Geronimo Stilton Book 1: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye

Geronimo Stilton Book 1: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye

ISBN-10: 0439559634
ISBN-13: 978-0439559638

Summary: Who Is Geronimo Stilton?
That's me! I run a newspaper, but my true passion is writing tales of adventure. Here on Mouse Island, my books are all best-sellers! What's that? You've never read one? Well, my books are full of fun. They are whisker-licking good stories, and that's a promise!
It all started when my sister, Thea, discovered a mysterious map. It showed a secret treasure on a faraway island. And before I could let out a squeak of protest, Thea dragged me into her treasure hunt! In no time at all, we'd set sail for the island. It was an adventure I'd never forget....

Review: (Warning: Spoilers May follow)
My Rating: B
This is of course the first of the Geronimo Stilton books. Like any first book in a series it needs to do much within a short space of time. Characters need to be not only introduced but developed to the extent that the reader feels some kind of emotional connection with them. Relationships between main characters need to be explained and locations have to be  established. All these elements need to be conveyed convincingly within the context of setting up the plot of the book and since Geronimo Stilton is a children’s book, it needs happen ultra quick.

And it does. Within the first paragraphs we learn much about Geronimo. We find out that he is clumsy, highly strung but fastidious. He works for a newspaper called The Rodent’s Gazette in a large, busy city and his sister, Thea is a strong-willed daredevil who lovingly regards Geronimo as somewhat of a wimp. In this book Thea has discovered the whereabouts of a fabled treasure known as the Emerald Eye and recruits both Geronimo and his cousin, Trap, to join her in finding it. Riddles and puzzles need to be solved so the trio can find the treasure but when they finally do, it’s not quite what they expected.

The trip to the treasure island is not smooth, as many of Geronimo’s journeys on boats or planes tend to be, and the trio end up castaways on the island. The spirit of the extended family’s relationship shines through despite their frequent in-fighting and bickering. This is one of the true strengths of the Geronimo Stilton books (Apart from the awesome art and unique coloured-multi-fonts). Though they do get on each other’s nerves, the family motto “Friend’s Together, Mice Forever” is expressed demonstrably on more than one occasion and shows that they support and love each other despite their differences.

I enjoyed the book, though it is not my favourite in terms of plot, but it’s a great introduction to the characters and the story. Like all books it has a map of Mouse Island, New Mouse City and a diagrammatic introduction to the staff of The Rodent’s Gazette.

What I Learnt (The Extra Bits):
There are no extras in the book; they seem to arrive later in the series.

Where To Buy The Book
A great way to purchase Geronimo Stilton books is on the internet, and ebay is one of the best resources around for finding a great price. Click on the latest live auctions for Geronimo Stilton and the Lost Treasure Of The Emerald below. If you prefer a bookstore, Amazon has great price and service.

Tags: Geronimo Stilton, Geronimo Stilton Books