The Mum Hunt

How hard can it be to find the perfect partner for your dad?

Esmie misses her mum, even though she was only a tiny baby when she died. She has a photo by her bed, and sometimes – when she needs advice or just fancies a chat – she asks her mum for help. Sometimes she even hears her reply.

But Esmie thinks her dad is lonely. And her big brother Matthew would definitely benefit from a female influence. So Esmie decides to take action: she’s going to find her dad a girlfriend. Beautiful, clever, charming, kind to children and animals … How hard can it be to find the perfect partner for your dad?

In the book which won her the Red House Children’s Book Award, Gwyneth Rees tells a story of healing and love with characteristic charm and humour. The Mum Hunt comes to Bloomsbury for a refreshed cover look and renewed marketing and publicity to bring new readers to this quirky, lovely modern classic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-Esmie, 11, and her teenaged brother live in England with their widowed dad and their French au pair, Juliette. They want to find a new mum, so they set dad up on dates, using “adverts” in the local paper, without his knowledge. Juliette thinks this is a great idea, and helps them. The arrangements get mixed up, and the youngsters only anger their father. The story is cliche driven and predictable. The writing is unconvincing, and the characters never become fully believable, especially the father and Juliette. Still, the book does show that these issues are universal.
JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, San Diego, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
A funny, moving and unusual slant on single-parent families * Booktrust *