I’m a huge fan of Stephan Pastis’ Timmy Failure series. It’s funny, incredibly silly and it’s perfect for readers who love their books with cartoons, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The latest book in the series, Timmy Failure: Sanitized for Your Protection is out now and I’ll be posting my review later in the week. For now, enjoy this book trailer for the new book:
funny
Beware – Danger is Everywhere!
I discovered the hilarious Danger is Everywhere a couple of weeks ago while browsing through new books at my library. Danger is Everywhere is written by David O’Doherty and illustrated by Chris Judge. It is a ‘Handbook for Avoiding Danger’ that has two aims:
- To remind you that Danger is Everywhere
- To make you into a qualified Dangerologist (Level 1)
It is chock full of tips to avoid danger in every day situations, including what to do with a page 9 scorpion, removing a bee in your house, how to find out if your teacher is a vampire, and how to dress for danger. These handy tips are presented to you by Doctor Noel Zone, the world’s only Dangerologist.
The sequel to Danger is Everywhere, Danger is Still Everywhere, has recently been released and it contains even more tips for avoiding danger. Both of these books are perfect for kids who like their books full of silly drawings, funny and crazy advice and lots of laughs. I especially like Doctor Noel’s Relaxing Fairy Tales, crazy alternative fairy tales which involve things like the three little pigs being cooked by lava from a volcano.
Check out these videos featuring advice and tips from Danger is Everywhere and the book trailer for Danger is Still Everywhere:
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The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing by Barry Hutchison
I’ve been a huge fan of Barry Hutchison for ages. He is one of those incredibly talented authors who can write for all ages and in a range of different genres. His Invisible Fiends series is one of my favourite series and is delightfully creepy. I was sucked in to the series with Mr Mumbles and eagerly awaited the next books in the series. Barry’s next few books, The 13th Horseman and The Book of Doom were hilariously funny books for older readers and I loved these just as much. Earlier this year Barry released the first book in his brilliant new series for younger readers all about Benjamin Blank, The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing.
In an alternate 15th century, where dragons roam, sailing ships transform into submarines, and blacksmiths build steampunk robots, ten-year-old orphan Benjamin Blank battles monsters, rescues maidens and discovers fantastic new lands, but never quite manages to get his homework handed in on time. Each adventure sees Ben and his friends, Paradise Little and Wesley Chant, face a new monstrous menace.
The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing is a hilarious, rollicking adventure that will have you laughing out loud as you follow Ben and his friends on their quest. Ben desperately wants to be a hero and when a girl called Paradise turns up in his village looking for a warrior, Ben sees his chance. A monster is terrorising Paradise’s village and she needs a warrior to save them and vanquish the monster. Ben hasn’t had much practice but he’s the only warrior around that can help. Armed with a magic gauntlet, Ben sets off with Paradise to save her village from the Shark-Headed Bear-Thing.
The thing I love the most about Barry’s books is the dialogue. The conversations and interactions between his characters always makes me laugh and I certainly laughed my way through The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing. This is a perfect book to read aloud as it really keeps kids’ attention. There is one particular part of the book, involving a troll and his game of ‘Burp-or-Death’ that I love reading out to kids. I can hardly get through this part with out cracking up laughing and kids absolutely love it, especially boys. If you’re looking for the perfect read aloud for ages 8 and up you really can’t go past The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing. I guarantee it will be a winner!
I love Chris Mould’s illustrations and they perfectly match Barry’s story! They are quirky and add an extra layer of humour to the story. I especially love Chris’ cover illustration, with the Shark-Headed Bear-Thing creeping up on Ben, and his illustrations of my favourite troll in his y-front undies.
There are more books coming in the series, including The Swivel-Eyed Ogre-Thing (which has just been released) and The Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing (coming in October). I can’t wait to read more adventures of Benjamin Blank and see how he defeats new monsters. Grab a copy of The Shark-Headed Bear-Thing from your library or bookshop now.
