Naomi Butler (Children's Literature)
The Mapmaker has charted your imaginary world. A gust of wind and a distant voice sent a boy named Oyster R. Motel on a ride into the stolen imaginary world--a place where rivers breathe and sugar snows down from the sky. Whose world is it? And what does it have to do with Oyster? Readers must wrap their minds around the details of the story to keep track of the connections between the flowing adventures and the characters. Oyster’s story starts in the nunnery where he is left as a baby and runs into all kinds of imaginative escapades. It may be too much to follow or too many strange happenings for some children. For those who like the outlandish or bizarre, this book may be hilariously funny and the action very busy. The attention-getting paperback cover may help to promote this book. 2007, HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature)
It is very hard being raised by nuns, as Oyster R. Motel knows all too well. He has often wished for a place where he could make noise and have fun, even drawing a map of it. When he is swept into another world, accompanied by his map and a dachshund named Leatherbelly, Oyster finds that he not only does not belong with the nuns, he does not even belong in the world in which he grew up! Oyster must navigate this wondrous, strange land, find out what happened to his parents and learn why they gave him up so many years ago. Back in the “real” world, Sister Mary Many Pockets is trying to find what happened to Oyster, a search that will eventually lead to their reunion. Dorman’s black-and-white illustrations are just as funny as Bode’s descriptions. N. E. Bode’s combination of humor and fantasy is a sure winner. 2007, HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 16))
The author of The Anybodies series invites readers to use their imaginations and join ten-year-old Oyster R. Motel on a curious quest. Mysterious Temporary Disappearances (MTDs) are claiming local children in the town where orphaned Oyster has lived with a community of caring contemplative nuns (including Sister Mary Many Pockets and Sister Margaret of the Long Sighs and Withering Glare) since he was dumped at their gate as an infant. During a rare foray to the outside world, Oyster meets the Mapkeeper—caretaker of scrolls depicting Imagined Other Worlds (IOWs)—and learns that his parents long ago stole their shared map, slipped into the otherworld of stories they created as children and are trapped in that world, a miasma of Devil's Snuff (powdered sugar) with Vicious Goggles, Whining Growsels and all manner of unusual beasts and beings. Someone—or something—seems to be calling Oyster to save them. Inventive and an awful lot of fun, "it's all as real as you want it to be," and it will surely be a catalyst for creative thinking. 2007, HarperCollins, 288p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
Oyster R. Motel, left on a nunnery doorstep as a baby, longs for excitement--and to find his real parents. A silver bucket that travels between imaginary worlds, guided by the titular map, becomes Oyster's transport to adventure. Random oddities of character and plot abound. There's a lot that's nonsensical; readers willing to go with it will enjoy the ride. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, HarperCollins, 273pp, 16.99, 17.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.