Read the Book, Lemmings!
Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora
Andersen Press

Having seen it in the catalogue, I eagerly awaited the arrival of a copy of this latest comedic offering from Dyckman and OHora, creators of the wonderful Wolfie the Bunny and Horrible Bear! It more than lives up to its promise.

The book features three lemmings of the particularly impressionable kind, a whale that doubles up as a container ship, S.S.Cliff , its polar bear captain, PB by name, and first mate Foxy.
The story actually starts on the front endpaper where a sign floating on an iceberg informs, ‘ lemmings: small fuzzy, illiterate rodents who share the icy North with arctic foxes and polar bears. People used to think lemmings jumped off cliffs. Now we know they don’t.’

Close to the iceberg is a cliff and guess what: a lemming jumps proclaiming at the same time “Wonder what that says.” “Me too,” replies a second lemming. “Ditto!” says a third.
The trio lands up aboard S.S. Cliff whereon Foxy has just settled down with his book entitled ‘Everything About Lemmings’. “Huh!” he announces, “Says here, lemmings don’t jump off cliffs.” The lemmings hear just a single word: a four-lettered one beginning with j and …

Foxy requests the use of PB’s bucket and fishes the creatures out, bestowing upon them hats and names – Jumper, Me Too and Ditto, and urging them to “Read the book,” before settling down once more with said text.

A few further foolhardy leaps follow, each one increasingly reckless … “Sinking! Sinking fast!” / “Me too!” / “Glub!”

until Foxy’s “WHY didn’t you read the book, lemmings?!” finally gets to the crux of the matter: the lemmings can’t read.

Time for some reading lessons …

After which, er that’s for you to discover when you ‘Read the book!’ (And, be sure to check out the final endpapers.)

Ame Dykman’s brilliantly mischievous text is an absolute treat for readers aloud and listeners alike; and the deadpan humour of OHora’s illustrations with their fun details and supremely expressive faces and body language, is the perfect counterpart for this madcap romp. I love the colour palette.

If this isn’t a superb demonstration of the importance and delights of reading, then one reviewer at least will jump off the nearest cliff.