Author: zackids

Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan

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Cardboard Cowboys is one of those books that you want to keep reading, so that you can find out how the story ends, but you desperately don’t want the book to end and have to say goodbye to the characters. I knew, as soon as I read the blurb for this book, that I would love it, but I underestimated how much it would work its way into my head and heart.

Lenny is 12 and has just stated big school. He hates almost every minute of it because he is bullied because of his size. Lenny hates his body and the way that he gets treated because of it. He doesn’t get much attention at home and he thinks that his parents hate him, because of what he did. His brother, Frankie, was sent away as a result and his mother is struggling to deal with this. Lenny’s father is a lorry driver, so he is often away for long periods of time. With things the way they are at home and at school, Lenny often skips school and goes to his bench beside the canal. When he throws his Irn Bru can into the canal one day he meets Bruce, an old guy in a red bobble hat who lives in a cardboard house beside the canal. Lenny is intrigued by Bruce and he returns to the bench more often to talk with him. Bruce is the only person in Lenny’s life who will listen to him and Lenny finds himself opening up about his life and what happened to Frankie. Lenny knows that the only way to make things right is to go on a road trip to talk to his brother. Lenny can’t tell his parents about his plans so he has to convince Bruce to come with him. First though, they’ll have to earn some money to help them get the 177.3 miles to Frankie. Lenny isn’t even sure that Frankie will want to see him, but he has to try.

Cardboard Cowboys is an incredible, unforgettable story about two unlikely friends and the bond that grows between them. I loved every minute that I spent with Lenny and Bruce, whether it was watching them busking together or opening up to each other. Brian portrays two male characters, of completely different ages, dealing with complex emotions, whether it be guilt, shame or love. This is a story that helps you become a better person because you can’t help but feel empathy for these characters. You worry for Lenny and the guilt that he holds on to, and wonder what has happened in Bruce’s life that means he now lives in a cardboard house. Both Lenny and Bruce are complex characters, and Brian drip-feeds us details about them throughout the story. What is it that has happened to Lenny’s brother, Frankie, that means he isn’t at home anymore? And where has he gone away to? Why is Bruce living by the canal and where does he get his fancy clothes from? All these questions make you want to keep reading to get answers.

I love Lenny and Bruce’s friendship and the way that Brian addresses the strangeness of their relationship. They get on like a house on fire and have some great banter. In Bruce, Lenny finds someone that understands him, but also someone who just lets him talk. Lenny knows that Bruce will listen and offer advice, unlike his parents who don’t talk about their problems. Bruce sees the good inside Lenny and tries to bring it out. Bruce also does what he can to help Lenny out, including pretending to be his dad at an interview at his school. I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the story.

Music plays an important part in the story too, especially in connecting people. Lenny’s Mum clutches on to her favourite song and plays it on repeat after Reggie goes away. Thanks to Brian I now have Billie Jo Spears’ song ‘Blanket on the Ground’ on repeat in my head as I write this. Lenny and Bruce share a love of country music and go busking together to earn the money for their road trip. While they perform they comfort others with their music.

Lenny and Bruce are going to be hanging out in my head for a long time. Cardboard Cowboys is a book that I’ll be recommending to anyone who wants to listen. I highly recommend it as a read aloud or class novel for Years 7-9.

Wow in the World: The how and wow of the human body by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, illustrated by Jack Teagle

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I love children’s nonfiction books that present their information in a fun and fresh way. These are the books that I know will inspire kids to learn about something new. It might be the design of the book, that breaks the information in to small chunks, or the format in which the authors present the information. Wow in the World: the how and wow of the human body, by podcast hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, is one of these great nonfiction books. It is sure to teach kids heaps of interesting facts about the human body and have them laughing out loud while they read.

My eyes were drawn towards this book in my local bookshop, with its bright yellow cover, the title exploding off the front and the cartoon images of the authors. As soon as I picked it up and flicked through it, I knew I needed it for my school library. It’s the most visually appealing book about the human body that I’ve seen and it looks funny. This makes it a great book for dipping in to as you could just pick a section that you’re interested in. I started reading from the start and just kept on reading, because it’s so interesting and entertaining.

