Jerry’s Window (Y K Willemse, Wombat Books)

In the spirit of Dennis the Menace, 10-year-old Jerry Ronden is a notorious nightmare. His parents are at a loss as he torments his school and neighbours with pranks, stink bombs, fireworks, dangerous stunts and incessant intrusions, and leaves a trail of disaster wherever he goes. Jerry doesn’t mean to cause so much trouble. At least his imaginary friend Willy peps him up whenever he needs it and thinks he’s fine the way he is. One day, beneath the washing line, Jerry sees a small window with ugly, yellow-eyed monsters trying to escape into Jerry’s world. Nobody believes him at first, not even Willy. What do the monsters want? And how can Jerry convince his parents they are real? Age-appropriate themes cleverly woven through the story include finding and embracing one’s identity, exploring diverse family structures (like Jerry’s adoptive family), and navigating one’s role within both family and community. Despite Jerry’s seemingly antisocial behaviour, the imagined monsters are closely connected to the power of Jerry’s creativity, and they show he wants to fit in and manage his complex relationship with his parents. Y K Willemse delivers a light-hearted, fun story with hints of fantasy, plenty of gripping tension, and buckets of humour, with a sparkling, wild, yet loveable protagonist in Jerry. Jerry’s Window is an ideal read for 8- to 11-year-olds who enjoy Paul Jennings or Anh Do.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Brenton Cullen is an emerging children's author and freelance writer of articles, reviews, and interviews when not working part-time in a bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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