The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson, Udayana Lugo
Published by Clarion Books on January 10, 2023
ISBN: 0358415225
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

During the biggest blizzard in memory, a possum named Gilly is given the daunting task of returning a creature none of the animals in Theodore Wirth Park have ever seen before to his unknown home. While making plans to help the lost creature they’ve named a galumpus, the group encounter a teaching robot from the future. The robot informs the animals their galumpus is a wooly mammoth from the past who was mistakenly pulled through a time portal, and that time is limited before the portal they were transported through closes permanently. To further complicate matters, the mammoth is being hunted by three cavemen from his home as part of a prehistoric coming-of-age ceremony. The story follows the group’s challenges as they attempt to guide the time-traveling visitors back to the portal.

The simple black ink drawings throughout the book add an engaging visual element that contrasts with an otherwise overly complicated story. Although Gilly is a charming narrator, the slow pacing, disjointed storytelling, and repetitive arguing between the characters may turn away readers interested in other fantasy titles of similar length. Overall, this is an average tale for readers between the ages 8-12 who enjoy prolonged fantasies featuring animal narrators with mild conflict.

Reviewed by Sarah Hartje, Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston