Tag Jack Noel

Dadbot: Rise of the Badbots / Pandora in Puzzlevale: Call of the Crow

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Dadbot: Rise of the Badbots
Jack Noel
Piccadilly Press

Dadbot returns in a second zany graphic novel story. It begins as Josh and Daisy are going back to school after the summer holidays. However, much as Dadbot would like to join then, Dad assures Josh and Daisy that with the school having banned smartphones, there’s absolutely no chance that “a massive robot with a butt printer” would be allowed so Dadbot must stay at home without them. When the doorbell rings, it’s not as expected their neighbour, but a representative from a company called Rust In Peace showing an interest in and offering loads of money for Dadbot. However Dad sends the rep. packing, but is suspicious of the turtle’s motives.

While Josh and Daisy are at school Dadbot has, with the best will in the world, interrupted Dad and his work but then there’s another ring of the doorbell and a large parcel is left by a delivery guy. It’s not the air fryer Mum has ordered; it’s an AI home assistant, something called a Honey. Dadbot is thrilled to have some company, especially as it’s another robot device. But then things start to go wrong: the internet for the entire town is down and Josh and Daisy are sent home as apparently the school can’t function without whiteboards and computers. Moreover they’re not sure about this new arrival; it feels as though she’s watching them and, her voice keeps on changing. Even worse, Dadbot seems totally besotted with Honey. Things get even weirder.
Dad takes Josh and Daisy to Silicon Valley to follow up on a label that was attached from one of the little robots that has appeared and to discover what exactly is going on.

However they find themselves face to face with a surprising character with a mission; and, Dadbot is definitely in danger. Things escalate and Josh and Daisy need to act super-fast to save not only Dadbot but their whole town; can they do so? Maybe with help from an unexpected source …

With plethora of puns and robots, this is huge fun especially for young tech. enthusiasts.

Pandora in Puzzlevale: Call of the Crow
Paul Duffield, Siobhan McKenna & Poqu
David Fickling Books

We’re back in Puzzlevale, the curious town where virtually everything is a mystery. Trapped there in a weirdly eerie mist that seems to transform whatever it touches, is Pandora, lover of mysteries. She knows that if she’s ever to see her parents again, she must unravel Puzzlevale itself and escape its clutches. There are twenty five mysteries in all to unravel in the story and to do so, she’ll need to crack codes, work through mazes, locate hidden objects and solve riddles, aided and abetted by readers.

This is a graphic novel and puzzle book all rolled into one, with intriguing puzzles that make for a thoroughly entertaining read. (At the end of the book are hints and answers called Pandora’s notes, some of which have visuals.)

Olly Brown, God of Hamsters / The Big Breakout

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Olly Brown, God of Hamsters
Bethany Walker , illustrated by Jack Noel
Scholastic

Olly Brown is obsessed with hamsters, so much so that when told to write down three targets for the final weeks in his year 6 class, his first is ‘Look after the class hamster at home for one weekend.’ He’s absolutely determined to do so and then by means of a spot of subterfuge he succeeds in smuggling home Tibbles; that is despite the fact that his dad is supposedly allergic to the creatures, not to mention his hang-ups about health and safety.

Surely though it was just the one hamster he took, so what are all those others doing creating havoc (and a great deal of poo) in his home.

He can’t tell his dad but he must share this news with somebody: that somebody is his best friend Stan. The trouble is Stan then starts calling him such names as ‘Master of the Hamsterverse’. It’s certainly pretty amazing that the furry beings can communicate with Olly, certainly Tibbles can.

In addition to the hamster invasion, with the end of term drawing ever closer there’s the class outing, leavers’ party and more to contend with so it’s no surprise Olly feels as though things are spiralling out of control.

How on earth and in the Hamsterverse is Olly going to extricate himself from all this? To find out you’ll need to get yourself a copy of this hilarious book. Also funny are the drawings by Jack Noel who appears to like hamsters too, if the number he’s drawn for Bethany’s story is anything to go by.

Add to KS2 class collections: what fun it would be to share this with a Y6 class in their final term.

The Big Breakout
Burhana Islam, illustrated by Farah Khandaker
Knights Of

This laugh-out-loud story concludes the trilogy featuring Yusuf and his crazy escapades.
Yusuf’s elder sister, Affa, is about to have a baby and Yusuf – who has now gained a fair bit of street-cred. – is determined to become the best ever uncle to the soon to be born addition to his extended family. Not only that but he’s currently ‘man of the house’ in charge of his amma (mum) and Nanu (gran) who needs to pay a visit to the opticians.

At school, as form captain, he’s charged with showing the ‘very special visitors’ ie Ofsted inspectors aka MI5, around his school while keeping Chompy the school chameleon out of their way. What could possibly go wrong? Errm …

I laughed my way through this wishing I’d met this British Muslim family in the previous two books and will certainly seek them out. Not only are they ideal for bringing more diversity to KS2 class collections, Yusuf, his family and friends are enormous fun to read about and Farah Khnadaker’s black and white illustrations bring out much of the madness and mayhem for which the well-intentioned Yusuf is responsible one way or another.