Alby, a loyal house cat, bravely walks through Professor Wizoomâs triangular doorway and is transported to a strange, new world. He befriends a humorous and somewhat annoying little froguar named Fremmy; the froguar agrees to help Alby search for the missing professor.
Their search will take Alby and Fremmy on an adventure within a fantasy world not filled with elves, orcs, and dragons. No, they are in a world inhabited by intelligent hybrid animals called jumboos. Wolvaraptors, brontaurs, tigeroons, pandowls, and mantaravens are just a handful of amazing creatures they will encounter during their search.
Open your mind and prepare for a journey packed with humor, thrilling action, and heartfelt compassion in a world called Jumbalot!
Alby, a loyal house cat, bravely walks through Professor Wizoomâs triangular doorway and is transported to a strange, new world. He befriends a humorous and somewhat annoying little froguar named Fremmy; the froguar agrees to help Alby search for the missing professor.
Their search will take Alby and Fremmy on an adventure within a fantasy world not filled with elves, orcs, and dragons. No, they are in a world inhabited by intelligent hybrid animals called jumboos. Wolvaraptors, brontaurs, tigeroons, pandowls, and mantaravens are just a handful of amazing creatures they will encounter during their search.
Open your mind and prepare for a journey packed with humor, thrilling action, and heartfelt compassion in a world called Jumbalot!
Alby opened his golden eyes to the sound of an unusual buzzing noise emanating from somewhere inside the house; his black-and-white fur fluffed up due to this rude awakening. He jumped out of his comfy cat bed and immediately stretched his back revealing a sagging belly that almost touched the floor. His ears moved to focus on the disturbance, and he began to follow the sound to its source.
Albyâs investigation led him from a cozy family room into a long, dark hallway with multiple bedroom doors on both sides. He realized the sound originated behind a closed door located at the end of the hallway â Professor Wizoomâs laboratory. Alby thought, What in the world did Professor Wizoom build this time? The noise grew louder as he cautiously approached the laboratory door and pushed his paw against it. The door creeped open and Albyâs eyes grew to the size of two food bowls; he saw a new metallic, triangular door frame. He nervously walked closer and saw that all three panels of the door frame were equipped with circuit boards, flashing lights, and steam vents. Alby thought, I know Wizoom has an incredible imagination, but this is his weirdest invention yet. Why is this door shaped like a triangle?
Sitting at a desk lined with beakers, gadgets, and a computer monitor, Wizoom looked down and saw that Alby had entered the lab.
âHello there, Alby, did all that noise wake you from your never-ending cat nap?"
Alby meowed in response to Wizoomâs question. Wizoom smiled and immediately went back to work. Alby watched Wizoomâs brown eyes strain behind thick glasses as he wrote hundreds of lines of code on his computer screen; the light from the screen illuminated his narrow faceâs dark skin. His black, curly hair was peppered with silver streaks representing many years of wisdom. Wizoom took a break from writing code, and Alby watched his tall friend walk closer to the door holding a wrench. He tightened a few bolts on one of the door panels and rewired a few circuits.
Wizoom confidently spoke, âI have just a few more adjustments before my upcoming test. All three panels are now connected and activated!â
He glanced at Alby. âMy friend, one night I had a wonderful dream. I saw myself opening a triangular door and was consumed by light as I walked through. I couldnât see what was on the other side, but I knew I had to open this door. Since I was a boy, I wanted to be an astronaut and bravely travel to unexplored worlds. More than anything, I wished to shake the hand of a being from another planet. But, as I grew older, I discovered that engineering was my true passion. I never became an astronaut, but my desire to explore a new world was a flame that never burned out. In fact, that flame recently grew into an inferno. You see, I no longer need a spaceship to travel to another world; I can simply walk through this door.â The professor looked down at Alby and smiled. âI know you donât understand anything Iâm saying, but promise me you wonât touch anything in this lab while I work on this project.â
Alby meowed in frustrated agreement. Not being able to speak to Wizoom annoyed Alby, especially when his empty belly growled louder than usual. But he had to remind himself that cats were unable to pronounce words.
âThank you, my furry friend, now itâs time to get back to work!â Wizoom exclaimed. He reached down to reward Alby with a delicious treat and a scratch behind the ears, two things Alby enjoyed more than anything.
