Toffle Towers: Fully Booked

Toffle Towers: Fully Booked by Tim Harris, illustrated by James Foley (Puffin) PB RRP$14.99 ISBN 9780143795421

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Here is a new book series for young readers by the Australian author of the humorous and quirky, best-selling Mr Bambuckle books. In a different, more straight-forward style, the first of the Toffle Towers books is about Chegwin Toffle, a ten-year-old boy with a rampant imagination who inherits a hotel from a great-uncle he never knew.

Toffle Towers has not had a booking in over three years, but Chegwin figures out a solution, acquiring a shuttle bus with rocket engines which amuses holidaymakers and conveys them to the hotel. Bookings increase but Chegwin makes a huge mistake when he over-orders milk and depletes the hotel’s budget. Chegwin has discovered that running a hotel has its challenges and disasters which he is forced to overcome.

The book’s pages are broken up with amusing black and white illustrations including the use of speech balloons. One example follows a sub-heading, ‘Strange things people might inherit’ with captioned illustrations such as a bazooka, a set of real and very sharp teeth (with bonus piranha) and a priceless antique chamber pot. In other places there are break-out notes, correspondences and imaginative ideas (for example, what to do with sixty thousand litres of milk: answer, offer milk baths to guests!)

Fast paced and amusing, this novel would best suit readers aged eight years and over.

The Tales of Mr Walker

The Tales of Mr Walker by Jess Black, illustrated by Sara Acton (Puffin Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9780143793076

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Sub-titled ‘a hotel dog with a nose for adventure’, this is a beautifully designed and presented book which would suit children aged 8 to 11 years who enjoy chapter books. There are four mini books between the covers: Mr Walker at the Park, Mr Walker and the Mystery Guest, Mr Walker and the Garden Surprise and Mr Walker Finds a Home.

At the start of the first story, Mr Walker, a golden Labrador dog, is being driven by Tracy to the Park Hyatt Hotel where he is to take up the position of Guide Dog ambassador of a park. The dog has no idea what an ambassador is, but he is welcomed to the hotel first by Thomas then by Henry Reeves whose family lives in a hotel apartment and who befriend him.

All four books are told from Mr Walker’s point of view as he gets to know guests – all wealthy and privileged, some famous -- and embarks upon adventures within the hotel whose employees include Chef Remy, housekeeper Meraj and Omid on the front desk. Always eager to help, Mr Walker always identifies people by their smells, including a mysterious man who is discriminated against but who turns out to be quite different from what he first appears.

This is a gently-told story with much charm and no real dramas which is likely to appeal to readers who prefer a ‘quiet’ story. Mr Walker is lovable even though he acts in typical dog fashion at times which gets him into scrapes.

The watercolour illustrations fit the mood of the story while the text is in large font which makes for easy reading. Royalties from sales of this book go to Guide Dogs Victoria.