We Are Not Eaten by Yaks: An Accidental Adventure

In adult author London's first children's book, aptly classified as an accidental adventure, twins Celia and Oliver Navel (don't call them couch potatoes—in their words they're "audiovisual enthusiasts") are reluctantly sucked into a pursuit of the Lost Tablets of Alexandria to save their explorer parents. The bantering twins would rather be mindlessly watching their favorite TV shows, like Love at 30,000 Feet and The World's Greatest Animal Chases Three, but instead are dragged off on another tedious trek by their father. Soon they are being booted from an airplane midflight, going toe-to-toe with a yeti, and running from a disgruntled faux-lama. It takes a few chapters for the story to ramp up, but then the pages are packed with action, so much so that some readers may have trouble following everything. Still, the twins' struggles are absurdly comical—at one point, a clan of witches tries to poison their "Yak Butter Stew"—making for boisterous reading. Readers will love the clever, ridiculous means by which the twins triumph over their pursuers as their TV expertise helps them outwit many bumbling adults. Art not seen by PW. Ages 10–up. (Feb.)