The Great Redwall Feast is the first Redwall picture book by Brian Jacques. The narrative occurs after the events of Redwall. It was written in the form of a ballad and illustrated by Christopher Denise.
Summary[]
The residents of Redwall Abbey are busy planning a surprise feast in the honor of their old Father Abbot, who is taking a nap. Unfortunately the feast, led by Friar Hugo, requires a lot of preparation and activity and the Abbey dwellers are worried about being discovered.
Matthias and Cornflower Fieldmouse propose to send the Abbot out on a stroll, and just at that moment, the Abbot awakens from his nap and declares that he wants to go on a "Bobbatan Quest Weary Nod". The Redwallers are surprised and confused and believe the old Abbot has lost his mind. In spite of this, Matthias, Constance, and Foremole volunteer to accompany the Abbot on his quest.
While the travelers walk around Mossflower Woods, the remaining Abbey residents make the necessary preparations for the feast. All sorts of small "disasters" and scares occur, many of them caused by a young mischievous mole, Bungo. Several well-known Redwallers help out in the feast's preparation, including Basil Stag Hare, Ambrose Spike, and Skipper. Noisy Sam serves as a lookout, warning the Redwallers of the comings and goings of the Abbot.
Finally, the preparations are finished right as Father Abbot and his companions return from their quest, seemingly empty-handed. After the wonderful feast, marked by a great abundance of tasty food, the Abbot reveals the purpose of his quest, which is an anagram of "Bobbatan Quest Weary Nod". The dwellers then realize that the Abbot knew much more than he let on and was actually very wise, since the anagram really means "Abbot's Banquet Ready Now!"
Characters in The Great Redwall Feast
Trivia[]
- While the Father Abbot is not named, it can only be Abbot Mordalfus, given the plot's timeline.
Release Details[]
- 1996, US, Philomel Books, ISBN 0399227075, Pub. Date: September 1996, Hardcover
- 1996, UK, Hutchinson, ISBN 0099725010, Pub. Date: September 1996, Hardcover
- 2001, UK, Tandem Library, ISBN 061329968X, Pub. Date: March 2001, Paperback
- 2008, UK, Puffin, ISBN 0698118766, Pub. Date: February 2008, Paperback