Like all human body books, this one is split in to different sections. There’s a welcome to your body section, where Mindy and Guy tell you the different ways you could experience this book (read it out of order and share interesting facts with your friends and family) and things you shouldn’t do with this book (barf over it when you read the gross parts). We then go on a tour of the human body, including the stuff on the outside (like hair, skin and nails) and the stuff on the inside (like the skeleton, heart and digestive system). Each section is jam-packed with info about how each part works and why it’s important. That is accompanied by Jack Teagle’s diagrams, comics and other visual gags that will make you chuckle. There are also heaps of Fact Snacks, quizzes and Bonus Body sections. The Fact Snacks are quick facts that are easy to remember and share with your friends and family.

This is one of the coolest children’s nonfiction books ever! I love that it is so visual, because this makes it both super fun and very re-readable. There are lots of comics throughout the book, like the Body Parts Awards and Muscle Mania, which will make this book appealing to those kids who love comics and graphic novels. The Bonus Body sections are hilarious! They tell you about the body parts you (probably) don’t need and all about your butt. There’s a good glossary and index at the back of the book, along with a bibliography, and books and websites for recommended reading. The book is based on a podcast by the authors, so there are also QR codes linking to each episode of Wow in the World.

Wow in the World: the how and wow of the human body is a must-have for all primary and intermediate school libraries and would make a great gift for inquisitive 8-12 year olds.

Skydragon #2: Fly Free by Anh Do

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A new book by Anh Do is like Christmas in my library. The kids are always excited, whether it’s a new Hot Dog, a Ninja Kid or a Wolf Girl. It has been especially his Wolf Girl series that has hooked the kids at my school, with one teacher reading aloud the first four books to her class last year. That same teacher decided to try Anh’s latest series, Skydragon, with her class this year and they are hooked on this series now. Having just read the first book myself, I can see why. Anh Do certainly knows how to hook readers – lots of action, tension and cliff-hanger endings. I didn’t expect to enjoy this series as much as I did but book I was at the end of the book before I knew it. Luckily it wasn’t too long to wait until book two, Fly Free, which releases this week.

Fly Free picks up straight after the end of book one, so you’re thrown right back into the action again. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry, and Agent Ferris is REALLY angry! Skydragon has evaded him and the National Service, but he’s determined to track her down. Readers are allowed a minute to catch their breath, before Amber is running for her life and trying to hide from the agents. After falling from a tree, Amber injures her ankle, but luckily her insect friends have her back. Amber can’t shake the thought that Firefighter is someone she knows, and she returns to her adopted family in search of answers. It isn’t long though before she is on the run again. While the National Service are tracking down Amber, Reggie (also known as the Firefighter) is being forced to carry out dubious missions for Agent Ferris. Skydragon and Firefighter’s paths cross but will they discover the truth about each other?

Fly Free keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering whether Amber and her insect friends will defeat the bad guys. The story jumps between Amber and Reggie, so we get their different perspectives. The pace of the story is swift, so young readers certainly won’t get bored.

James Hart’s illustrations are a really important part of what makes this series so engaging and appealing. His illustrations are on just about every page and show readers how epic Amber’s powers are. James and the design team have done a fantastic job on the cover for Fly Free too. It will certainly jump off the shelf! I especially love the foil used for the insect wings.

I have kids queuing up to get their hands on Fly Free and I know they won’t be disappointed. This book has another cliffhanger ending, which leaves you desperate for book 3!

Space Oddity by Christopher Edge

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I’m a huge fan of Christopher Edge. Many of his previous books have had a science theme, from inter-dimensional travel to the laws of the universe. His characters, and the unusual situations they find themselves in, stick with you. Christopher’s latest book, Space Oddity, has all the things I love about his stories, with a good dash of humour mixed in.

Jake is always being embarrassed by his dad. Whether he is breakdancing at the school disco or making a surprise appearance as a rubbish Darth Vader at his school production, Jake’s dad just can’t seem to stop doing silly things. When Jake’s dad tells him that the two of them are going away for the weekend to spend some quality time together, Jake can’t think of anything worse. His dad takes him to a Dads and Kids Weekend Adventure, where they will spend the weekend doing fun activities together. However, when his dad embarrasses him in front of the whole camp, Jake is ready to pack it in and go home. Then, his dad tells him who he really is – an alien who crashed to Earth twelve years ago. Thanks to a special device, Jake’s dad has been able to disguise himself as a human and blend in. But, when Jake fiddles with the device, he inadvertently signals the Cosmic Authority. They appear out of nowhere and abduct his dad, taking him back to his home planet. Jake’s dad may be super embarrassing but he is still his dad, and Jake will do anything to get him back.