While Alby gobbled up his treat, he thought to himself, I hope Wizoom knows what heâs doing. This is the craziest invention yet and I donât want anything bad to happen to him when he walks through! What if he vanishes and never returns? Living as a stray cat for two years was dangerous enough! Alby tried to forget about how his previous owner abandoned him when he was a kitten. The memory of fighting with other cats for garbage scraps and the stress of trying to sleep on a cold, rainy night was still fresh in his feline mind. He would be forever grateful to his dear friend, Professor Wizoom, for warmly welcoming a starving cat into his home. Albyâs mind dwelled on the past as he strolled back to his bed. He thought, I canât thank you enough for taking care of me, Professor Wizoom. I wish I could tell you how much I care for you, but Iâm just a cat that canât speak your language. Alby curled up in his bed and directed his thoughts on the finer things in life: eating delicious cat treats, playing with string, and trying to catch that elusive red dot. Above all, Albyâs favorite activity was pushing his black nose on the kitchen faucet to drink fresh water. He hated drinking stagnant water from an old bowl. The problem was Alby was unable to turn the faucet back off and it would run all day unless Wizoom was there to turn it off. Alby knew Wizoom didnât mind, since he never complained and was always amused with Albyâs antics. These comforting thoughts helped Alby calm himself and he now began to purr with positivity as he drifted off to sleep.
Later that evening, Alby awoke to the sound of electrical snaps and a much louder buzzing noise radiated from Wizoomâs lab. Startled, he walked back down the hallway toward the lab that was now illuminated by colorful, flashing lights that crept through the cracks of the door. Alby pushed his nose on the door to open it and forced his way back into the glowing lab.Â
His brilliant friend yelled, âEureka, it works!â
Alby was astonished to see that Wizoomâs metal door frame was now glowing brilliantly. Each panel gleamed a distinct color: green, orange, and purple. Electrical sparks bounced off the panels like the fireflies Alby enjoyed catching in the backyard, and steam bellowed through the vents. Wizoom looked down to find Alby staring at the animated door and carefully picked him up.
âMy friend, I think my dream became a reality tonight. I need to run one more test before I know itâs safe to open. I cannot explain it, but I have a feeling I was meant to build this doorway!â
As usual, Alby enjoyed seeing his friend so cheerful, but he feared an unknown future after that door was finally opened.Â
Wizoom walked toward the door and pressed a large green button located on the frame. The panel lights began to dim, and the sparks stopped jumping. Wizoom looked at Alby with a wide grin. âI cannot wait to see what lies on the other side of this door.â He paused for a few seconds and took a deep breath. âItâs time to go to bed, Alby. I need my rest so I have the energy to finish my final calculations. Iâm so excited, Iâm not sure Iâll be able to sleep at all tonight!â
Alby followed his friend out of the lab and quickly jumped back into his bed in the family room.
Wizoom looked down at Alby and smiled. âGood night, my friend. I think tomorrow is going to be a momentous day.â
Albyâs mind immediately began to nervously race with visions of dangerous scenarios. I just know something bad will happen when Wizoom opens that thing. He will vanish and never return! Who will fill my growling belly? Who will take care of me? Alby noticed that he was panting and took a deep breath to calm himself. Okay, okayâŚI need to relax. Perhaps there are delicious treats on the other side of that door? Try to think positive, Alby. Donât give yourself a feline heart attack! He maneuvered his sagging belly over the side of his bed and curled up inside of it, but his fearful mind kept him awake for at least another hour until finally drifting off to sleep. The dayâs excitement and worry took a toll on this unadventurous housecat and he slept deeper than usual.
When he awoke the next morning, Alby noticed that the house was unusually quiet; the smell of fresh coffee was also absent from the kitchen. Most importantly, his food bowl was empty. He pondered, Where did Wizoom go and where is my breakfast? He called out with the mightiest of meows, but there was no response. He wondered if his friend was outside and proceeded to walk through a series of pet doors into the front yard, backyard, and garage. The fact that Wizoomâs car was still in the driveway left Alby horribly nervous. He thought, Oh no, he couldnât have. Donât tell me he opened that door! He raced back into the lab like a cheetah he once saw on a nature documentaryâthe lab was empty.
Albyâs mind began to speed out of control yet again. Where is he?! I thought that door wasnât ready yet? Or was it? What should I do?! Alby began to pant like a dog. He desperately tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths, trying to find his catlike zen, but it wasnât working. He decided to search the house yet again; there was absolutely no sign of his friend.
Following an exhausting search, Alby was relieved to discover a few small pieces of cat food left behind in his bowl. He thought to himself, This will help my growling belly, but I also need a cool, fresh drink. He jumped up on the sink and pushed his nose on the faucet handle. He heartily lapped up flowing water. Alby thought, If he did walk through that door, I should wait inside the lab for him to come back.
