Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall
| Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A frightened snail asks his best friend to check for monsters. A gloriously fun picture book, with an amusing twist in the tail. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: February 2009 |
| Publisher: Puffin | |
| ISBN: 978-0141502410 | |
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Jumpy Jack the snail is nervous. There could be monsters behind the tree, in the shed, or behind the door. Luckily, his best friend Googily is there to check them out for him. Jumpy Jack and Googily is a wonderful tale of the friendship between a snail and a... well, what is Googily? He's big, blue, has glaring eyes and pointy teeth. Could he be...? No. Surely not?
What a fantastic story! It begins as a sweet look at two friends, and then the joke is slowly revealed. Who wouldn't want Googily looking out for them? With him on your side, monsters wouldn't dare come near you. It's a gentle and charming book, with a great sense of humour - particularly right at the end. It's not often that I laugh out loud at a picture book, but Jumpy Jack and Googily got me!
Sophie Blackall's illustrations are as wonderful as Meg Rosoff's text. Googily hanging upside down from the tree with cross-eyes is just hilarious. They're a pair of lovably daft characters; this comes through strongly in the bold and bright illustrations. Young children will love it all, as they're cuddly, rather than scary. Everything sits together perfectly to create an immediate favourite. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
For another picture book with a fun twist in the tail, check out Giants by Mij Kelly and Nick Maland. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is a much-loved favourite in a similar vein.
Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall is in the Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2009.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall 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 Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall at Amazon.com.
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