Rating: 
Summary: fun and worthwhile Redwall paraphernalia
Review: Build Your own Redwall Abbey arrives as a 9 by 12 folder which, when opened, contains in the left pocket a cardboard sheet of 16 punch-out characters and miscellaneous objects, and a nice 16-page pamphlet that tells the story of The Redwall Warrior's Code featuring Cornflower and Matthias. I think the style and the content are consistent with the author's Redwall novels. In the right-hand pocket are an instruction booklet; a foldout sheet that depicts the abbey grounds and opens to about 1-1/2 by 2 feet; 19 pieces which are clearly labelled and fold-out, tuck in and eventually become a rather impressive tabletop abbey, including the great hall (complete with the tapestry hanging over the mantle), the Redwall stairs, a storeroom, bedrooms, the kitchen, gatehouse and outer walls. The gatehouse and walls are particularly satisfying, going up easily and looking great. The material is thin cardboard and the manipulations are more interesting than just simple folds. No cutting or gluing is required though a little bit of tape helps stabilize the model. I think this is a good quality accessory for fans. Assembly takes about an hour and when complete the abbey is fun to look at. There are lots of cool details like candlesticks and birds in the beams and "Redwall" written near the stairs, though I did miss the dishevelled tomes of the gatehouse.One thing I like about the Redwall universe *is* the availability of interesting supplemental material -- the quiz book, books for younger readers, this abbey. Personally, I would love to see Mr. Jacques publish a Redwall cookbook -- the dishes at the feasts always sound so delectable. Though this is a bit expensive for older kids and is not sturdy enough for young children or older kids who want to use it as an action figure hangout, I would recommend this fun set-up for ages 8 and up. Because the instructions are clearly written and supplemented with lots of illustrations, this would be an excellent and rewarding intermediate level model for children ready to graduate to a project requiring written insruction, and would be a fun project for parents and children working together. Enthusiastic adult Redwall fans will like it, kids will adore it.
Rating: 
Summary: Cardboard?
Review: Donate your money to the charity of your choice. It will give you more satisfaction and enjoyment. The "cardboard" in this model is more like paper than the paper dolls in days of old.
Rating:
Summary: Cardboard?
Review: Donate your money to the charity of your choice. It will give you more satisfaction and enjoyment. The "cardboard" in this model is more like paper than the paper dolls in days of old.
Rating:
Summary: Cardboard?
Review: Donate your money to the charity of your choice. It will give you more satisfaction and enjoyment. The "cardboard" in this model is more like paper than the paper dolls in days of old.
Rating: 
Summary: Garentied to fall apart!
Review: Falls apart easily, and a lot of the details you can't see. So honestly, I rate it three.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Scotch Tape helps!
Review: Having a Redwall Abbey in the house is a real treat. However, it's very tedious to put together. I cheated and used a bit of tape here and there. I've read all of the Redwall books out loud to my two older children and am now starting the whole cycle again to my third (and much younger) child. It's a great excuse to read them all again! Be sure to have read several of the books before buying this one. My top four (in no particular order): Mossflower, Salamandastron, Martin the Warrior, & Mariel of Redwall.
Rating:
Summary: good, but not great
Review: I bought this last year and thought it would be a great decoration for my room. The finished product looks great and it includes a cool little short story, but the durability is very, very poor. The walls aren't very strong, they keep sagging inwards, making the abbey look as if it is going to collapse. you also need to sellotape some parts during construction. the abbey keeps moving around on the plastic 'playmat' and the little paper figures look quite ridiculous. I would not reccomend this to a little toddler, maybe some between 4-7 years of age.
Rating:
Summary: Not for adults, but a neat collection
Review: I do not recommend this for anybody over 14, but for littlekids like 7 or 8 who aren't ready for models with paints and exactokinves. This is a great way for younger kids to learn how to followdirections and build something that is very tough for all. Also, ifyou love the books, (who doesn't?) then you'll like this in yourcollection. Although very expensive, it's very cute and good forelementry projects.
Rating:
Summary: Not for adults, but a neat collection
Review: I do not recommend this for anybody over 14, but for littlekids like 7 or 8 who aren't ready for models with paints and exactokinves. This is a great way for younger kids to learn how to followdirections and build something that is very tough for all. Also, ifyou love the books, (who doesn't?) then you'll like this in yourcollection. Although very expensive, it's very cute and good forelementry projects.
Rating: 
Summary: This thing's awesome!
Review: I got this thing in the mail, opened it, and saw that there were 23 pre-cut pieces and a booklet, plus instructions and some punch-out characters. it took me about an hour to put it together (and I enjoyed every minute of it) and when I was finished, I was amazed by the incredible amount of details in it! You can see the sparrows in Warbeak Loft, the dormitories (you can even see the little beds and furniture), and you can even see the famous tapestry! There's also the stairs in the book "Redwall" that have the word "Redwall" written on the wall by them. There's a weathervane, the pond, the orchard, the walls, the gatehouse, flower gardens, and a big garden. There's Cavern Hole, the Great Hall, the bell tower and lots more! Plus, the booklet that comes with it (which, by the way, comes before "Redwall") tells the story of how Matthias, Cornflower, Constance, and Others from the book solve riddles and find the Warrior's Code (which is also the name of the story). This thing is awesome!
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