When Anna Lavinia's father put a hole in the garden wall, it was only to give her another point of view. He had no thought that the point of view would stretch all the way to an entirely new land on the other side of Dew Pond. But that's exactly what Anna Lavinia discovers one very dull, very dry day, after tossing acorns into the pond and finding them tossed right back up to her. They are being thrown by a boy named Toby, who invites Anna to join him in his looking-glass world. Here there is no such thing as gravity, only a much weaker force that feels like "the tickle that comes before a sneeze, or the thrill that comes when the knot in a ribbon just begins to loosen," and allows for floating and spectacular feats of tree-climbing (but mind your household goods don't drift away!). Toby introduces Anna Lavinia to an uncanny fortuneteller and to his aunt Cornelia, who has never gotten over the disappearance of her beloved into Anna Lavinia's own world. The Silver Nutmeg continues the adventures begun in Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, and features loads of sense, a little nonsense, and more delightful verses from Anna Lavinia's beloved Songs from Nowhere.
Best of all, fans of Palmer Brown's intricate drawings will find every page a delight for the eyes.