colin thompson – Aussie Reviews

The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia by Colin Thompson

‘The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia’ is jam-packed with information about Transylvania Waters and its ruling family, the Floods. There are advertisements, stories, jokes, puns, poetry, inventions and more. Many of these are illustrated. Discover the life cycle of a wizard. Learn the Nalphabet. If you don’t know what a ‘preface’ is or a ‘postscript’, ‘Floodsopedia’ is here to enlighten you. You can even read your horoscope. And then, there’s bacon. Floodsopedia is a sturdy large format paperback, built to withstand multiple readings and referring-to and sharing with friends.

Dear Reader,

It is impossible for you to ever realise just what a MASSIVE honour it is for you to be able to buy this book. Although Queen Scratchrot warned that it would end in tears, because they are the kindest, greatest wizards who have EVER lived, the Floods have decided to shared their immense wisdomness, magic and bacon-orientated secrets and history with you, even though you are mere pathetic humans. Of course, they realise that because you are mere pathetic humans, lots of this book will be much too full of cleverness for you to understand, and by no means should you use this book without supervision and extremely strong pants.

CAUTION: This book contains words. Some of them have more than four letters and may improve your life in exciting and dramatic ways.

The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia is jam-packed with information about Transylvania Waters and its ruling family, the Floods. There are advertisements, stories, jokes, puns, poetry, inventions and more. Many of these are illustrated. Discover the life cycle of a wizard. Learn the Nalphabet. If you don’t know what a ‘preface’ is or a ‘postscript’, Floodsopedia is here to enlighten you. You can even read your horoscope. And then, there’s bacon. Floodsopedia is a sturdy large format paperback, built to withstand multiple readings and referring-to and sharing with friends.

If you are a fan of ‘The Floods’ you will know many of the characters featured in this Floodspedia, but not all. Perhaps you will learn things you didn’t know. If you are unfamiliar with the series, this will give you an introduction to the characters and their world. Like most kingdoms there is good and evil and it can be difficult to tell which is which (or witch is witch?). There is plenty to chuckle over, and when you’ve finished reading you can write a letter to Mr Thompson using the stamps featured and post it in the Transylvania Waters Post Office which is just over the nearby horizon. Recommended for a laugh.

The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia, Colin Thompson Random House 2012 ISBN: 9781742751047

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Floods 12: Bewitched by Colin Thompson

The Flood family are back. In this adventure, the family are worried that King Nerlin is going a bit doolally. All sorts of usual remedies have failed, so it’s time for drastic measures. He will have to visit the old crones, high in the hills. Old crones live far from people for many reasons, not all of them to do with their personal hygiene. But they know things, and lead Nerlin even higher in pursuit of his vanishing brain function. As in all the Flood adventures, things end well, with just enough loose ends to fuel further instalments. Footnotes explain, add to, and clarify the text. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout, illuminating this unique family and their world.

‘I can’t find my socks!’

It was the middle of the night and all through the castle not a creature was stirring, not even a rascal. Nothing, that was, except Nerlin, who was sitting bolt upright in the darkness in a confused panic.

‘I can’t find my socks and I’ve gone blind,’ he cried.

Mordonna, who had been fast asleep beside him, sat up. ‘Sweetheart,’ she said, turning on the light, ‘you haven’t gone blind. It’s the middle of the night.’

Bewitched is jam-packed with the puns, jokes and popular culture references that fans will be familiar with from previous Floods adventures. They may appear unusual to others, but they are a cohesive family unit, beset by some well-known family challenges. It’s just that their solutions are not quite so common. As with any large multi-generational family the complications are many, and the complexity mind-boggling. As always, the Floods stories are a whole lot of nonsense. Bewitched takes the reader to places they could never have imagined, and generally brings them back to completely different ones. Chuckling, guffawing, and sniggering are mandatory. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

The Floods 12: Bewitched, Colin Thompson Random House 2013 ISBN: 9781742755304

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Second Forever, by Colin Thompson

This was different. There was something evil in the darkness inside the wall. Something that was trying to entice them through the gap.
‘There’s something bad in there,’ said Peter. ‘Like it doesn’ belong to this world.’
‘Darkwood,’ they both said at the same time.

Five years ago Peter and his friend Festival destroyed the book called How to Live Forever. Since then they haven’t seen each other – Peter has returned to his life in the museum in his world, and Festival has returned to her own world where all the houses are books. But there’s a problem – Peter’s world is being crippled by drought, and Festival’s world is flooded. Slowly, they come to realise that their actions in destroying the book might be the cause of these new disasters.

