Join Hercules Quick, the little boy with bags of enthusiasm and a can-do-attitude, as he puts all his energy and efforts into getting what his heart desires. But will hard-work be enough?
Hercules Quick lives in a big red house with his Aunt Alligator. He aspires to be a magnificent magician and the nearby toy shop has the perfect box of magic tricks to help his dreams come true. Unfortunately the toy box is expensive and Hercules doesn’t have any money. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. And with plenty of neighbours around in need of help, he is sure he can work his way to riches and the magic box of his dreams…
Entrepreneurial spirit in abundance as Hercules Quick undertakes a series of increasingly weird and wonderful odd jobs for his eclectic animal neighbours in these three short stories that follow on from each other. Playful silliness, humour, quirky animal neighbours and a delightful boy who will do whatever it takes to raise enough money to get the thing that he wants the most will hook in readers of six plus.
Be it helping Professor Calamari, the octopus, pick out the perfect bow-tie, babysitting a very excitable and demanding young elk, helping two confused rooftop turtles or spring-cleaning the cellar for the rather intimidating Queen Claude, Hercules carries out his endeavours with gusto and with his end goal kept firmly in his thoughts. No job is too small, too odd or too demanding for this aspiring young magician.
Hercules conjuring up a get-rich-quick scheme will be relatable to many. The best one I have ever witnessed was a child in my neighbourhood who would go around with a tub of water, knocking on doors, and offering invisible fish for sale - genius stuff! Hercules’ concerns and confusion about some of the jobs he is asked to do and his frustrations at how little money he is making despite all of his hard-work are all very real despite the whimsical and creative world he lives in. If you do decide to help out members of your community then make sure you’re getting good money for your services otherwise you might be saving for a while to buy that thing that you want.
With easy to follow storylines and plenty of black and white illustrations, readers who want their books to be fun, imaginative and full of the impossible will find themselves well catered for here. Recommended for 5+. With huge thanks to Allen & Unwin for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2024
|