book review by Boze Herrington

“As he awaken slowly, he became reenergized to the point where he could become engaged in logical conversation.”

While visiting his grandmother in South Carolina, Jaxon is troubled by strange and only half-remembered dreams. “Grandmom” is keen to encourage a delight in healthy foods by helping him grow his own vegetable garden. But as Jaxon explores the shed, he encounters a mysterious, catlike creature with a shifty air who telepathically tells him he hails from another dimension—Dimension Z.

The creature explains that his name is Zolo and that he’s speaking to Jaxon in the form of a hologram. Zolo describes his home dimension as “a place of endless possibilities, full of innocence, and lollipops and ice cream.” Jaxon feels an instinctive dislike for the haughty airs displayed by the strange critter, who admits that he was obliged to steal food from the garden, but found that he couldn’t eat earth food unless someone gave him the food. Zolo needs Jaxon’s aid to return home, from whence he has been banished, but is disappointed to learn that the boy can’t be manipulated easily.

Falling asleep at the dining room table, Jaxon is transported by Zolo into Dimension Z. He is troubled by much of what he sees there. In the Outerlands, thousands of children are enjoying mountains of unwholesome candies and fatty foods. Like with the enchanted Turkish delight in Narnia, once the children taste the sweets, they find it impossible to stop eating. Zolo explains that Zedgatarians like himself are “vegetarians by nature,” but that the decadent treats of the Outerlands present a persistent allure. As they proceed on their journey, Jaxon ponders the dangers of addictive sweets and the joys of natural, healthy foods.

Washington’s book does one thing exceptionally well: it surprises the reader. When Zolo describes Dimension Z as an idyllic world of candy and lollipops, we fear, for a moment, that his portrayal might be accurate. But then, the tables are turned; Dimension Z is revealed to be a dystopian world in which children’s carnal desires are used to enslave them. This places Zolo’s world in a long literary tradition that includes the island of the Lotus-Eaters in Greek mythology, the Land of Toys in Pinocchio, and modern children’s classics such as Coraline, The Thief of Always, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. The reveal that Zolo is unreliable greatly strengthens the narrative, steering it away from the safe and predictable towards something altogether more sinister and original.

Including moral lessons in a children’s story can be a perilous venture, as it risks being heavy-handed. However, Washington handles the didactic aspects with finesse. The book is reminiscent at times of both The Phantom Tollbooth and Pilgrim’s Progress, two classic fantasies in which a character stumbles into misadventures through his own folly, to the reader’s edification. There’s enough imagination on display to sweeten the lessons about “food deserts” and the benefits of a balanced diet. The book offers just enough information about the Zedgatarians, the Yum-Yums, the Friers, and the Wicket Stickers to leave the reader wanting to know more. Washington has crafted a memorable addition to children’s literature.