Fearless Sons and Daughter

Fearless Sons and Daughter written by Colin Thompson, illustrated by Sarah Davis (Harper Collins)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 9780733330872

Reviewed by Sharon McGuinness

Ever since Fearless was first published, readers have anticipated the next title in the series. I was no different. Colin Thompson’s original story was beautifully enhanced by the wonderful illustrations of Sarah Davis. We followed Fearless from a pup in a pet shop window and grew to know and understand the breed of the British bulldog through his antics. Fearless was a dog who didn’t live up to his name and Thompson and Davis were adept at showing their readers this through the perfect combination of both text and illustration.

In this third Fearless story, I feel that the text of Thompson has now become the vehicle for the illustrations of Davis for while they take centre stage on each page, the story seems to run second.

Thompson tells us that while people may grow up to become more sensible, on the other hand, although he grew bigger, Fearless’ brain stayed as confused as ever. This didn’t change when Fearless became a father to five pups – four sons and a daughter. Both Fearless and Primrose have no idea where they have come from, yet Fearless somehow knows it’s his job to teach them everything he knew. Dangerous things like vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and handbags, which could often creep up on you when you least expect it, the garden outside, but especially the pond.

Fearless’ confusion increases when the pups begin to disappear (they have been weaned and are going to new homes) and he fears the orange ‘sharks’ in the pond have eaten them. This is backed up by Eric, the last puppy who claims he ‘saw’ his brother in the pond.

Fearless is too frightened to accompany Eric to the pond to ‘rescue’ the apparently missing pup so it is up to Primrose and Eric.

Seeing her own reflection in the pond, Primrose leans in closer to chase it away from her baby, accidentally falling in, which brings Fearless crashing through the rose bushes to rescue her. Perhaps, he will overcome his fear of the pond after all.

It’s up to Eric, however who doesn’t hesitate and jumps in immediately, while the goldfish ‘sharks’ hide under the water lilies.

The final illustration of a rather fierce looking goldfish with teeth is a great match to Thompson’s (Fearless) perfect closing statement.

Will there be a future story focussing on Eric, who is the antithesis of his father? I suspect readers will remain hungry for Davis’ illustrations which continue to delight both children and adults.

The Floods – Bewitched

The Floods – Bewitched by Colin Thompson (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN 9781742755304
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9781742755311
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Take a cauldron and simmer the usual suspects: blood, boils, bile, bedlam and, of course, bacon. Stir in a healthy dose of puns and drink in Colin Thompson’s 12th book, Bewitched, in his hilarious, The Floods, series.

The setting is Transylvania Waters and King Nerlin is going the way of all good monarchs. He’s going Doolally. ‘Things like Alzheimer’s disease and general Doolallyness weren’t supposed to happen to witches and wizards, they were the sorts of things humans got.’

As Nerlin’s mind slowly wanders off to Planet Janet, Queen Mordonna gathers their children and utters what all children dread to hear, ‘we have to do something about your father …’

Mordonna gets Nerlin his own personal manservant called Bacstairs, as Nerlin falls further under the spell of his imaginary friend, Geoffrey-Geoffrey.

But, as the title suggests, Nerlin may just be Bewitched! The Floods seek help from the old crones and ride their talking donkeys high up into the mountains, where ‘baggy knickers flapped like Buddhist flags’. They ride through the Masking Clouds (that keep things invisible) to the Impossible Waterfall, where water falls from thin air.

Nerlin is indeed bewitched as he loses control of his vowels and has to wear Incompetence Underpants until his vowels work again.

Thompson is a master of plopping in the puns. As with his previous Floods’ titles (that also pun the Soapies): Survivor, The Great Outdoors, Top Gear and Home and Away, Bewitched is bristling with them. There’s imaginary friend, Geoffrey-Geoffrey, the son of the Hearse Whisperer; the Floods ‘pop into Burnings, the famous Transylvania Waters hardware story’, and they even get caffe lattes from Scarebutts, where a wPhone is an iPhone for wizards.

There is also a parallel plot involving Geoffrey-Geoffrey; he is not all he seems to be.

