The Manticore's Maze

Kids’ Stories Book

Ten-year-old Barnaby Button loves maps more than biscuits, but he's never seen one like this. Etched on a piece of glowing, petrified wood, the map has no beginning and no end, just a swirling, magical labyrinth.

Aunt Hildegard calls it The Manticore's Maze.

Drawn by curiosity, Barnaby steps through the Whispering Hedge-Gate into a world of impossible wonders and tricky puzzles. He must navigate a tunnel of glowing moss, solve the riddle of a grumpy (and very fluffy) badger, and escape a shadow with a stinger. All the while, a deep, rumbling purr echoes from the center of the maze.

Everyone knows a Manticore is a creature of legend with the body of a lion, the wings of a bat, and a venomous tail. But as Barnaby gets closer, he discovers that the maze's greatest secret isn't a monster... it's a friend.

©2025 Ayokunle Mathew Akinbi (P)2026 Ayokunle Mathew Akinbi