Mr Grumblebum at the Lighthouse

Mr Grumblebum at the Lighthouse by David Graham, illustrations by Salvador Capuyan (Xlibris) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781669879299

Here is a self-published picture book in the Grumblebum series. In this book, Mr Grumblebum receives a letter from the Ports Authority offering him a job at a lighthouse. Taking up this position, he discovers that a van is removing the lighthouse’s automatic light for repairs and cleaning. A Captain Morgan from the Ports Authority tells Grumblebum he’s employed for a month, during which time he’s to complete a list of jobs (shown in an illustration.) Importantly, he must turn on the manual light nightly.

A problem arises when he accidentally knocks over a tin of paint and stands on a plank, which hits him in the face: he also hits his finger with his hammer. Otherwise, he appears to attend well to his other duties.

Grumblebum makes friends with a dolphin, Shread, who lives in the harbour waters. The old man also thinks he might be lonely, but he has the lighthouse cat, Foo, to keep him company. Again, accidentally, he steps on Foo’s tail.

One night while in bed, Grumblebum sees a distress signal sent out by a small boat at sea. Without hesitation, he heads out in the lighthouse boat to save the fishermen on the boat. As he heads home with the two sodden men, the boat’s engine conks out. However, Shread the dolphin comes to the rescue, towing them to shore.

The book, with its appealing, full-age, cartoon-type illustrations, could have been improved with professional editing and proofreading.

Mr Grumblebum at the Lighthouse can be purchased by contacting the author at daggy52@hotmail.com or from the publisher Xlibris at orders@xlibiris.com

 

 

Mr Grumblebum at the Waxworks

Mr Grumblebum at the Waxworks by David Graham, illustrations by Salvador Capuyan (Xlibris) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 978369422946

Here is a self-published picture book that is the third in the Grumblebum series. In this book, the main character is not Mr Grumblebum but two lively boys, Freddy and Herbie, who are always looking for action around the small town of Farleigh, where they and the grumpy old man live. The boys get up to mischief some mornings on the way to school when they walk down Elm Street and try to innocently upset some residents.

One day, however, Mr Grumblebum is waiting for the boys: to their surprise, he chases after them. To escape from the umbrella-wielding old man, they hide inside the waxworks.

The book has full-age, cartoon-type illustrations that capture Mr Grumblebum's personality. However, it could have been improved with some professional proofreading.

Mr Grumblebum at the Waxworks can be purchased by contacting the author at daggy52@hotmail.com

Mr Grumblebum and the Graffiti Gang

Mr Grumblebum and the Graffiti Gang by David Graham and illustrated by Salvador Capuyan (self published by the author and Xlibris Books.) RRP $16.99 ISBN 979 836949477 651399

Community-minded Mr Grumblebum notices lots of graffiti being sprayed around his home town of Farleigh as he rides and walks around town. He decides he should try to do something about removing the ugly graffiti. 

Mr Grumblebum gains support from the Farleigh Council who after a long meeting decide to supply him with a “Graffiti Buster” van which would hold all the required equipment. After a while of cleaning off graffiti and painting  out  “hot spots’ Mr Grumblebum  soon realises that much of his work is in vain as a couple of days later the Graffiti Reappears.

Mr Grumblebum then decides to catch the Graffiti Gang “red-handed”  and sets about  various plans to catch up with the gang and confides  with his loyal cat Foo.

About the Author                                                                                                                                                                          David Graham was born in Wollongong and trained at the Wollongong Teachers College gaining his primary school teaching qualifications. David and family left the south coast and  took up a number of Executive Positions at small Central schools in western NSW. During this time David began to write children’s stories. Now in retirement a number of these stories have been revisited and published.

The latest book Mr Grumblebum and the Graffiti Gang is part of a series featuring the clumsy yet kind and loveable Mr Grumblebum. It can be purchased from Amazon or by contacting the author on daggy52@hotmail.com

The first book in the series, Mr Grumblebum at the Lighthouse, is available at Kiama Bookstore, Thirroul Bookshop, Albion Park Newsagency as well as contacting the author for purchase at daggy52@hotmail.com

Reviewed by Jill McKinnon