Space Oddity is an intergalactic adventure with a whole lot of heart and humour. There is something in this story for everyone, from stinky aliens and killer robots, to alien technology and a giant out-of-control Lego spaceship. It’s a story about family and the lengths that we would go to for the ones we love, even if they are super embarrassing. It’s part science fiction, part adventure, but there are also plenty of laughs. I especially loved the range of ways that Jake’s dad has embarrassed him in the past. It’s a slightly younger story than most of Christopher’s other books, but a great way to hook kids into this amazing author.

Jake is a really relatable character, whose voice I loved. Most readers will have a family member who can be embarrassing, so they’ll understand how Jake feels. Jake’s dad hasn’t been able to explain why he gets things so wrong, and when he tells Jake the truth, Jake has trouble believing it. Jake does actually love his dad though, and he can’t bear to think about losing him forever. Jake puts his own life in danger in order to try and save his dad.

The fantastic Ben Mantle has created the cover illustration and illustrations throughout the story. Whenever I see one of his covers I always pick it up, and his cover for Space Oddity is spectacular. The cover designer, Steve Wells, has added some nice touches, with the raised title and the shiny, textured bits on the spaceship.

Space Oddity would be a brilliant read aloud or class set for Years 4-6. It’s funny and action-packed, so it will engage everyone.

Lightfall: The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

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I love children’s graphic novels that have some real depth to them, both in story and illustration. Graphic novels like the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi and This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews tell you a fantastic story, with gorgeous art, but you know that the story you’re reading is only a small part of the world. The first book in Tim Probert’s new graphic novel series, Lightfall, is one of these graphic novels. The Girl and the Galdurian is one story from Irpa, but Tim’s world is so detailed that you know there is much more of this world to explore. This first book has me hooked and desperate for book 2.

Bea lives deep in the heart of Irpa, with her adopted grandfather, Pig Wizard. Their home is Salty Pig’s Tonics and Tictures, where people come to buy remedies and elixirs. Pig Wizard is old and forgetful, so he must leave reminders for himself everywhere. Luckily he has Bea to help him, and she gathers ingredients that he needs from the land around them. While gathering ingredients in the woods one day Bea meets Cad, a member of the Galdurians, a race thought to be long-extinct. Cad is looking for Pig Wizard in the hopes that he can translate an ancient scroll, so he follows Bea back to Salty Pig’s. When they arrive they discover that Pig Wizard has left to perform a duty that he has neglected. Bea and Cad go in search of him. Along the way they meet some interesting characters who both help and hinder them. There is also a sinister presence that is stepping out of the shadows and there is something they are desperate to get their hands on.

I love everything about The Girl and the Galdurian, from the story and the characters, to the artwork and the design. Tim has both written and illustrated the story, so the text and illustrations are seamless. The story flows really well, cutting smoothly between Bea and Cad’s journey and the other, darker thread of the story. It is a beautifully designed and produced graphic novel, with thick, quality paper and vivid inks (its smells of quality too). Bea and Cad are lovable characters, who already feel like your best friends by the end of the book. I would follow them anywhere.

Tim’s fantasty world of Irpa is richly detailed. You feel like Bea’s story is just scratching the surface of what is going on in this complex world. As this is the first book in the series, we learn bits of details about Irpa and its history, but there feels like there is so much more to explore in future books. I love the details that Tim puts into the illustrations. These details tell you things about the world, without explicitly explaining what they are or what they mean. As you’re reading you’ll see creatures in the background or ruins of a building poking through the ground.

Tim’s illustrations are sublime! He takes us through a variety of landscapes throughout the story and my mouth dropped open in awe at the different landscapes he has created. I would love to have prints of some of the bigger panels all over my house. Tim’s battle scenes are also epic, especially when they involve giant crabs. I also love the colour palette that Tim has used, which highlights the difference in the light of Irpa. The wordless scenes, with the sinister creatures, are quite creepy, and set the tone for the story.