So, is King Nerlin spiralling into Doolallyness or are the old crones able to cure him? All those children out there who are 8+ and who want to be in on the adventure, you’ll just have to read on.

Colin Thompson has more than 65 books published. He has won multiple awards, including a CBCA Picture Book of the Year, a CBCA Honour Book and was shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Award – the most prestigious children’s literature prize in the world. Let’s hope he never goes Doolally!

Stories for 8 Year Olds

Stories for 8 Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight, illustrated by Tom Jellett (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN 9781742756608
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Andy Griffiths, R.A. Spratt, Paul Jennings, Tristan Bancks, Belinda Murrell. This is just a smattering of the all-star line-up of authors for the last of the four collections, Stories for 8 Year Olds.

Editor of the series, Linsay Knight shares her thoughts on the stories chosen for the eight-year-old readership. ‘With burgeoning confidence and feeling increasingly comfortable with fewer illustrations and smaller type, these readers are eager to try out their skills on a range of different genres.’

Once again, 11 stories have been chosen from a smorgasbord of Australian authors, and they’re not all prose. Gruesome Grandads and Nasty Nans, with its shades of Roald Dahl, is a story written in verse.

There are many weird and wacky stories, none so different as the UFD - the Unidentified Flying Dog. Colin Thompson’s, A Giant called Norman Mary, is written with delicious exaggeration where giants roamed the land eating bicycle seats and haystacks as they ‘reached up into the sky and pulled down a star and by its light they picked their way across the world.’ Exaggeration is also the tool used in Toe, where Tom’s cruel sister Tanya could let saliva ‘drip right down to her bellybutton and still manage to vacuum it back up.’ It’s laugh-out-loud wicked humour.

Sometimes the point of view is that on an animal, as in Anita Bell’s Marom. A challenge is set up in Michael Pryor’s Say Cheese, where Phil builds a Santa display out of bits of junk that he declares, ‘the finest piece of engineering since the Pyramids.’

There’s great imagery in The Lachatim Dragon, where Lachie ‘could smell the distinctive rotting reek of bats’ as he and his friend explore a cavern for treasure.

Nanny Piggins is at her best in the Holistic Cake Healer as she gives free advice at the doctor’s surgery; after all, she has taken ‘the Hippopigic oath.’

And don’t forget to read about your favourite storytellers at the back of the book. You’ll be amazed when you find out how many other books they have written. Enough to keep you reading until the cows come home!

The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia

The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia by Colin Thompson (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9781742751047
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Grab a torch, climb under the doona and check that your funny bone is in working order. Colin Thompson, the Aussie icon of wit, wackiness and whimsy has created the ultimate guide to accompany his laugh-out-loud book series, The Floods.

I couldn’t wait to open the cover, after all the skeletal Valla was inviting me into his world of Transylvania Waters (think pun for parents) holding a placard quipping ‘Family fun with Mildew, Germs & Boils.’

The humorous tone is set from start in this gothic-themed picture book/encyclopaedia, as in ‘A is for armpit – a place to store arms.’ There are tantalising titbits of witch and wizard Flood family history, zany diagrams, horoscopes and inventions.

Not only will readers get to know the Flood family better, but also their relatives, like Artery the Wizard who is the ‘Top High Priest of the Ancient Order of the Long Nose.’

Visit Haemorrhage Lakes, the ‘ultimate in luxury holiday destinations’ where ‘every night as you sleep, all your blood is sucked out by a team of highly trained Vampire Nurses and piped down to the basement, where it is given a full service in the laundry.’

This book is not for the faint-hearted. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or having nightmares as I read the poems, fairy stories and character descriptions. It’s like living in Colin Thompson’s brain that keeps shorting out. And I loved it!

Even the page colours match the Floods’ personas: gruesome grey, bogbottom brown, germy green and pukey pink. Thompson has thought of everything to entice young readers to think outside the square. Primary school boys especially will love this brilliantly illustrated treasure chest of hilarity. I can see many emulating Thompson’s inventiveness in art class.

