PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978 1 4088 3003 1
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie
Fizzlebert Stump is the only kid in the
Circus where he lives with his mum, a clown and his dad, the circus strongman.
To people outside, Fizzlebert's life would seem exciting, especially as his part
in the Big Top performance is to put his head inside the mouth of a lion. But he
is lonely.
Things start to change when he finds a
library book and his (rather hopeless) history teacher, Dr Surprise, the circus
magician, advises him to take it back to the library so the boy who borrowed it
wouldn't get into trouble. But it is Fizz who gets into trouble, and the library
can't be blamed. Who would think a couple of elderly pensioners could turn
kidnappers?
The author, A.F. Harrold is a performance
poet and this shines through with his descriptive language and very different
writing style. He breaks the rule of author intrusion extravagantly, and unfolds
his story in conversational style. Because his main character is very innocent
of life outside the circus environment he capitalizes on Fizzlebert's naivety,
which also enables him to emphasise safety rules for young readers, such as why
kids shouldn't talk to strangers, particularly ones who tell
lies.
"Stuffed with laughs" is the comment on
the cover, but I found the going fairly bland for the first few chapters. Having
said that, many bookworm kids who love stories unfolding in a more pedestrian,
even distracting, manner will be hooked. There is plenty to smile about as the
plot picks up pace. A.F. Harrold's imagination soars, his descriptive words
multiply, and the action sets in, bringing his humorous story to a most
enjoyable end.
Fizzlebert Stump is a read as
quirky as the title, and a lot of kids will embrace giggling along with the
writer as equals. I'd recommend it also for writers of children's literacy as an
example of how a book can be written in a very different way with much
success.
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