The Riddlemaster by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Stephane Jorisch (Tradewind)

Hugely talented Kevin Crossley-Holland's new book is a riddling tour-de-force...
In "The Riddlemaster" three friends want to explore a mysterious island just off shore. Day after day they imagine what goes on there, and as they stare longingly at the island across the bay with ideas of buried treasure in their heads, a strange individual offers them a proposal. Join the ferry to the island, solve 7 riddles and passage is assured. Fail, and the other passengers on the ferry get to eat you! Eeeeek!

The children accept, and the first few riddles are very quickly solved. But as the journey progresses, and the lion, crocodile and dragon all circle hungrily, the children's puzzle-solving abilities are thoroughly put to the test. But who is the mysterious Riddlemaster, and what will they find if they ever reach their destination?

The thrill in this story comes from the unknown, and children will be practically begging you to turn each page so they can find out what the next riddle is, and what will happen next. A heady cocktail of fantasy and danger (but nothing distressing, this is a children's book after all) make it a truly addictive read.

Kevin's dream-like story woven with Stephane's gorgeous visuals make it stand out from the crowd too. It really is a lovely-looking book...