David can’t go to school. Not when he’s just been beaten up by the school bullies, and certainly not when he’s wearing a silly shirt with dolphins AND a nasty stain. No, school is out of the question.
Instead, David decides to hide in the forest until it’s safe to go home. The forest is dark and scary, but David feels safer there than he would at school, and soon falls asleep. When he wakes it is late afternoon, and he sprints for home.
At home, David is alarmed to discover that his T-shirt has turned bright green and is covered in fur. Something has happened to it in the forest. He will be in big trouble when his Dad sees it.
Later that night, when David is trying to figure out what to do about the shirt, he is amazed to discover it is no longer stained. He is even more amazed when he finds out why. The stain, he discovers, was really a smodge called Blik, who used the shirt to hitch a ride out of the forest.
David has never seen a smodge before, but Blik tells him this is because smodges are so good at hiding. He has come out of hiding because he is lonely, and needs help to find where the other smodges are living. As David helps Blik search for his friends, he also learns the value of friendship. Perhaps Blik can help him solve his problems too?
Blik, by Sandy McCutcheon is one of the Quick Reads series from new Queensland publisher, Word Weavers Press. Specially aimed at boys, the series will appeal to readers aged eight to twelve, who have made the transition from picture books to short chapter books. Children will love the ugly but delightful Blik, and relate to the dilemmas faced by David. The story is well complemented by the drawings of illustrator Nicole Murray.
A great short read.
Blik, by Sandy McCutcheon
Word Weavers Press, 2002