I can’t wait to introduce the kids at my school to this graphic novel. I know that it is going to be incredibly popular, especially with those kids who love Amulet. It’s a similar epic fantasy story, set in a world that is rich in detail. This is a must-have for primary and intermediate school libraries. I am desperate for the second book and I know kids will be queuing up for it too.

Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter and Joamette Gil

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I love that there are more and more children’s graphic novels being published with LGBTQ+ characters and themes. It’s important for our kids to be able to see themselves in books, no matter what their identity. These graphic novels don’t just appeal to kids who are trans or queer though. One of my favourite graphic novels is The Prince and the Dressmaker and it is one of the most popular graphic novels with the older children at my school. The themes of discovering your identity and being the person you truly feel you are, resounds with all readers. Girl Haven is a fantastic new graphic novel from Oni Press, which deals with gender identity and sexuality in a way that older children can relate to.

Three years ago, Ash’s mom, Kristin, left home and never came back. Now, Ash lives in the house where Kristin grew up. All of her things are there. Her old room, her old clothes, and the shed where she spent her childhood creating a fantasy world called Koretris. Ash knows all about Koretris: how it’s a haven for girls, with no men or boys allowed, and filled with fanciful landscapes and creatures. When Ash’s friends decide to try going to Koretris using one of Kristin’s spell books, Ash doesn’t think anything will happen. But the spell works, and Ash discovers that the world Kristin created is actually a real place with real inhabitants and very real danger. But if Koretris is real, why is Ash there? Everyone has always called Ash a boy. Ash uses he/him pronouns. Shouldn’t the spell have kept Ash out? And what does it mean if it let Ash in?

Girl Haven is such a cool story! It is an inspiring story about being the person you want to be, wrapped up in a fantasy adventure. The story is full of fun and adventure, but Lilah and Meaghan also make you think about gender identity and how society makes you fit in to one box or another. The characters are diverse, representing cisgender, transgender and nonbinary people, and different sexual orientations. I think this is an important book that will help children who are confused about their identity. It will help them to see that they are not alone, and that it is important to have people around you who understand and support you.

The story mainly focuses on Ash’s journey to acceptance. Ash didn’t realise that the place his mum talked about and wrote about was actually a real place. He knows that Koretris is a haven for girls, so it is confusing when he is able to get in, along with his friends who are all girls. Ash has always felt like he was supposed to be a girl and has wished that something would happen to turn him into a girl. Coming to Koretris gives Ash the chance to become the person he’s always wanted to be. Junebug, Eleanor and Chloe are all great friends to Ash, and I love that they all identify differently. Anybody reading this graphic novel will be able to find someone to relate to. Something that really resonated with me was the idea of every person being a story and that ‘a boy is one kind of story, a girl another kind. And they are but two of many stories.’

Meaghan Carter’s illustrations bring the world of Koretris to life, from the Rabbits of the Reeds to the candy people of Sugar Valley, and the dreaded Scourge. Meaghan has drawn Ash in such a way that he looks androgynous, but as his friends say, he ‘looks really cute in that dress.’ Meaghan’s illustration style is similar to Molly Ostertag and Gale Galligan, so anyone who likes their style would like Girl Haven.

Girl Haven is one of my favourite children’s graphic novels this year and I will be recommending it to kids and adults alike. It is a must-have graphic novel for intermediate and high school libraries, and I know it will be incredibly popular. If you have loved The Prince and the Dressmaker, Witch Boy, Dungeon Critters or Snapdragon, you’ll love Girl Haven.

Paws by Kate Foster

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Making friends as an adult is so hard. I look at my daughter and the kids at school and see how easily they make friends, sometimes by just asking to play together. I wish it was that easy as an adult. For some kids though, it isn’t easy to make friends, especially if they are neurodivergent. Alex, the main character in Kate Foster’s new middle grade novel, Paws, is autistic. He is desperate to make a friend before he goes to high school, and he’s got a plan to make sure he gets one.

