Tag Susannah Lloyd

Badgers Are Go: Revenge of the Claw

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Badgers Are Go! Revenge of the Claw
Susannah Lloyd, illustrated by Nici Gregory
David Fickling Books

It’s a new term at Rumpington Academy of Badgering and the Major announces excitedly that there is a new member of staff, an inventor, one Professor Archibald Briskwhiskers and from the outset he seems to have taken a dislike to Lulu Rifferton Rear. Moreover, he’s interested in why Lulu hasn’t on this occasion been assigned a mission.

Then comes a notice in the paper concerning a custard craze and guess who is given the role of piloting BOP 92e; that involves so the Prof insists, one simple manoeuvre … The next thing, or almost the next, is that Lulu is accused of a serious crime and there’s only one way to prove her innocence. She must discover the truth by going undercover to Mole HQ.

Full of splendidly scandalous sharp practice on one side and courage, confidence and cleverness, not to mention some treacle, on the other, this will have readers rooting for young Lulu as she goes all out to save the world.

After this deliciously daft adventure, with Nici Gregory’s unforgettable drawings throughout, whither next for our young hero?

Badgers Are Go!

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Badgers Are Go!
Susannah Lloyd, illustrated by Nici Gregory
David Fickling Books

Lulu Whifferton-Rear likes nothing better than minding her own badgery business; but then she receives a letter concerning herself and a top secret mission. It tells her to report to The Rumptington Academy of Badgering the following morning and is signed by Major Musty Rumptington, She knows there’s no getting out of it and so early one Monday morning off she heads to begin her training.

In the dormitory she meets another badger, one Wilfred C. Crumblepaw (Wilf) and the two quickly become good friends. To her surprise, in her first lesson Lulu learns that important humans are not the normal kind, rather they’re Badger Operated Persons or BOPs for short.
As for her training, well from the outset it certainly doesn’t go very well; indeed we could call it utterly catastrophic. For starters there’s the cheese and tomato sandwich procedure where said sandwich ends up in the wrong orifice; this provides one of the many laugh-out-loud moments in the book

and causes Lulu to have serious self-doubts about her suitability for the training. Thank goodness for her pal Wilf who tells her she’s just got a different way of going about things, thus calming her anxiety just a tad, briefly at least. However there also comes a second cheese and tomato sandwich incident at a much more crucial stage in the story; but about this I’ll say no more other than it involves the Prime Minister and the King of Switzerland during a crucial World Peace Conference. Can this perhaps be a case when too much welly turns out to be just what’s needed to save the day and indeed the world? And will Lulu gain her first level Badgering certificate? Errr …

A hilarious romp with some important messages concerning perseverance and self-acceptance (imperfections and all) that will cause readers to cheer for Lulu throughout her trials and tribulations. It’s made all the more fun thanks to Nici Gregory’s lively drawings liberally scattered throughout the book; they really bring the whole badger world to life.

I look forward to reading more about Lulu when she returns next year.

Who Ate Steve?

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Who Ate Steve?
Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley
Nosy Crow

Here’s a deliciously tongue-in-cheek tale wherein, in best teacherly voice, the narrator embarks on a lesson about size and to that end has enlisted the services of Marcel, a corvid of some sort, as an exemplar of big and earthworm Steve, to represent small, and like Marcel, sports a hat.
However Marcel’s undesirable behaviour soon annoys the teacher/narrator. The teacher part of myself was greatly amused by the words and different type used to show this: ‘I’m waiting, Marcel. We are ALL waiting. … Thank you. AND his HAT, if you please … That wasn’t so hard, was it?’

As you would expect Marcel’s natural instinct is to consume his fellow helper and his continuing efforts so to do – each of which is thwarted – increase the narrator’s frustration at being unable to deliver the lesson in its entirety as the end of the book draws nigh.

You are probably wondering if we do learn about size before the final page; the answer is in the affirmative and there’s a superbly satisfying twist on the last spread.

With the combination of that memorable voice created by Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley’s brilliant comical illustrations, in particular those showing Marcel’s facial expressions, this has to be the funniest picture book I’ve read for many months. Share it wherever and whenever you can.

Here Be Giants

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Here Be Giants
Susannah Lloyd and Paddy Donnelly
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

This sequel to Here Be Dragons is every bit as comically entertaining as its predecessor.

We join the same hapless knight as he sallies forth with his trusty steed, on a new and perilous quest, determined to prove to the other knights that he’s no fool. Having paused to consult his Giant Spotting Book, he starts looking out for LARGE things as per its instructions, measuring various normal sized objects, significantly an armour clad damsel. However, he fails to notice something that alert readers will have spotted.

Despite various clues fairly liberally scattered over the ground, our knight manages to miss every one and instead decides to find a spot higher up that offers a better view.

Having secured himself further from the ground it’s time to follow step two: beware of the ‘cursed sound of giant tummy rumbling’. That thunder the knight hears signifies a storm on its way, he thinks; but what is that ‘damsel’ on about; it certainly can’t be heard above the thundering sound. Better take shelter till the storm has passed and while so doing check out step three in the manual.
Even with the dastardly giant’s drool dripping on him from above, our hapless knight fails to recognise the clue and starts faffing about with his brolly.

Turns out, it’s just as well he’s brought that along on his quest: verily a poke from its tip provides a timely twist and demonstrates several things, not least of which is that females are frequently more savvy than males.

Paddy Donnelly provides one hilarious scene after another as the saga unfolds. That they are completely at odds with the knight’s (ie Susannah Lloyd’s) verbal narrative makes this book, with its knightly language, a story adventure-loving listeners will want read aloud multiple times as they relish being in on the joke from the outset.