A Treasure's Trove: A Fairy Tale about Real Treasure for Parents and Children of All Ages

I also bought this book as a gift for my cousin and his son. I had bought it for myself previously, too. I don't feel this story plagiarizes "Masquerade". The treasure-hunt idea is the same, but other than that, it has nothing in common with "Masquerade." I like it better because in "A Treasure's Trove" the story is more enjoyable, with a good guy/bady guy story, and it's easier to understand.

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Really intriguing. Enjoyed this very much!

Cute little book with a cute story and beautiful illustrations.

i love this book its a big hit in my house however when i got it the pages were bent and then decorative cover that was on it was also all bent up not that big of a deal but when i order something especially something that's supposed to be a collectors edition i would have figured it would have been in better quality instead of just looking like it was carelessly thrown in a box

Thank you

This book is not for everyone, and some people hate it. For example, I was in an independent bookstore the other day near City Hall here in San Francisco, and a well-dressed little toddler was sitting there crying, on the floor, while his nanny was trying to interest him in reading this book. "But I don't wanna! I don't like Pook!" cried the little rich boy. So it just shows you that there's no accounting for tastes. Speaking for myself, I can't see how anyone, no matter how young, could despise such a cute story. Zac the woodcarver is your ideal folk hero. Not too handsome, in fact he looks a bit like Nate, the hero of HBO's SIX FEET UNDER, in other words, just adequate, but children will like the way he stands tall in the forest and cares about even the littlest of the forest creatures. Even the wood he carves receives his loving attention. In a way, he's like Gary Snyder but without the poetry. Instead, what he has is an inquiring mind and a sweet dedication to the welfare of his little "doth" Pook.Yes, "doth" is correct. Don't try looking it up in your Funk and Wagnalls, for you won't find it, but I predict that one day Pook will be just as famous an animal in children's literature as the immortal Wilbur the Pig, or Aslan, or Freddy the Pig, or Puss in Boots. "Uff, uff," says the little "doth." Yes, he's part dog and the rest--well, that's for your inner child to find out. If Disney had any business sense they would secure the film right to Michael Stadther's haunting fable, and film it on the big screen with live action and combined CGI effects. They could hire just about any big star, for all of them would want to make a family oriented film. Look at Johnny Depp--he used to do edgy work, then came a family and now he's all Pirates of the Caribbean and Willy Wonka.When Zac and Pook get more involved in the mysteries of the Great Forest you will be on fire with suspense. Yes, there's an ecological twist to this tale, and so I was not surprised to read in our local paper, the Chronicle, that the very first treasure was discovered in a national park! Open to everyone, our national parks are indeed America's greatest treasure. And this book ranks a close second.

The real treasure in this book is the money that went in Stadther's pockets. I had really high hopes for this and was pretty disappointed in it. As a children's book it is fairly mediocre. There is really nothing outstanding in the plot or prose and the illustrations are amateurish. Concerning the treasure hunt itself, the book has clues like "above earth and under sky, a golden token you may spy" hidden in the margins. Cute, but it doesn't help much. I had really planned for my child and I to read this book and then have a wonderful time planning our treasure hunt. Unless Stadther starts to drop some really helpful clues on the website, I doubt anyone will find any of the treasures. If the book is really full of clues then whoever finds the tokens will be an employee of NSA or something. This leaves me to ponder if the treasures were really meant to be found or are they just a gimmick to sell an otherwise unremarkable book. If you do plan to pursue this, keep in mind that, along with the clues in the book, you will also have to have a great amount of free time just to search endlessly for the tokens. The accompanying "Puzzle Book Companion" is an equal waste of time. My advice is to save the 20 bucks or so you would have spent on this treasure hunt and take your kid to a movie or out for ice cream, you will find it more valuable.