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The Bad Guys: Episode One by Aaron Blabey
Aaron Blabey writes very funny picture books. His picture books about Pig the Pug and Thelma the Unicorn are hilarious and are some of my favourite picture books. I was excited when I heard that Aaron Blabey was going to be publishing a series of books for older children, called The Bad Guys. The first book in the series, Episode One, is out now and it is absolutely brilliant!
They sound like the Bad Guys, they look like the Bad Guys . . . and they even smell like the Bad Guys. But Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark are about to change all of that! Mr Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys’ first good mission. The gang are going to break 200 dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr Snake please spit out Mr Piranha?
The Bad Guys: Episode One is a short, witty and incredibly funny book that will have you laughing out loud. It’s the sort of book that makes you laugh all the way through. The humour works on different levels so – there is lots to make younger kids laugh but adults will get some jokes that kids might not.
The story focuses on a group of animals who are always thought of as bad guys – Mr Wolf, Mr Snake, Mr Piranha and Mr Shark. They get a pretty bad rap, from attempting to eat old women to eating anything and anybody. Mr Wolf is sick of being misunderstood so he calls his friends together and they set out to prove they can be good guys. Their plans never quite seem to go as planned and have hilarious consequences.
There are so many things I love about The Bad Guys! The way that Aaron tells the story draws the reader in, with Mr Wolf speaking directly to the reader at the start of the book. It’s a cross between a graphic novel and a chapter book, with sparse text and funny illustrations, so will appeal to beginner readers right through to older children. I love Aaron Blabey’s illustrations because his characters are so expressive and it’s the combination of these illustrations and the text that make this book so funny.
The Bad Guys begs to be read aloud so grab a copy of Episode 1 and laugh along with your children as you introduce them to the bad guys who just want to be good.
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Yo-ho-ho! Here come the Steampunk Pirates!
Avast me hearties! Are you a land lubber lookin’ for a book chock full of adventure on the seven seas, robot pirates, laughs aplenty, and gold? Well the Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates is the series for you. Hop on board The Leaky Battery and set sail with this rag-tag crew.
Wanted: Dead or Alive! (Or smashed into little bits and delivered in boxes.) Causing chaos wherever they sail, the robotic Steampunk Pirates are roaming the high seas, hunting for gold!
But the evil Iron Duke has other ideas…He’s determined to capture the pirates in return for a handsome reward from the King. Can these mechanical marauders stay one wave ahead of their enemy?
The Leaky Battery Sets Sail is the brilliant first book in Gareth P. Jones’ swashbuckling new series, Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates. The Steampunk Pirates are a crew of robots who were once servants. They decided they didn’t want to be bossed around so acquired a ship and set out to find adventure. Their crew is made up of their hot-headed leader Captain Clockheart, First Mate Mainspring (who gets dangerous when he gets overwound), Quartermaster Lexi (the brains of the crew who is fitted with an information file), Mr Gadge (so named because of all the gadgets he can attach to himself) and twelve other robotic low-lifes.
Their first adventure sees the Steampunk Pirates on the hunt for all the loot they can find. They’ve discovered that life at sea isn’t so great when you’re made of metal because it rusts in the salty sea air. They hear of an alchemist who can turn metal in to gold and Captain Clockheart believes this is the answer to their problems. Along the way they meet the Iron Duke and other nasty humans who try to foil their plans.
Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates is perfect for readers aged 7+ who love adventure and love to laugh. They’re quick, fun reads with quirky illustrations that will appeal to young readers. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next adventures of the Steampunk Pirates in Attack of the Giant Sea Spiders. I highly recommend this series and you should definitely search out Gareth’s other books, including the Ninja Meerkats series, The Thornthwaite Inheritance, and one of my favourite books Constable and Toop.
The Deadly Seven by Garth Jennings
What would life be like if you were followed around by seven noisy, smelly, rude monsters? And not just any monsters, but seven monsters who represent the seven deadly sins. Garth Jennings shows us just how weird, silly and embarrassing it would be in his book The Deadly 7.
