The Gobbledygook and the Scribbledynoodle (Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting, illus by Tom Jellett, Viking)
Small children clamour for repeat reads of their favourite books, and authors Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting will have some very relieved parents on their hands with the release of their latest effort The Gobbledygook and the Scribbledynoodle. This follow-up to their 2012 collaboration, The Gobbledygook is Eating a Book, is a strong sequel about teaching the Scribbledynoodle to find pictures in the everyday—clouds in the sky, snail trails and the like—rather than scribbling in books. Clarke and Baysting’s rhyming verse is great fun, although those reading the book out loud may occasionally stumble over lines where the rhythm is slightly off. The cute and cheerful nature of the book goes a long way to increasing the appeal, but it is Tom Jellett’s funky illustrations that are the real draw. Jellett’s bright colours and adorable, awkward-looking monsters ensure there is a lot to see and talk about in each spread, and it is all capped off with vibrant end pages. It’s a solid and satisfying book that will appeal to fans of the original.
Isobel Moore is a Children’s Specialist at Readings
Category: Junior newsletter Review list Reviews