The Great Redwall Feast

0-09-972501-0 (UK Hardback) & ISBN 0-399-22707-5 (US Hardback)OCLC59629180Followed byA Redwall Winter's Tale 

The Great Redwall Feast was written by Brian Jacques and illustrated by the well-known Redwall artist Christopher Denise. It was published in 1996.^[1]

Synopsis

The Great Redwall Feast is the first Redwall picture book, and it was written in the form of a ballad. The inhabitants of Redwall Abbey prepare a surprise feast for their Abbot.

Plot summary

The Great Redwall Feast tells about the creatures of Redwall preparing for a feast while Matthias the Warriormouse, Constance the Badger Guardian, Foremole, and the Abbot are traveling in Mossflower Woods questing for a mysterious Bobbatan Weary Nod. The book features the Abbeydwellers bustling in Redwall, cooking, gathering flowers, and doing other chores for their beloved Abbot (presumably Abbot Mordalfus). Many characters from Redwall and Mattimeo are present in the book, however, the baby mole Bungo is the only character to appear and not be featured in any other Redwall novel. Bungo does appear in the second picture book A Redwall Winter's Tale.

Illustrations and significance

The warm-colored illustrations by Christopher Denise were drawn on brown butcher paper using pastels, and instead of showing the Redwallers preparing for war, it shows them much happier and friendly, at work in their daily lives.

Brian Jacques remarked that The Great Redwall Feast was "written a little more for mothers to read to their children, but many Redwall lovers will also enjoy it, because there is the challenge of solving a riddle before the end of the rhyme."^[2]

Translations

• (German) Das grofte Festmahl von Redwall

References

Preceded by The Pearls of Lutra

Redwall Series (publication order)

Succeeded by The Long Patrol