Bruno and the Crumhorn
12-year-old Bruno has no hobbies or talents. When four times married, 82-year-old Aunt llma begins to rectify this by teaching him to play the medieval crumhorn, a series of unexpected events is set in motion. Bruno falls in love with Sybil - whose mother's boyfriend, Jeremy, sleeps in his butcher's shop refrigerator! - and finds a new confidence in himself. Sybil comes to understand that love and trust must go hand in hand and that Jeremy's protracted'absences do not diminish his love for her or her mother. This is a whimsical story, peopled with eccentric characters. The narrative has a dry, whacky humour - a gentler version of Pratchett's boisterous romps. It's gorgeously produced on high quality paper with a cover in beautifully muted tones. However, it's hard to envisage its audience - possibly strongly independent readers of 12+ with a highly developed taste for the unusual?