Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce
| Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Linda Lawlor
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| Summary: Dad's been made redundant and they've taken his company car away. With typically irrepressible good humour, he decides this is a perfect opportunity to do up an old camper van and take off to see the world. But unknown to him, the engine he salvages once belonged to a most unusual car! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 250 | Date: May 2012 |
| Publisher: Macmillan | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9780330544191 | |
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The Tootings are in many ways a typical modern family. Dad has loads of great ideas, and Mum thinks through the practical side. Lucy loves dark, brooding tragedy (as long as it's not happening to her), brother Jem (please don't call him Jeremy) enjoys helping Dad mend things, and Little Harry—well, he just keeps wandering off. They think Dad's idea about setting off to see Paris and the pyramids (plus a dinosaur or two for Little Harry, if possible) is just plain ridiculous.
Still, Dad's enthusiasm is infectious, and eventually the family are packed, Lucy has painted her corner of the camper van black, and off they go. But the spark plugs aren't working properly, and at the salvage yard they find an engine up a tree (the yard is situated beside a very tricky bend in the road, and lots of cars end up there accidentally) which has a history—and a mind of its own. And it's decided to organise the Tootings into collecting together all its parts, which have been dispersed across the globe, so it can return to its former glory.
The first inkling the Tootings have of Chitty's interesting abilities might well have been a tragedy. Little Harry is left sitting in the van, pretending to drive. Unfortunately, Dad must have forgotten to put the handbrake on, and while the rest of the family are trying to persuade the lady with the clipboard to let them stay the night at the camper van site, the whole thing disappears over a cliff. Those of us who've read the original story know, however, that the toddler isn't really in any danger of being squished on the rocks below, and soon the stunned but happy family are on their way across the Channel on their wonderful holiday.
There are lots of nods here to the original book. There are several references to Count Zborowski, whose racing car inspired Ian Fleming back in the 1960s, and the terrible villain who tries to steal Chitty from them is connected to a villain from that time. There is even a very funny scene (with delightful illustrations by Joe Berger) where Mum and Dad's attention is distracted by an Aston Martin DB5, which was of course the vehicle of choice for a certain agent of the British Secret Service . . .
The good news is that this hilarious book will be followed by two more. Its combination of anarchic and sometimes downright silly humour with a charming picture of family life (and how many books do we see where Mum and Dad get to share the adventures?) will guarantee a readership among both girls and boys. Its style is utterly modern, filled with wry observations about everything from the French fascination with romance to jelly-baby-shaped mobile phones, and it is easy to see why the Fleming family asked the very talented and funny Frank Cottrell Boyce to write these sequels. It is a perfect book for the summer holidays, and the only problem children may have is wresting it away from their parents.
Obviously, the best place to start if you haven't already read it is the original book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming. A less humorous but equally gripping story about a magical means of transport can be found in Time Train to the Blitz by Sophie McKenzie.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce at Amazon.com.
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