I listened to the audiobook version of this, and might not have been paying 100% attention, as I kept losing track of what was happening. Despite this, the performances were terrific--it was like listening to a play, as they had sound effects and a score and everything. It's the kind of book I can imagine would be great to listen to with an elementary school-aged children: whimsical and imaginative. I can't totally explain why I didn't get sucked into the story.