Alex needs to make a friend, and fast. High school is just a few months away and he knows that if he makes a friend, high school will be a lot easier. For Alex though, making friends is really tricky. As an autistic person, he has trouble understanding people, especially when they use a facial expression he’s not familiar with or use a phrase that doesn’t make sense. Dogs are so much easier to understand, especially his cockapoo, Kevin. He always seems to know when Alex needs doggy kisses. Alex wants Jared, one of the popular kids, to be his friend. The Paws dog show is coming to town in five days, and Alex knows that if he can win a trophy with Kevin, Jared will want to be his friend. As the show draws closer, and the unexpected happens at school, Alex trains harder with Kevin. Will Alex win a trophy and make a friend or are friends closer than he thinks?

I absolutely adore Paws! It is a story filled with joy and doggy kisses galore. If I was a dog, I would be wagging my whole body with excitement right now because I love this book so much. It is one of my favourite stories about friendship, because Kate Foster shows us friendship in all its different forms. We see Alex trying to impress someone to try and be their friend, Alex making friends without even realising it, and the best friend relationship that exists between humans and dogs. Kate Foster gives us a glimpse of everyday life, through the eyes of her autistic character. Alex’s confusion about the phrases and facial expressions that neurotypical people in the story use, made me aware that there will be expressions that I use at school that neurodivergent students won’t understand. Reading Paws (and other recent books featuring neurodivergent characters) has made me think about how I can make my library a more friendly space for neurodivergent students.

I love Alex and his quest to make a friend. Alex has trouble understanding people sometimes, especially when they use a facial expression he’s not familiar with (like his teacher wiggling her eyebrows). Him and his dog Kevin though, understand each other perfectly. Alex knows what Kevin needs because he can read his body language, and Kevin knows what Alex needs, especially if he is upset or overstimulated. Dog kisses can solve just about anything! There is a strong bond between Alex and Kevin and it made my heart melt. One of the things that Alex is sensitive to is texture, and one of his favourite textures is the softness of Kevin’s fur and ears. Nuzzling with Kevin brings Alex comfort and calms him down. Kate’s descriptions of Alex rubbing his face in Kevin’s fur made me want my own dog to snuggle with. Alex desperately wants to make a friend, and he tries to make friends with Jared, a boy on his relay team who also loves the same game as him. Jared gives clues, that Alex doesn’t pick up, that he doesn’t want to be friends. The new kid, Derek, also likes the same game as Alex and has a cute dog called Vinnie. Alex becomes so focused on trying to win a trophy at the Paws dog show (to impress Jared so that he’ll be his friend) that he doesn’t realise he is already making friends around him.

The supporting cast of doggy characters in the book are super cute and they made me smile so many times. As well as Alex’s dog, Kevin the cockapoo, there is also Ned’s dog, Dennis the bulldog, and Derek’s dog, Vinnie the Jack Russell. I especially enjoyed the last part of the story with Alex and Derek at the Paws dog show with their dogs. The ending of the story is so perfect and left me grinning from ear to ear. Sarah Davis’ adorable illustration of Kevin on the front cover made me want to see illustrations of the other dogs in the story.

I guarantee that you’ll fall in love with Paws like I did. It will make a wonderful read aloud for Years 5-8. The team at Walker Books Classroom have created some great Book Club Notes to go along with the book too, which includes a Q & A with Kate Foster.

Cricket Crazy by Vivienne Bailey

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There is a serious lack of sports fiction for kids, especially books published in New Zealand. We seem to be good at publishing sports memoirs and celebrations of sports teams aimed at adults, but there is not much around for kids. Many of the sports-mad kids aren’t huge readers, but stories about sport are the perfect way to hook them in to books. Vivienne Bailey’s Cricket Crazy, published under the Ahoy! imprint from local publishers Cuba Press, is a wonderful and much-needed novel for kids, focusing on cricket.

Tom Willard is a cricket-crazy eleven-year-old, who dreams of making it big, like his cricket idols. For a while now, it’s just been him, his dad and his dog, Archie. Now his dad has a new girlfriend, called Tanya, who is spending more and more time with him and his dad. Things that used to be just for him and his dad, like cricket, now include Tanya. Tom doesn’t want someone new being part of their life, because he knows that things will change. Things go from bad to worse when Tom’s best friend, Fletcher, gets sick, Tom’s new cricket bat goes missing, and then he is dropped from his team. Tom knows he will have to train hard if he is to make it back on his team and help them get to the finals. Luckily, Tom finds a new friend in Izzy, an all-rounder who helps him improve his skills and get one step closer to his dreams.

