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In The
Phantom Tollbooth, young Milo thought he was jaded, but
one day a phantom tollbooth appears in his house. When he
travels through the tollbooth in his toy car, he enters a
world of learning and possibilities that teaches him never
to underestimate the world around him again.
In this
new world, Milo encounters colorfully populated lands. Norton
Juster's manipulation of the English language in interesting
ways makes the reader take a different perspective and is
absolutely essential to the story. Milo journeys from Dictionopolis,
where he learns the value of words (the men who show him around
present five synonyms to everything they say and he visits
the word market, where words are a hot commodity), to Digitopolis,
where he learns never to eat a meal that exponentially subtracts
itself from his stomach. He literally jumps to the small island
of Conclusions and struggles to find his way back to the mainland.
He is entrusted with the task of rescuing the Princesses Rhyme
and Reason from the Mountains of Ignorance to bring order
back to the kingdoms of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis. He
and his friends Tock and the Humbug risk life and limb to
complete their mission, encountering a colorful variety of
characters, and complete many smaller tasks along the way.
Juster
has created a timeless children's novel. It has stood the
test of time because his writing does not speak down to children—it
instead welcomes them to grow and learn along with Milo. He
explores the flexibility of the English language through synonyms,
puns, and other devices to which children may have had limited
exposure. Characters' personalities and purposes are cleverly
represented by their names. His clever wordplay amuses even
adults, including a moment when Tock the watchdog (who actually
has a clock in his side) becomes angry for Milo "killing time."
Visits from the Whether Man (who is more concerned about whether
there will be weather than what the weather will be) and the
Senses Taker (who is more concerned with every aspect of one's
life than simply taking a census of numbers) also induce laughter.
The appeal
of this book to younger readers lies in its blend of adventure
and learning—so that children are learning about the
English language without even realizing it because the fast-paced
action and plot are so welcoming. His presentation of language
and the personification of common clichés are easily understood,
although he presents an outlook that differs from what many
readers are accustomed. The most valuable thing about The
Phantom Tollbooth is Juster's ability to get readers of
all ages to develop abstract thinking skills. Puns and word
play make the reader think outside of the box, and he makes
the English language exciting and new. Even a re-reading of
this book by an adult would prove satisfying, as a young reader
would not understand all of the word play.
Both
Milo and the reader can admit that Milo's journey is exciting
and incites new fervor for learning. It is a worthwhile and
fun read that will keep readers of all ages enthralled to
the very last page.
(July,
2007)
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