John Fardell

Now THIS is how you do a book about kids getting eaten: whole, in a gulp with their colouring book to play with inside till their sister rescues them, and then the monster who ate you gets eaten too (and that monster too, etc.) and I assume all get colouring books as well.

This book demonstrates why cell phones, the internet, play stations and television have proved victorious in the battle for the hearts and minds of young people.

It’s actually quite a sweet story about a group of friends who band together to bring down an evil international organisation by means of pluck, ingenuity, and a modicum of adult assistance.

After just one lesson, young Ben can pilot an aeroplane, and with the aid of nothing more than a small scale world map, flies everyone from show more Scotland to Geneva. The Famous Five may have got away with this level of improbability but, unless the hero is Harry Potter, today’s youngsters expect better show less

I'm a big fan of picture books where someone gets eaten. I'm also a big fan of picture books with monsters with silly names. This one is excellent on both counts!

Age group(s): Early Elementary (K-3)
This book is a predictable book that is a spin off of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. In the story, a crazy fictional monster eats the narrator’s brother. As the story continues, a bigger monster eats each monster. At the end, the narrator, Sarah, has to bravely climb into the monster to save her brother. Since this is a predictable book, it is easy for the kids to follow along and pick up on the repetition. For example, Sarah uses show more “unfortunately…” right before a big monster eats a smaller one. I think this would make a great read aloud in the classroom because it keeps the children’s attention with the help of cliff hangers. The illustrations are also very detailed and very fun. I think the fact that the monsters are not too terrifyingly drawn helps the vibe of the story remain playful and adventurous rather than scary and sad. If I used this in the classroom I would probably just use it for a free read or for the sake of entertainment, outside of it being a predictable book and teaching reading techniques, because I’m a strong believer in reading for fun and not having a lesson tied to every single thing we read. show less