Cricket Crazy is a great mix of sports action on and off the pitch and family dynamics. It is engaging for sports-mad kids, especially those who love cricket, and at just 110 pages, it is the perfect length for struggling or reluctant readers. The parts of the story that take place during matches are exciting and quite tense. Tom is a character that sporty kids will be able to relate to, with his focus on improving his skills, getting to the finals, and his rivalry with Menace Mitchell. There will be many readers who will be able to relate to Tom’s family life too, with someone new coming in to the family. From the start, Tom doesn’t like Tanya, and when Tanya starts trying to change things at home, Tom becomes more frustrated. Vivienne Bailey understands her audience well, especially the way that they speak. Tom and his friends feel authentic. Vivienne’s previous experience, working in school and public libraries, has obviously helped in writing this story.

Cricket Crazy is a great addition to primary and intermediate school libraries. I know it will fly off the shelves at my school! The wonderful cover, by Theo Macdonald, will certainly grab kids’ attention.

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean by L.D. Lapinski

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I absolutely loved the first book in L.D. Lapinski’s The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series. A story about travelling to different worlds through suitcases is my kind of story (you can read my review here). After Flick and Jonathan’s first adventure, I was desperate to go back to Strangeworlds and see where they went next. The second book in the series, The Edge of the Ocean, has just been released and it was everything I hoped for, and more.

After arriving back home quite late from her adventure in the City of Five Lights, Flick is in a whole heap of trouble with her parents. She is grounded for the whole of the summer holidays. After bumping in to Jonathan in the supermarket Flick comes up with a plan to get back to Strangeworlds. Jonathan receives an urgent summons from Pirate Queen Nyfe, so Jonathan and Flick travel to the world of The Break. This is a world of ocean and islands, pirates and mer-people, but it is shrinking by the day. Magic is being taken from their world and bits of it are breaking off and disappearing. Queen Nyfe has summoned Jonathan in the hope that he can help the inhabitants of The Break escape before it is too late. When the suitcase is stolen from Flick they know that they need to retrieve it, otherwise no one will escape this world. Flick, Jonathan, and Avery must figure out how to save everyone, from the inhabitants to their ships, using just a small suitcase.

The Edge of the Ocean is a brilliant sequel, that adds depth to the story arc, while being a rip-roaring, page-turner of a story in its own right. It’s a story of a rescue mission, filled with adventure, mystery and magic. Like any rescue mission there are risks but Jonathan, Flick and Avery do anything they can to alleviate these. One of the things I loved most about the first book was Jonathan and Flick hopping through suitcases to show Flick new worlds. I was worried that there wouldn’t be much of this in this book, but I wasn’t disappointed. They still visit plenty of worlds while trying to find a new home for the inhabitants of The Break.

L.D. Lapinski ensures that her cast of characters is diverse and I really like that. Her characters are unique and interesting, and I love how you learn something new about them with each book. Jonathan is transgender, which was hinted at in the first book. I don’t think it is explicitly stated that he is transgender, but L.D. Lapinski has talked about this in interviews. It is also hinted, in this book, that Jonathan is gay (he has a slightly embarrassing interaction in the supermarket with a guy he knows from college). Flick develops feelings for Jonathan’s cousin Avery in this book (Avery feels the same) and it’s possible that their relationship could develop in the next book. I love the way that these details about the characters are just part of who they are, rather than it being explicit that they’re transgender or gay. There will be readers that hugely identify with Jonathan or Flick because of their identity and those who just love the characters because they’re brave, adventurous and funny.

Families are an important part of this book too. Flick’s family were scared and worried when she when she returned late from the City of Five Lights in the first book, and they ground her to keep her at home. Flick is then conscious that she can’t do the same thing again and let them down. Jonathan has been looking for his missing father for months, with no sign of him. The Pirate Queen gives him some information that leaves him distressed. Flick and Jonathan are themselves a little family, as they are part of the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, and Jonathan’s cousin, Avery, joins them on this adventure. Without giving spoilers, there are also some intriguing family connections revealed in this book.