When eleven year-old Nelson’s beloved big sister goes missing on a school trip, he is devastated – he’s not that good at making friends and his sister is the only person he can talk to. In the dark catacombs of St Paul’s cathedral Nelson stumbles across a strange and ancient machine, designed to extract the seven deadly sins and Nelson accidentally extracts seven deadly monsters from his own little soul. Nelson and the Deadly 7 set out on a quest across the globe to find and rescue his big sister and on the way they have an adventure beyond Nelson’s wildest dreams, and he learns that good friends come in all shapes and sizes.
The Deadly Seven is a funny adventure story, with a bunch of funny monsters that you’ll love. The action is fast-paced and makes you want to keep reading. The first chapter totally grabbed me as it’s really mysterious and features a rather odd character who we see more of throughout the book. The Deadly 7 are made up of Stan (the angry one), Nosh (the hungry one), Crush (the cuddly one), Hoot (the vain one), Miser (the greedy one), Puff (the lazy one), and Spike (the jealous one). No one can see them but Nelson so that makes for some very funny situations (at airport security and inside a plane just to name a couple). The scene in the airport was my favourite part and I always read it to school groups as it has them laughing out loud. My favourite of the monsters was Nosh as he’s always hungry and it’s amazing what he can fit in his mouth.
It’s perfect for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce and Cressida Cowell and any readers that a dash of humour and adventure in their books.
Recommended for 9+
How to draw Timmy Failure with Stephan Pastis
Stephan Pastis’ Timmy Failure series is one of my absolute favourites! I’ve read them to my sons and they love them and they’re always a hit when I booktalk them. The books are hilarious, from the clueless Timmy and his weird and wonderful friends, to the fantastic illustrations that add so much humour. You can read my review of Mistakes Were Made and Now Look What You’ve Done, here on my blog.
Check out these cool videos of Stephan Pastis showing us how to draw Timmy Failure and some of the other characters from the series:
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You’ve Done book trailer
He doesn’t like to pull rank. To reveal that he’s this guy: Timmy Failure, founder, president and CEO of the greatest detective agency in town, probably the country, perhaps the world.
But he is. And he’s about to crack the biggest case of his generation: a school competition to find a stolen globe. And win the $500 prize, which will set him up for life. But someone is clearly trying to cheat. Bamboozle. Hoodwink. Con. Defraud. So it’s up to Timmy Failure, with the dubious help of Total, his lazy polar bear partner, and his unlikely new ally, eccentric Great Aunt Colander, to find a way to avenge these shenanigans. Defeat this injustice. And obliterate Timmy’s arch-nemesis, the WEDGIE, aka the Worldwide Enemy of Da Goodness In Everything.
If he can only get his entry form in on time.
The second book in the hilarious Timmy Failure series by Stephan Pastis, Now Look What You’ve Done, is out now from Walker Books. Look out next week for your chance to win 1 of 5 copies, thanks to Walker Books Australia.
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Fur-ightfully Funny Adventures from Beyond the Grave
When Joe Edmunds makes a wish on an Egyptian amulet, little does he know that he has volunteered to guide and defend the undead pet inhabitants of his town…
If you know a young reader who likes adventure stories that are a bit spooky and really funny, then I’ve got a new series for you! Undead Pets by Sam Hay is an awesome new series for 7+ featuring zombie animals and ‘pets with one last thing to do before they pass to the other side.’ As well as a great story (that boys especially will love) the books are illustrated throughout by Simon Cooper. I especially like the cartoons that describe how each of the pets die. I reckon the covers are terrific and are sure to jump off the shelves. Young readers will get hooked on Undead Pets and they’ll gobble them up in no time. They’re stand alone adventures so kids can start with any of the books.
Read all about the different books in the series below and watch the cool book trailer.
