and