So, you've gone invisible, the end of the world is nigh, and the bad guys have kidnapped your mum (as they do). Who are you going to call? Nope, not those guys (or, in the more recent film, gals) although there are a fair few not-quite-ghosts floating around in this story. In fact, dear readers, your dream team to stop the baddie and save the planet (honestly, the number of times poor old Earth is in danger in stories for young people, it's a wonder we get any sleep at nights) is a Victorian lady inventor, a five-hundred-year-old warrior knight and his trusty steed. Well, actually, it's a pony, but let's not get technical.
| Invisible Inc. by Steve Cole | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Linda Lawlor
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| Summary: Hilarious tale of a boy who has to rescue his mum (and the rest of the world) from a really nasty villain. Toilet humour, daft jokes and even dafter characters! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 272 | Date: July 2016 |
| Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9780857078766 | |
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Poor Noah. Dad legged it when he was small, and Mum's one of those mad inventor-types who has a habit of forgetting to feed her ever-loving but somewhat neglected son, unless you count leaving yet another tin of baked beans and the can-opener out on the kitchen counter. Maybe that's why he's got such a fixation about toilets...
You see, Noah is of the opinion that there's a lot of detail missing in all those stories about super-spies and secret agents. As he says, how come they're never busting for a wee when the villain turns up? Doesn't Batman ever get diarrhoea? Don't they ever wet themselves, even just a little bit, when they're scared? Fortunately for him (and us) no sooner has his adventure started than he's smooshed into another dimension where things like hunger and a full bladder simply aren't a concern any more. He eventually learns to concentrate hard enough to be able to pick things up and stop sinking into the floor, but no one on this side can see, hear or touch him. How on earth is he going to be able to save his mum from horrible Seerblight and his nasty (but really well-named) henchman Mr Butt?
Steve Cole's stories have a reputation for utterly silly situations, lame jokes and a disarmingly honest approach to bodily functions which delight his audience of young readers, and make them keep coming back for more. He tells it like it is, and somehow manages to sound just like a nine-year-old boy ready to snigger helplessly over an accidental (yeah, right!) fart in class. He leads us at breakneck speed through a series of battles, disasters and triumphs as Noah and his new friends attempt to avoid the chicken monsters (aka poultry-geists. Geddit?) so they can break into the Seerbright tower and save the day. The brilliant illustrations by Jim Field add immeasurably to the fun, and if Maloney the pony doesn't get his own series there's going to be trouble. Seriously.
Another of Steve Cole's many zany books for young readers is Magic Ink in which the unfortunate hero is assisted in his quest by a well-dressed pig called Posho. Also - of course - there are the series: Bookbag specially recommends Astrosaurs 22: The Castle of Frankensaur. And for further information on this popular author, don't miss the Bookbag interview, conducted by eight-year-old Billy Young.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Invisible Inc. by Steve Cole 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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