The ending of The Edge of the Ocean was incredibly exciting and made me desperate for the third book. I can’t wait to see where L.D. Lapinski takes us next!

Interview with Peter Millett

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Peter Millett is an author who loves to make kids laugh. He has written books for kids of all ages, from picture books to novels. Peter’s latest book is a collection of funny stories for Ladybird Books. Ladybird Funny Stories for 5 Year Olds is a fantastic collection of stories that has been brought to life by Rhashan Stone and Gemma Whelan, as an audiobook. Funny Stories for 5 Year Olds has just been released and you can read my review here.

I caught up with Peter Millett to ask him about how he got this gig with Ladybird Books, how we decided which stories and characters to mash-up and more.

  • How did you get this gig? Were you approached by Ladybird

Ladybird is a fantastic publisher with a terrific history of publishing quality books for children. I was super excited to get to work with them on a series of funny picture books in 2020 that were aimed at 2-3 year old readers. While we were doing that my editor Becky asked me if I was interested in writing some longer humorous stories for 3 year olds that could be included on an audio book. One thing led to another and I ended up working on an audio book aimed at 5 year olds instead. This is how much of my career has evolved. One door opens and then another different one, and then another different one after that opens. I feel energised each time I get to try something that I haven’t done before.

  • Funny Stories for Five Year Olds is only being released as an audiobook. Did you have to consciously consider, as you were writing them, how well these stories would read aloud?

Yes. And I had to plan this project really carefully too. Most of my longer comedy writing (Boy Zero/Johnny Danger) is for 7+ so I can slip in puns, malapropisms and double-meanings to get the giggles flowing. With audio books it’s a little harder to use wordplay so you have to create jokes that come from obvious mix ups and misunderstandings that are easily understandable for the youngest of listeners. The magical elves in one of my stories get hopelessly confused and end up creating a pair of crocs (crocodiles)  instead of a pair of socks. That silly scene is easy for kids to get first time and laugh at.

  • You hit the jackpot with narrators for Funny Stories! Did Gemma Whelan and Rhashan Stone do anything surprising with your stories (like different voices than what you were expecting)?

Jackpot is an understatement. Gemma Whelan has appeared in Ben Elton’s comedies and I grew watching and memorising Ben Elton’s comedies! I still can’t believe that Gemma has voiced my stories. Yes, she blew me away on this audio book. I had a pretty wild image in my head about how zany the Queen of Hearts, the Bad Fairy and Cinderella’s Gruff Stepsisters could be. Gemma exceeded that image by quite a way! To quote Spinal Tap she turned the dial up to ’11’. Rhashan genuinely surprised me with his animal character impersonations. He didn’t hold back. He dived into wacky-land and came up with sounds that I didn’t know that human vocal cords could generate. He’s a legend in my books.

  • Each of the stories in Funny Stories for 5 Year Olds is a mashup of classic stories and characters, which make for some hilarious combinations. How did you decide which stories and characters to combine?

One at a time! That’s how. This audio book is one of the most intricate and complicated writing projects I’ve ever attempted. Looking back now it all seems so obvious. But at the time I found it quite a challenging to blend multiple disparate storylines and characters into one cohesive unit that somehow was funny and easy to comprehend!  I did a lot of walking and thinking while writing this collection. At the end of the day I’m a fan boy and I’d always wanted to see all of these famous and quirky fable and nursery rhyme characters bump into each other and watch the sparks fly. The Golden Duckling was the most fun of all the stories to write.

  • If you could write a mashup of any three stories in the world what would you choose?

Hmmm. That sounds like my next audio book project. 🙂  The Day of The Triffids, Swiss Family Robinson and Anne of Green Gables.

Rough idea: Anne finds herself stranded on a deserted island infested with human-eating plants. She bumps into the Swiss Family Robinson who are oblivious to the dangers below as they live happily up in the treetops. Anne must overcome their confusing language barriers and frequent awkward misunderstandings by using roleplaying methods to help alert the family to the perils they unknowingly face. After the human-eating plants are defeated, Anne wants the family to sail a raft to New York where she can stage a Broadway musical about her wild experiences on the island.