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The Legend of the Golden Snail

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The Legend of the Golden Snail

Graeme Base
Abrams Book for Young Readers, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book.

Wilbur's favorite story is about an amazing Golden Snail that can magically transform into a magnificent golden snailing vessel to travel through its realms...that is, until the Grand Enchanter captures it and puts it under a spell, forcing the snail to do his will. When the Grand Enchanter grows tired of sailing on the Golden Snail, he banishes the snail to the Ends of the Earth, where it waits for another Grand Sorcerer to claim it. Wilbur always has his mother read this last part twice. He decides to sail to the Ends of the Earth, and dreams of becoming the Grand Enchanter. The kind-hearted Wilbur has many adventures as he travels around Butterfly Island, and through the Maze of Madness and other perils. He also discovers that kindness pays off. When he reaches the Ends of the Earth and finds the Golden Snail, Wilbur decides that maybe being a Grand Enchanter is not all it is cracked up to be. Graeme Base’s beautifully whimsical illustrations are captivating, and, to add to the fun, he has hidden a “snail ‘n’ crossbones” on each page for the reader to find.
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