Maddy West and the Tongue Taker

Maddy West and the Tongue Taker by Brian Falkner, illustrated by Donovan Bixley (Walker Books Australia)
PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9781921977671
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Maddie is a reflective and intelligent child with a rather special ability - she is omnilingual; a talker of tongues. Kazuki, Maddy’s friend from Japan has scant knowledge of English. It is while trying to communicate with him that Maddy realizes she can understand his language. Kazuki, bullied and belittled by his older brother, is timid and introverted, but has formed a strong bond of friendship with the empathetic Maddy. He also has a great imagination and believes he is a ninja and can make himself invisible. This belief will stand him in good stead during the dark days that follow the unsuspecting children.

On the day Maddy starts talking in Japanese, her mother takes her to the doctor to be cured. She discovers that her daughter is a genius and decides that Maddy’s talent can be financially rewarding after appearing on a television program for a substantial payment. This deceptive gift proves to be a magnet to evil intent, black magic, kidnapping and dangerous adventures which will take Maddy from England to Bulgaria, and bring out the crusader in Kazuki.

While returning from the TV appearance on the train, Maddy meets an old man who talks to her of her magic abilities and warns her against the darker side of magic then disappears. Soon after, Maddy’s parents are approached by Professor Coateloch who gets permission for Maddy to travel with her to Bulgaria to read some ancient scrolls hidden in a monastery there.

But Maddy is kidnapped soon after her arrival in Bulgaria, and is forced to translate the stolen scrolls by a witch and her daughters who hold Kazuki under the threat of death. Realization comes too late to Maddy, for her translations involve spells of black magic; recipes for thunderstorms, calling up of animals, and worst of all, the taking of tongues. She also learns that things and people aren’t always what they appear to be.

Maddy’s gift has a luminous side as well. She will encounter the giant wrestler Dimitar and his magical monkey Mr Chester, inherited from his late father, and come to the understand that while the spoken and written language is the greatest tool of communication, it is often wordless actions are of greater significance.

The black and white illustrations add a delicious touch to the atmosphere of the book as does the terrific cover design. It’s another good versus evil delight that is has a clever, well-designed story, with fast-paced adventure, penned by an imaginative master storyteller for the mature 8+ age group.

Dinosaur Rescue – T-Wreck-a-saurus

Dinosaur Rescue – T-Wreck-a-saurus by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley (Scholastic New Zealand) 
PB RRP $5.00 special price 

ISBN 9781775430193

Reviewed by Dawn Meredith

Stone Age men don’t go hunting every day. It’s too much hard work. They only hunt when they get sick of eating nuts and berries. (The Never-before-told Secret of Stone Age Hunting, p52).

This crazy, fun book is part of a series in which the creators explore the idea that cave men lived in the age of dinosaurs, while acknowledging fully that they didn’t. It’s a fun notion. The protagonist, Arg, is a ‘caveboy genius’ who puts up with his less than intelligent, ape-like family and friends:

“But Arg’s mum had just scratched her armpits and yawned, It was way too complicated for her little brain to understand. She didn’t even know what a brain was… ‘Big trouble, Arg scream.’ His mum said.”

Arg finds smart ways to elude being eaten by a T-Rex. His faithful companion, a microceratops, Krrk-Krrk is a scaredy-saur, but provides comic relief at the right moment. There is a strong sense of the simplistic ethics of the caveman, necessitated by their ‘you could die any moment’ existence - When annoying Gurg gets chomped by a T Rex driven mad by itchiness Arg shrugs. He never liked Gurg anyway. A playful development sees the T Rex and Arg discover to their mutual astonishment that the other can speak and the realization that dinosaurs are in fact endangered.

The drawings and concepts are laugh-out-loud funny in this nicely finished volume. There’s lots of gross bits boy readers will love, including this little gem on page 13:

“She [Mum] stared at him suspiciously. Then she shoved her finger deep into her nose. When she pulled it out again, there was a big chunk of soft, green snot on the end. She studied it a second before popping it in her mouth.”

YUUUUUK! When I read this bit aloud to one of my students he made a face then laughed and said “That’s so cool!” I think Mewburn and Bixley have got it right with this particular audience, in the tradition of Andy Griffiths. An additional book in the series, Dinosaur Rescue – Stego-snottysaurus (ISBN 9781775430209) explores Arg’s quest to stop a dinosaur from getting people flu.

Dawn Meredith writes from the Blue Mountains. She was awarded a May Gibbs Writer’s fellowship in 2011 and her brand new book, The Anything Shop was released in October. You can follow her exploits here: www.dawnmeredithauthor.blogspot.com

Northwood

Northwood by Brian Falkner, illustrated by Donovan Bixley (Walker Books Australia)
PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9781921529801
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Northwood is a thoroughly wonderful story. It is refreshing and quirky with wonderful characters, an unusual setting and a fast-paced plot. Cecilia Undergarment is our hero. She is likeable, though unremarkable except for one detail: the ability to talk to, and understand, animals. It is this ability which starts off the story's chain of events when she discovers that her neighbour Mr Proctor has been mistreating his dog Rocky. Cecilia rescues Rocky and in a fit of rage Mr Proctor bulldozes Cecilia's balloon house and she floats away, landing in the mysterious Northwood from which none who have ventured have returned.

The book begins with the narrator talking directly to the reader and its a device that works well. I was drawn into Cecilia's world immediately. Her balloon house seems entirely plausible and her rather unfortunate surname is never sniggered at. Northwood has a feel reminiscent of a fairy tale although Cecilia is not your fainting female character waiting to be saved by a prince in shining armour. Always polite and considerate, she is nevertheless strong and courageous. Humour is filtered throughout the story (the twins are marvelous). The black lions in the forest add an extra element of malevolence but they are not evil; they are lions acting as lions will.

Donovan Bixley's black-and-white illustrations add to the pleasure of reading this book and are in keeping with the nostalgic feel. The cover is a winner and will be sure to draw readers to pick up the book. It depicts Cecilia and Rocky running through the forest and the lurking black lions and hints at all the action, adventure and fantasy to be revealed.

Northwood is a book which shows that strength does not need to be brutal and respect needs to be earned. It is uplifting and never didactic. One of the books of 2011 for its originality, quirkiness and sense of wonder. I expect to see it shortlisted for many awards and highly recommend it for mid to upper primary school children.