Return of the Hungry Hamster
Dumpling the hamster came to a dusty end inside a vacuum cleaner … but he suspects that his owner Oliver’s parents never admitted to their son that they were to blame for Dumpling’s demise. Now the hamster needs Joe’s help to reveal the truth – but there’s a furry surprise awaiting them at Oliver’s house…
Revenge of the Phantom Furball
Disaster strikes when Bonsai the pug chases Pickle the cat into the street, where she is flattened by a car. But the fact that Pickle has (almost) shuffled off her mortal coil isn’t her biggest concern; she is worried that Bonsai will pursue her sister Pebble into an early grave too, unless she and Joe teach the dog a lesson…
Night of the Howling Hound
Joe is off on a school trip to an adventure camp, and he can’t wait to put Uncle Charlie’s survival tips into practice! But it’s not long before he’s visited by Dexter, a scruffy-looking dog, with a howling tale of woe. Dexter doesn’t want his owner feeling guilty for his death, but it’ll be hard for Joe to intervene this time – it turns out that the owner is Joe’s headmaster, the dreaded Mr Hill!
Goldfish from Beyond the Grave
Just when Joe thought things couldn’t get any stranger, he is visited by Fizz, a zombie goldfish. Fizz was flushed down the toilet by his owner Danny’s little sister, who doesn’t realize that she’s sent the fish to a watery grave. Fizz needs to ensure the truth is revealed before his fellow fish meet a similar fate. But how do you get a goldfish to rest in peace?
Rise of the Zombie Rabbit
Fluffy’s owner, Olivia, lost a necklace in her back garden and she’s going to get in big trouble if it isn’t found. Fluffy can’t bear to see her owner in distress and she demands that Joe finds the necklace – now! Can Joe do what Fluffy wants or will the undead pet be hopping around forever?
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Guest Post: Justin Brown on Shot, Boom, Score!
Justin Brown is a New Zealand author whose first children’s book, Shot, Boom, Score! has just been published by Allen and Unwin. Shot, Boom, Score! is a hilarious story about a boy who is promised a Gamebox V3 by his dad if he scores 20 wickets in cricket and 10 tries in rugby, but is foiled at every turn by the class bully. Justin has written a guest post for My Best Friends Are Books about writing and how Shot, Boom, Score! came to be.
‘If you dedicate your next book to me I’ll give you $1.20.’
This opportunity, offered to me by a boy named Kit at a school talk in Nelson, sums up why I write for kids. They have no fear and no filters. Their heads aren’t clogged with mortgages, work woes or what to cook for dinner. Okay, so they’re not allowed ice cream for dinner, or to stay up past ‘X-Factor,’ but nothing tops climbing trees, licking the bowl or having a fist fight with your best mate.
For the past ten years I’d focused on writing non-fiction travel (‘UK on a G-String,’ ‘Bowling Through India’) as well as humour (‘Kiwi Speak,’ ‘Rugby Speak’). In truth, I wanted to write middle-grade fiction, like my hero Roald Dahl. But first I had to meet someone who knew what they were doing. That someone was Joy Cowley, who I accosted one day at the Story Lines festival in Auckland. A few days later – when she’d read my stories – she agreed to be my ‘Yoda.’ We worked together on many titles for McGraw Hill and Clean Slate Press. She is a very generous and smart lady.
Then one day I had the idea for ‘Shot, Boom, Score!’. It came while on the sideline at my daughters’ soccer match. Like many Kiwi kids, sport played a major role in my childhood. As did rewards for doing well. Many a parent has bribed their kids with a ‘pie for a try’ or ‘movie tickets for a wicket.’ With Toby in ‘Shot, Boom, Score!’ I wanted to take this theme to a new level. Here is a boy who struggles with school, but excels at sport. When his father sets him the GameBox V3 Challenge Toby thinks he’s hit the jackpot. Sadly, he hasn’t accounted for class bully Malcolm McGarvy – who does his best to ruin the party.
Kids can be ruthless critics. If something stinks they’ll let you know. So it was with a certain amount of relief when my nine-year-old daughter Sophie (who was having ‘Shot, Boom, Score!’ read to her class) came home and said, ‘Dad, even the bullies love this story – and they never share their feelings!’ Here’s hoping many other kids enjoy the book.
PS. I did end up dedicating a novel to Kit, but as of yet haven’t seen any money.
My Best Friends Are Books 