Colin Thompson has more that 65 books published. He is a multiple award winner, including a CBCA Picture Book of the Year and a CBCA Honour Book. His talent is boundless. So if you want to know what makes Nerlin, Mordonna and the little Floods tick, then stick your eyeballs to the page, open your mind like a plughole and get ready to go on the raft-ride of your life as you journey into Colin Thompson’s imagination.

PS – One last Floodsopedia advertisement: Old Pottybreath’s Elixir (including the ten greatest plagues of all time) with the added bonus of 87 free scabs – some rare and collectible treasures.

Barry

Barry by Colin Thompson, (Random House)

HB RRP $24.95

ISBN 978-1-8647-1883-6

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Move over Wall-E, Barry the robot’s come to melt people’s hearts. Barry is Colin Thompson’s latest picture book for younger readers.

Barry’s a tiny robot that looks like he’s made out of scrap metal, with clamps and an air vent for his tummy. He’s been sent to save Earth but he becomes stuck at the back of someone’s sofa.

Barry’s a powerful robot who can control Earth, everything from the weather to unexplainable phenomenon like reality TV. Over time, Barry gets found by a human who tries to fix him up. This results in even more freaky changes in the weather. When Barry realises what he’s done, he sets out to undo the damage.

Thompson continues to deliver quirky stories that are backed up with some crazy illustrations. Each page has a mixture of realistic photos and stark drawings. Readers will be kept busy pointing out all the details. Thompson has created a very friendly robot with a bubbly personality. There’s an underlying environmental theme that can lead to further discussion.

Thompson’s tongue in cheek humour is splattered all over this lovely picture book. Barry is a delight to read and adore. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

The Floods: Lost

 Lost (Floods) by Colin Thompson (Random House)

PB RRP $15.95

ISBN 978-1-8647-1946-8

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

The Floods continue to ‘reign’ havoc in their latest adventure for younger readers and fans who have grown up with the kooky family. The Floods have returned to their homeland of Transylvania Waters, ready to rule once again. However, the country needs to be brought up to date with the latest technology and trends. For starters, Transylvania Waters doesn’t even have an official map. So Winchflat’s new wife Maldegard has been appointed as the new mapmaker.

However Maldegard and her assistant Edna discover that almost of the towns, streets and places don’t have a name at all. So they’ve become ‘namers’ too. The two ladies set up on a fabulous journey that will take them to weird and wacky places.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I read Flood series for the footnotes. They’ve become hilarious and largely irrelevant with every new book. Thompson has a blast, writing pockets of silly comments and observations that take you into his life. His commentary on Facebook and Twitter are priceless.

Of course, there is plenty of clever wordplay and humour in the main story, especially with Maldegard and Edna’s name choices. They meet some bumbling locals who don’t see the point in knowing where they are.

There’s a cool sub-plot that sees different groups trying to overthrow the Floods as the rulers of Transylvania Waters. Long term Thompson fans will love the little cameo from a classic character.

The Floods: Lost is another ripping read from Thompson and with the next book, Disasterchef in the works, there will be more laughs ahead. Recommended for ages 9 and up.      

Wild Stories

Wild Stories by Colin Thompson (Random House)

HB RRP $16.95
ISBN 978-1-8647-1826-3
Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Wild Stories is an anthology of short stories for younger readers. Thompson might be known for his Floods series, but he’s written a few books about animals living around an old house. These books were only published in the UK, so readers will discover a new world of fun.

Thompson gives each animal a distinct human-like personality. There are hilarious interactions between different animals and objects, with influences of wry British humour. Crows reminiscing flat road kill could have been carved out of a Monty Python skit.

The descriptions will tickle readers’ senses. Thompson describes a male mosquito drinking pollen as strawberry jam, caramel pudding and black cherry ice cream all rolled into one. It’s one of many delightful lines in the book.

Thompson also manages to weave in some animal facts into his stories. For example, there’s a stubborn baby hedgehog that refuses to hibernate in Winter. Readers will learn why animals have to hibernate, laughing at the hedgehog’s attempts to stay awake. While most of the stories are quite funny, there are some touching ones here that show the circle of life in full effect.

Wild Stories is a wonderful collection that kids will enjoy reading and laughing out loud. It’s recommended for ages 8 and up.