When Festival reappears in Peter’s world they realise they have to work together to fix the problem. They must recreate the book to save the world – even if that means they are condemned to living forever. But with Darkwood determined to get the book for himself and destroy both worlds, and the twin disasters getting worse every day, time is against them.

The Second Forever is the exciting, magical sequel to How to Live Forever, coming eight years after the first. As such, young readers may be best served by seeking out the earlier book first. A front of book ‘catch-up’ however, means that the new title can be read on its own.

Thomspon’s fantasy world within a world, and the intriguing, sometimes odd-ball characters which populate the pages, make this an entertaining read suitable for primary aged readers.

The Second Forever, by Colin Thompson
Random House, 2012
ISBN 978174166289

This book is available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Bicycle, by Colin Thompson & Various Artists

In a perfect world, this book would not exist. But we do not live in a perfect world. Even if we all learn to live in peace, there will still be millions of people who need our help.

This is a picture book with a difference – and what a wonderful difference it is. Rather than containing a storyline, it contains several stories, each rendered in a double page spread, with or without a quote , all around the theme of the bicycle. Created as an inspirational fundraiser for the Save the Children fund, the book explores all aspects of the magic of the bicycle, chosen as the central motif because it symbolises fun and adventure for children.

Contributing artists, including Quentin Blake, Shaun Tan and Freya Blackwood have each created a double page spread, each in their own style. Some are whimsical , such as David Miller’s wonderful paper sculpture of an elephant riding a unicycle, others more serious, such as Jan Bowman’s night scene where two cyclists ride through the darkened streets of London, their bike lights illuminating their way. Some have no words, others a quote from literature or famous figures, and others quotes from children whose lives have been made better through the donation of bicycles, such as 14 year old Dany from Cambodia who says: I promise to study harder and take good care of my bicycle as my best friend. We will go to the upper grade together.

Introductory notes from author/illustrator Colin Thompson and from Suzanne Dvorak, CEP of Save the Children Australia explain the concept of the book and the important work that the fund does.

The Bicycle is a celebration of the bicycle, and of the wonderful impact of acts of charity.

The Bicycle, by Colin Thompson

ABC Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, 2011
ISBN 9780733329876

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond.

Who Wants to Be a Billionaire, by Colin Thompson

The trouble with living happily ever after is that it can get pretty boring, and for witches and wizards it can get ten times more boring than it does for ordinary people because they are ten times more intelligent than ordinary people.
Ordinary people who are older than about twenty are quite often already on the slippery slope downhill to a life of total boredom, but they pretend they’re not by gardening or going on holiday or restoring rusty old cars until they are shining like new, but just as rubbish as they were when they were new because they were rubbish cars in the first place.

At the end of ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ (Book 8 in the adventures of the Flood family), all was well with the world. The Floods had returned home to Transylvania Waters and re-established their place as the ruling royal family. But it’s become a bit boring, all that calm and tranquillity in a well-run and happy kingdom. So the children travel to New York and summer school. Aubergine Wealth is the economics professor and he outlines their project – a competition to see who can make the most money. The Flood children compete to make the most money, manipulating the stock market and cornering the market on toilet paper (amongst other things). All’s going well until the end of the project when a final competition rule is revealed.

The Floods are just your normal average family…wait…no they’re not. They’re the wackiest collection of wizards and witches that you’re ever likely to encounter. They seldom do what you think they might and whenever they’re backed into a corner, they find a hidden door and turn potential defeat into glorious triumph. But they are a family and they have many traits of the normal family – bickering siblings, the quiet one, the confident one, the loving and supporting parents. Sometimes they work together, sometimes they compete with each other. ‘The Floods’ series is hilarious fun, full of puns, crazy ideas and will have readers, chuckling, giggling and outright guffawing. Recommended for mid primary readers.

Who Wants to be a Billionaire? (Floods) Colin Thompson
Random House 2010
ISBN: 9781864719451

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Camelot, by Colin Thompson

Long ago in a faraway land, nearly halfway between somewhere over the rainbow and 23 Paradise St Arcadia, was a magical land called Avalon.
And at the heart of Avalon was a magical castle called Camelot.
And at the heart of Camelot lived a mighty King called Uther-Pendragon. Camelot was a fabulous place, so fabulous indeed that it was almost impossible to believe it really existed and wasn’t just a wonderful dream.
Even the greatest stories written about it did not do it justice. It was the ultimate castle, more magnificent and vast than the next ten best castles added together. It wasn’t just staggeringly gorgeous, it was staggeringly big too. It didn’t have one room for each day of the year, it had eleven and a half.

