Lilliput

Cliffhanger chapter endings and vibrant language should quickly ensnare readers of this suspenseful takeoff from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, British author Gayton's U.S. debut. Snatched up from the beach when Gulliver returned to Lilliput, tiny Lily, "almost twelve moons old," is now trapped in an enormous world of adults. After enlisting assistance from nature's smaller creatures%E2%80%94a spider, a mouse%E2%80%94in her ingenious escape plans, Lily gradually learns to trust human help. Along the way, she meets captives of other sorts, confronts unimagined obstacles, and gains the satisfactions of friendship. Compressing the tale into a few days heightens the theme of time's preciousness, evoked too by Ratterree's pencil illustrations, which have a theatricality and precision reminiscent of Tony DiTerlizzi's work. Despite the occasional anachronism ("sleepover") or one-dimensional supporting character, Gayton's colorful prose depicts a true adolescent: moody, clever, and feisty%E2%80%94albeit with heightened sensory perception, a flair for languages, and fierce defenses coating a heart longing for affection. This literate romp through 18th-century London will have readers cheering Lily home. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Author's agent: Becky Bagnell, Lindsay Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (Aug.)