Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom by Jennifer Crain
Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom is probably better known for her picture books, but this is an extraordinary and magical middle grades read.
Right away, the whimsical cover “grabs” you in and invites you in like an intoxicating toy store. The beginning hooks you right away, wanting to find out about the characters, for the book follows 4 kids and their connection to the toy store of the title. I enjoyed reading about each characters’ stories, however, at times, the story felt disjointed and not smooth transitions between the different character stories within the overarching book.
I did appreciate the author’s world building, each child had a completely different and unique story, but all had a reason(s) to visit to toy shop. The slightly open ending was also appreciated, for it lets ones’ imaginations finish the story, especially with Jack.
The pacing was quick, with the exception of some disjointed flow as I mentioned above. Love the actual writing style, feels like the characters are acting out the scenes instead of talking to you. Overall, an enjoyable read!
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