Camelot is the first in a new series (The Dragons) for Colin Thompson. The series is set in the time of King Arthur and his legendary home Camelot. But this is not the Camelot that readers might know from other novels or films. Arthur is an 11-year-old child and a particularly unimpressive one at that. He’s vain, stupid, mean and much more. No one in the palace likes him much, except for his long-suffering nanny. Merlin finds him almost unbearable, except that Arthur’s stupidity allows the magician to run the kingdom with little interference. Add in Arthur’s sister, endangered and incontinent dragons, deep lakes, dangerous moats, fireproof foundlings and not very brave knights and Camelot is almost complete. There are advertisements scattered through. Who wouldn’t want to visit Downwind Island where staff will ensure you feel useless? And in case you wanted to know how to speak like an upperclass twit – the instructions are also included.

Colin Thompson’s new series is full of as many absurdities and twisty-turny plot threads as his previous series ‘The Floods’ was. Characters are never quite as they seem, and generally evolve to be worse, better, uglier, nicer, lovelier, dumber than they first seem. The first book in a new series has a lot to do, introducing a new world and setting up the following episodes. It never feels weighted down for all the ‘plot plants’ that are here. Some plot threads appear to peter out, and others are neatly tied. Others promise adventures to come. The pace is cracking. Truly horrible and gory details abound. Footnotes give the reader extra details or sometimes just little insights into Thompson’s childhood. Chapters are introduced with a brief and illustrated scene setting. Recommended for confident primary readers and fans of ‘The Floods’.

The Dragons: Camelot, Colin Thompson
Random House 2009
ISBN: 9781741663815

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Fearless, by Colin Thompson & Sarah Davis

When the Claybourne-Willments…got Fearless as a little puppy
it seemed a good name for him.
Except Fearless wasn’t.

Fearless is a bulldog with a problem. He might look fearsome to people who don’t know him, but in reality he is scared of everything. He has a big, loving heart, and is a quivering mess whenever anything frightening happens.

But one night Fearless meets a burglar, trying to steal his mum’s handbag. And Fearless manages to live up to his name – even if it is by accident.

Fearless is a gorgeous, whimsically funny book about names, about love and about courage. The text is delightful and the illustrations, by Chrichton Award winning illustrator Sarah Davis, are absolutely gorgeous. Fearless’ facial expressions are especially endearing, and kids will laugh out loud at his antics.

Suitable for children aged 4 to 8, and likely to withstand repeated readings.

Fearless, by Colin Thompson & Sarah Davis
ABC Books, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Floods – Better Homes and Gardens

‘Are you dead?’
‘What?’ ‘I said, are you dead?’ asked the vulture. ‘Only we can’t eat you if you’re still alive.’ ‘That’s good to know.’ ‘Yes, because we are carrion eaters and that means dead stuff,’ said the vulture. ‘Not dying or nearly dead, can’t do that. We have to hang around until you’re completely dead, preferably a week or two after when you’re nice and rip and have that lovely sickly sweet smell that us vultures adore.’ ‘I am not dead,’ said Valla. ‘You sure?’ ‘Of course.’ ‘You look dead,’ said the vulture. ‘Well, it’s nice of you to say so, but no, I am not dead.’

Better Homes and Gardens is the eighth and final title in The Floods series from Colin Thompson. The first began in Transylvania Waters and now the reader is brought full circle as Mordonna, Nerlin and their family return home. Homecomings are often both better and worse than expected and so it is here. The old king and his new wife are not popular but have developed a style of leadership which brooks no resistance. The people of Transylvania Waters have been oppressed for so long and weakened by a diet of cabbage have little power to resist. But the appearance of the rightful royals sparks some life back into the population. Slowly life in the remote kingdom begins to change.

There is little that is predictable in this family adventure. It begins with a conversation with a vulture who is sure one of the Floods must be dead (and therefore menu-worthy) and becomes more absurd from there. And very funny…and punny. The text is interspersed with illustrations that extend the humour. Each member of the family has special skills and their moment ‘in the sun’ as they go about the business of reclaiming the throne (sometimes quite literally too as they clear the pollution that has shrouded the kingdom for years). The ‘baddies’ are very bad and the ‘goodies’ are frequently very odd. Footnotes sometimes provide explanations and sometimes are just asides from the author. For a reader, it is as if the author is sitting there reading along with them. Better Homes and Gardens is warm, absurd, punny and ridiculous. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

The Floods: Better Homes & Gardens, Colin Thompson
Random House 2009
ISBN: 9781741662559

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author www.clairesaxby.com