Being the youngest of five siblings isn’’t going too well for Bob Bunyon, especially when everyone in the family has been blessed with creative genius…dad plays the banjo, mum dreams up nature poems, and his siblings merrily dance, bake, sing and juggle their way through life. On the contrary, Bob is a normal boy who excels at watching TV, eating Hula Hoops, hanging out with his best friend Bill, and whose creative talents extend as far as creating pathetic animal sculptures out of mashed potato.
When Bob finally cracks it and wishes that his family would disappear, he didn’t expect it to actually happen. Have they been abducted by aliens? Is he the only survivor of a zombie invasion? Or has he turned into an evil genius with incredible superpowers? A more logical explanation points to Farmer Munty’s farm and the Green Yon Gathering. All Bob needs to do is get there. Simple, right…
Jo Simmons has written several very funny books and this is another one that firmly plants itself in the ‘laugh till your belly hurts’ category. Children will thoroughly enjoy adventuring with Bob and following the trail of clues that eventually lead to a happy family reunion. With plenty of Home Alone vibes, Bob’s story is a madcap one that lightheartedly explores how it feels when you don’t fit in with those around you and is ultimately a confidence boosting journey of discovery as the talentless and low on self-esteem Bob unearths what he is actually good at.
Loaded with LOLs right from the get-go, Bob’s well-meaning but surely-won’t-come-true wish brings about Operation Find My Family and a riotous escapade through the woods and across the fields. Animal obstacles and farmyard foes come in the form of aggressive sheep, rampaging cows and wild geese. The possibility of being eaten by escaped lions from the zoo is a constant worry. And his meagre survival rations of cream cakes, peaches and raisins are…interesting. If nothing else, Bob is determined and courageous to find his family and equipped with the knowledge he has learnt from his favourite TV adventurer, Lofty Gills, some string, a party blower and kitchen utensils, he has everything he needs…probably.
Children need to know that they all have talents, some may be obvious, others less so. For every child who feels a bit like Bob, just know that their creative genius is just waiting to be discovered - hopefully it won’t involve having to outwit farmyard animals and a ride on a feisty donkey - or maybe it will, Bob does have an awful lot of fun on his journey. Lee Cosgrove’s humour-filled illustrations add to the hilarity of this well-plotted and pacy story and as with all Barrington Stoke titles the book is published using dyslexic friendly font and colours so everyone can access this read. With huge thanks to the publisher for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review. Recommended for 8+.
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