Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley and Dan Santat
| Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley and Dan Santat | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A brilliant comic tale of a daredevil child facing all the usual childhood issues. It'll have universal appeal for parents of children, but certain children might be better suited to a single-issue book, rather than a range of issues that they might learn from. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 40 | Date: September 2012 |
| Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers | |
| ISBN: 978-1419703799 | |
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Kel Gilligan is a daredevil. He... wait for it... eats BROCCOLI! He even does his poos on the potty. What a brave soul! What a hero! Kel faces all the traumas of childhood, with aplomb.
I loved Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show. It's got a quirky sense of humour, and is presented beautifully. It takes the issues that many children face, and plays up the horror of them, for comic effect. Parents, in particular, will chuckle throughout, and smart children will pick up on the humour through them. Kel's a fun and amenable character who will strike a chord with all young book fans.
My one concern about the book is that by addressing a range of fears and issues that children might have, some may end up being new fears for children to learn. Children might not be a fan of getting their hair washed, but if they've never even thought of monsters under the bed, do you want to open that can of worms? Adults can appreciate the range of issues, but for children, they might be better suited to single issue books.
...But I'm an adult, so I loved it! Dan Santat's illustrations are fantastic. They have a retro style reminiscent of Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog by Mini Grey that appeals greatly. Each page is awash with comic touches and great characterisation.
The writing is smart and slick too, weaving together first person speech, with comic speech bubbles. There's tension and drama writ large for comic effect, and it all works brilliantly. Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show will find a welcome place on any young person's bookshelf.
Warmly recommended.
The aforementioned Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog by Mini Grey is a fantastic read. For single issues, take a look at our Top Ten Picture Books For Overcoming Bedtime Woes.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley and Dan Santat 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 Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley and Dan Santat at Amazon.com.
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