Billy Stuart in the Eye of the Cyclops

In this fourth book in the Billy Stuart series, the hero and his friends, the Zintrepids, continue their adventures on an enchanted island. They have travelled back in time to Ancient Greece. The young raccoon and his friends, Foxy (the fox), Musky (the skunk), Yeti (the weasel), Shifty (the chameleon) and FrouFrou (the dog), travel with Captain Loslobos, his sister Timoree, and his crew members. As the book begins, they explore a forest filled with carnivorous plants, giant people-eating Venus Zintrepid-Traps.

The intrepid friends are saved from certain “plant death” by Timoree and the crew. The dangers of this mysterious island continue: giant bats, enormous hailstones, the treacherous crew member Ugobos, and a giant cyclops! When they find a secret tunnel, they have a choice to make. Will they take the secret tunnel back to the present, or will they continue their amazing adventures?

Billy Stuart and the Eye of the Cyclops is the fourth book in “The Zintrepids” series by Alain M. Bergeron and Québécois artist Sampar. Readers will once again learn about Greek mythology. Here the cyclops plays an important part. There are allusions to the voyages of Odysseus described in the poet Homer’s Odyssey. The ancient poet Virgil also wrote about epic voyages in The Aeneid. The obvious connection here is that Billy Stuart’s grandfather, the person who started the group out on their wild adventures, is also named Virgil!

The format of the book is similar to earlier Billy Stuart adventures which combine traditional text with cartoon-like panels. Bergeron becomes a character in his own novel when he comments on the storyline by explaining the use of the word “Fore” in the game of golf and the story of the cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey. Young readers will be thrilled with intriguing riddles and puzzles to test their reasoning skills.

Billy Stuart and the Eye of the Cyclops is an exciting adventure story continuing the journey of the Zintrepids in Ancient Greece. The combination of heroic animal protagonists, amazing locations, mythological figures, and scary monsters is magical! The values of teamwork, friendship, and loyalty play a crucial role in the narrative. Young readers could read this book independently or listen to it as a read-aloud.