July 1, 2017
Gr 3-5-Jelly and her entire family are obsessed with chocolate. After all, they live in the town of Chompton-on-de-Lyte, known as the world's biggest chocolate hub. It is no surprise then that Jelly starts to worry as local television hosts predict a Chocopocalypse during their interview with Professor Fizziwicks. Fizziwicks, currently stationed on Easter Egg Island to study an egg created by the ancient Chocolati tribe, shares news of the "cataclysmic cacao catastrophe," or the day when all chocolate will cease to exist. This event, which is forecasted to occur in six days, sends Jelly's town into a frenzy. Chocolate bars fly off store shelves, school is closed, and pandemonium ensues as the townspeople fight for the last of their beloved chocolate. As the Chocopocalypse draws near, Jelly grows increasingly suspicious of chocolate store owner Garibaldi Chocolati and her own neighbor Mrs. Bunstable. A bit of sleuthing and a late-night venture with Gran move the story along as Jelly uncovers the truth behind this mysterious end to chocolate. While most of the characters are adults, they are humorous and childish at times and will appeal to a middle grade audience. The title and subject will grab the attention of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fans, and mystery enthusiasts will also enjoy this chocolatey adventure. VERDICT A funny mystery recommended for larger collections.-Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 15, 2017
Stock up now! The end of chocolate is nigh. The ancient Chocolati tribe of Easter Egg Island worshipped chocolate, but they also prophesied that the 66th cycle of Cacao-Cacao will bring about the Chocopocalypse. Jennifer "Jelly Welly" Wellington lives with her poor but lovingly wacky parents and grandmother in Chompton-on-de-Lyte, the chocolate center of the world. Although chocolate is about to disappear forever, there's a new chocolate shop in town. Its owner, Garibaldi Chocolati, claims to offer the best chocolate in the world, but Jelly discovers it's truly awful. Who is this man dressed like a Victorian big-game hunter who sells terrible chocolate? Jelly and her grandmother are on the trail. Gender roles are slightly subverted: Gran was a scientist; Dad does the sewing; and Mum works long hours to make ends meet. Everyone appears to be white, however, and colonialist and Orientalist themes run deep. Chocolati claims to be descended from a tribe of the same name who celebrated summer solstice by "eating lots of chocolate, drinking lots of tropical concoctions, and generally dancing like there was no tomorrow," while the sultan of Swang, who embodies the stereotype of the extravagantly rich Arab ruler, pays $5 billion for a bit of chocolate. Callaghan's debut possesses many similarities to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and will likely find a place among readers who enjoy Dahl's humor. (chocolate facts) (Fantasy. 7-12)
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September 15, 2017
Grades 4-6 Callaghan constructs his chilling debut around the revelation of an ancient inscription: the disappeared Chocolati tribe predicted that all the chocolate in the world will vanish on a certain upcoming day. The prospect of such a cataclysmic cacao catastrophe understandably touches off widespread panic, binge eating, and riotsparticularly in the town of Chompton-on-de-Lyte, a sort of British Hershey, Pennsylvania, where young Jelly Wellington anxiously watches the once ubiquitous treat vanish from every store and warehouse and wonders if the chocopocalypse will really happen. And (brace yourself), it does, as part of a scheme by Garibaldi Chocolati, owner of a local shop selling overpriced pure (i.e., unpalatable) artisanal chocolate, to corner the market. But Jelly turns out to be just the sort of curious, quick-thinking sleuth needed to expose the villain. Callaghan doesn't try very hard to make his titular premise credible, but it's definitely scary, and along with unwrapping a doughty protagonist, he offers mouthwatering evocations of chocolate's meltilicious chocodreaminess. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Living in Chompton-on-de-Lyte, "the world's biggest chocolate center," Jelly's world is thrown into ridiculous chaos when a TV show warns that the world will run out of chocolate in just six days. Jelly and Gran's sleuthing reveals it's a dastardly plan hatched by pompous villain Garibaldi Chocolati. Filled with bumbling, stereotypical characters, this British comedy aims for Dahl-like whimsy but misses the mark.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)