Lucky by David Mackintosh

Lucky by David Mackintosh
Buy Lucky by David Mackintosh at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Emerging Readers
Reviewer: Louise Jones
Summary: A little boy is in for a surprise tonight and he is convinced that it is an all-expenses paid holiday to Hawaii. Will he be upset when he finds out the truth?
Buy? Maybe	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: July 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
External links: [www.davidmackintosh.co.uk Author's website]
ISBN: 9780007463039
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We're having a surprise at dinner tonight. Mum says so.

Leo and his brother are desperate to figure out just what the surprise might be. Could it be crinkly chips? A new bike? Tickets to the Amazing Yo-Yo Super show?

Or maybe, just maybe...

...my family has won a competition to fly to Hawaii for two weeks!

Our narrator is so convinced that he is going to Hawaii that he tells all of his classmates and his teacher and Head teacher. He gives a talk on Hawaii to the class and all of the children are allowed ten minutes free time to celebrate.

The only problem is that mum's surprise at dinner is NOT an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. It is something a lot less impressive...

Lucky is a quirky picture book that shows the power of a child's imagination. The young narrator gets completely carried away with his Hawaiian fantasy and is more than a little disappointed when the 'surprise' is revealed. Luckily, little brother Leo is at hand with a few creative ideas of his own to give the surprise an Hawaiian twist that the whole family can enjoy.

One thing I loved about this book was the off-the-wall humour, which will appeal to young and old alike. I particularly liked the 'dog flap' that dad has fixed halfway up the front door, much to the bemusement of the poor dog, who looks much too big to fit through it anyway. The illustrations reminded me of Lauren Child's work, with a mixture of pencil drawings, wax crayon scribblings and photo-collage. The pictures also have lots of little details that may be missed first time round, like a tap coming out of an elephant's trunk or a dog sneakily trying to munch on a coconut in the corner of the page.

The book also has a positive message about sibling relationships and although our narrator doesn't like sharing a bed with his little brother (especially when his bare feet are in his face), he still loves the fact that his Leo has a way of making him laugh when he is sad.

Lucky is a funny story with a slightly sideways view of the world. Readers will love the charming, oddball style of the book and the cute, imaginative little schoolboy protagonists.

By the way, if you are curious about what the 'surprise' actually is, you will just have to read the book for yourself!

If you love the artwork in Lucky, you will enjoy the visual feast that is I Am Not Sleepy And I Will Not Go To Bed by Lauren Child, which has a similar style.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Lucky by David Mackintosh at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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