View source for Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson

{{infobox2
|title=Limelight Larry
|author=Leigh Hodgkinson
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A stroppy peacock called Larry wants the limelight of his book all for himself. As the other animals try to shoe-horn in on the action, Larry gets crosser and crosser, in this masterpiece of design and storytelling. Highly recommended. Leigh Hodgkinson was kind enough to be [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Leigh Hodgkinson|interviewed by Bookbag]].
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1408301838
|pages=32
|publisher=Orchard
|date=September 2010
|aznuk=1408301830
|aznus=1408301830
|cover=1408301830
|website=
http://www.wonkybutton.com/
}}

Limelight Larry is, like most peacocks, a bit of a show-off. He's absolutely delighted to be the star of his very own book, and can't help but preen and boast about how wonderful he is, and how amazing his book will be. When Mouse pops in to the corner of a page, Larry is annoyed to be sharing the limelight, and his frustration grows and grows as more and more creatures show up to talk about Larry's book. How will Larry be able to get the attention he so desperately craves?

I adored ''Limelight Larry''! It pressed all my buttons and was an absolute delight. Central character with a big head and bit of attitude? Check. Quirky sense of humour? Check. Playing around with the nature of picture books themselves? Check. Gorgeous illustrations? Check. A beautifully designed book that merges pictures and text perfectly. Check, check and thrice check. If you read (and loved!) Leigh Hodgkinson's earlier book [[Smile! by Leigh Hodgkinson|Smile!]] then you'll know the sort of beautiful package that you're getting with ''Limelight Larry''. If not, then you're in for a real treat!

Leigh Hodgkinson has a unique style that immediately grabs you, impresses you and keeps giving more and more and more. Every page is beautifully designed, from the very first page with the copyright information - Limelight Larry has made written all over it, pointing out that actually it was he who wrote the book, and that the publisher, Orchard Books, is a division of Limelight Ltd. Gotsta love a cheeky big-head! The design extends to the text, which mixes a variety of fonts and styles to great effect.

The quality is so high that ''Limelight Larry'' feels like more than a book. It's a perfect blend of art, story, humour, and I just love it. The writing is perfectly pitched for any young reader, with plenty of amusing dialogue and characterisation. Everything about it cries out to be read again and again for many years. Highly recommended.

Huge thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

[[I Really Want To Eat A Child by Sylviane Donnio and Dorothee de Monfreid]] has a similar sense of humour to Limelight Larry. [[Don't Read This Book! by Jill Lewis and Deborah Allwright]] plays around with the concept of a book too. For a beautifully packaged book that also ticks all the right boxes, check out [[Unfortunately by Alan Durant and Simon Rickerty]].

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