The Doldrums
2 primary works
Book 1
-- New York Times
Archer B. Helmsley has grown up in a house full of oddities and treasures collected by his grandparents, the famous explorers. He knows every nook and cranny. He knows them all too well. After all, ever since his grandparents went missing on an iceberg, his mother barely lets him leave the house.
Archer longs for adventure. Grand adventures, with parachutes and exotic sunsets and interesting characters. But how can he have an adventure when he can't leave his house? It helps that he has friends like Adelaide L. Belmont, who must have had many adventures since she ended up with a wooden leg. (Perhaps a crocodile ate it. Perhaps not.) And Oliver Glub. Oliver will worry about all the details (so that Archer doesn't have to). And so Archer, Adelaide and Oliver make a plan. A plan to get out of the house, out of their town entirely. It's a good plan. Well, it's not bad, anyway. But nothing goes quite as they expected.
For fans of the bestselling Withering-by-Sea and Whimsy and Woe, an exquisitely illustrated novel from talented Nicholas Gannon.
MORE PRAISE
'A dreamy charmer of a book, full of clever wordplay that practically demands it to be read out loud.' -- New York Times
'Amusing, heartwarming, and zany.' -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
'Gannon reveals himself as a skilled storyteller, both in his writing and artwork ... It's a tender tale of friendship, untapped courage, and accidental adventure, filled with the spirit of exploration.' -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
'This whimsical coming-of-age story has a touch of mystery that will endear it to fans of Roald Dahl.' -- School Library Journal
'The book itself is a very handsome object, hardback, beautifully illustrated, and written in a style reminiscent of the Lemony Snicket series, quietly funny and very clever.' -- CBCA Reading Time
Book 2
The stand-alone sequel to The Doldrums, which the New York Times called "a dreamy charmer of a book," is a second tour-de-force by author-illustrator Nicholas Gannon.
It brims with the spirit of exploration and celebrates the bond of friendship. The exquisite hardcover package features Gannon's distinctive full color full-page art throughout, as well as black-and-white spot illustrations. The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse is a timeless tale and a beautiful gift for a young reader.
Archer Helmsley's grandparents--famous explorers who went missing on an iceberg two years ago--are finally coming home. Archer is overjoyed, but he may be the only one. Rumors are flying that Archer's grandparents were never really abandoned on the iceberg; that they're making it all up. Archer knows that the rumors are false. With his best friends, Oliver and Adelaide, and their new neighbor, Kana, Archer sets out during a snowstorm to rescue his grandparents' reputation.
In the tradition of Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, and Brian Selznick, Nicholas Gannon's wildly imaginative world of The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse is packed with sly humor, an undeniably charming cast of characters, and the thrill of discovering secrets and adventures right in your own backyard.
With approximately twenty pieces of full color full-page artwork, as well as spot illustrations, and deft, literary writing, Nicholas Gannon once again creates a fully realized world and a story to sink into and explore. "Irresistible."--Booklist