Alby left the running sink and briskly walked back to the lab. Well, Iâm going to sit on my favorite windowsill and watch my feathered friends eat their bird seed until Wizoom returns. Daily, Alby spent hours watching cardinals, sparrows, and robins swoop down and land on Wizoomâs bird feeder while the professor worked on his projects. He knew focusing on birds would help keep his thoughts off Wizoomâs whereabouts for a short period of time. He bitterly thought, At least someone around here is eating.
Later that afternoon, a loud boom thundered inside the lab. Startled, Alby jumped off the windowsill. He landed on all fours with his full, fluffy tail and ears firmly pressed down. After the boom, the strange buzzing sound he heard during Wizoomâs test had returned. This time it was much louder since Alby was so close to the door. Electrical sparks began to jump off the panels and Alby felt the room shake.
Alby thought, What is happening?! He backed farther away from the door until he immediately froze in his tracksâthe professorâs strange, triangular door began to open. Multicolored lights lit up the lab like a laser show. In addition, green, orange, and violet lights on the door panels rhythmically twinkled and steam simultaneously rushed through the vents.
Albyâs initial fear turned to excitement when he realized Wizoom might be coming home. Is that the professor?! Is he coming home?! Unable to speak, Alby frantically meowed as loud as he couldâthere was no response. At that moment, Alby felt the room stop shaking. The buzzing sound halted, and a ghostly orange mist began to flow through the door and move along the floor like one of Wizoomâs dry ice experiments. The mist slowly touched Albyâs whiskers and fur as it passed around him. He thought, I donât know whatâs happening, but Iâm not panting anymore. I feel more relaxed.
Alby heard a faint voice emanate from the door. The sound became slightly louder and Alby decided to move closer. âPlease help them,â the voice whispered. âFind your courage.â
Confused, Alby thought Wizoom might be on the other side of the door. He walked somewhat closer and called to his friend with another loud meow; there was no response from the professor. The calming effect of the mist began to wear off as Albyâs mind began to fret yet again. Where is Wizoom? Should I go through this door? What is on the other side?! Is it safe?! Albyâs pounding heart felt like it was going to burst and he turned away from the door to flee. Just as he turned, he heard the faint voice yet again. It whispered, âYou are stronger than you think. Help your friendâŚhelp all of them.â Alby stopped fleeing and slowly turned his head back to face the door. In response to this soothing voice, Alby spun his body around.
He had no idea what was on the other side of Wizoomâs door, but nevertheless, he knew he had to find his friend. He cautiously walked closer to the door and felt a warm breeze touch him on the nose. He closed his eyes and thought, Okay, I must do thisâŚyou can do thisâŚjust walk through. You have to find your friend since Wizoom would do the same for you! Albyâs hair fluffed up anticipating the jump and he thought, I canât believe Iâm doing this! Itâs now or never!
The light consumed him as Alby bravely leapt through the strange, triangular doorway. The doorâs light faded behind him.Â
Journey to Jumbalot by Ryan Wakefield begins with a cat, an absent-minded professor, and a triangular door. Alby is a black and white cat who was formerly a stray when Professor Wizoom took him in. Alby woke to strange noises and had to investigate as any curious cat would.
Professor Wizoom is in his lab working on some kind of invention. This invention requires lines of code and flashing lights along with the strange noises and a triangle doorway. The Professor tells Alby about a dream he had one night about creating this very doorway.
After a good nightâs sleep, Alby wakes in search of breakfast and discovers no new food in his bowl and no professor. He explores outside and inside but cannot find the Professor. While waiting inside the lab, there is a loud boom and electrical sparks. The triangle door lights up and Alby hears voices from the other side. After much debate, he bravely enters the doorway in search of Professor Wizoom.
Alby lands in an unknown location with unique landforms and scenery. The creatures seem to be mashups of two different animals such as a falcoyote or a froguar. Even the fruits are unusual and have a unique effect on the animals, but you will have to read to find out more about that.
I enjoyed the creativity of this fantasy story of Jumbalot with a triangle door entry and an emphasis on the colors orange, green, and purple. The animal combinations are also a departure from the norm--who thinks of crossing a jaguar with a frog or a pug with a butterfly? And if this was not enough to capture a young reader's attention, there is action as two rulers vie for possession of a special gem and adventure as Alby and a new friend have to go in search of a creature who has not been seen in years. The only thing to dampen the excitement is that the chapters are a little long (many are well over 10 pages). If each chapter were broken in two and at a cliff-hanger moment, kids will be wanting to turn page after page; but also have good places to take a break. Longer chapters will be daunting to struggling readers as well.
I would still recommend this book for the creativity and adventure. I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.