Small Fry by David Baddiel
Blurb
A funny, exciting, David vs Goliath adventure with a heart-warming father-son relationship – perfect for fans of Danny the Champion of the World, Millions, and Ratatouille.
The story of one boy and his brilliant burgers!
Benny Burns spends every weekend helping his dad by working at their burger van, parked outside the local football ground. And when Benny finds his grandfather’s old recipe book and begins following its instructions, he starts cooking INCREDIBLE food – so good, in fact, that he attracts the unwanted attention of fast food giant Bonkers Burgers! and its CEO, Bodley Bonkers.
To Bodley, Benny and his burgers are a threat that must be eliminated… by any means necessary.
And so, along with his dad and his two best friends, Jasper and Mina, Benny must find a way to defeat Bonkers Burgers, help rescue his dad’s business, and share his passion for cooking with the world – a mission that leads to him competing with the world’s greatest chef to cook the best burger.
Review
Small Fry by David Baddiel illustrated by Cory Loftis, is a hilarious and heartwarming illustrated novel that is perfect for young readers. The story follows Benny Burns, a young boy who helps his dad run their burger van outside a local football ground. There is a background story to how his dad came to this business. Benny discovers his grandfather’s cookbook from which he starts cooking incredible recipes. Small Fry as he’s fondly referred to, Benny is excited when his father hands him the responsibility of making the burgers. An ardent fan of renowned chef, Juliana Skeffington, he’s seen her from her initial days to tremendous growth that made her a celebrity. Taking her as an inspiration, Benny sets to make his fathers Burger van more successful. Benny’s burgers start becoming so popular that the burger giant in their town, Bonkers Burgers is given a run.
An absolutely fun David vs Goliath story that has a father-son relationship at its core. Benny’s friends Mina and Jasper lighten up conversations that give you a fun reading moment and signs of beautiful friendship. Baddiel’s witty writing and Loftis’s illustrations make it an engaging and a fun read. Benny’s journey to make his dad’s business successful is engaging and inspiring. Benny not giving up, living his dreams, supporting his friend’s choices, helping his father, and being responsible for carrying forward his family legacy is truly remarkable and something that kids could learn from him.
This book is a charming read that is sure to entertain kids and adults. A very good addition to any young readers’ library.
About the Author
David Baddiel is an author and comedian. His children’s books have sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, and his debut, The Parent Agency, won the Laugh Out Loud Book Award. David lives in London with his family.
Super Sleuth by David Williams
Blurb
Dilly loved a good murder. Not a REAL murder. A made-up murder. One you would find in a murder mystery novel. Sherlock Holmes was her favourite detective, so much so that she had named her dog Watson after his faithful companion.
Dilly had trained her Watson to sniff out clues and follow scent trails. Something he would happily do for a dog biscuit. Or two. So far, Dilly and Watson hadn’t had much luck cracking cases – beyond lost cats, or missing biscuits that turned out to have been eaten all along.
But now the detective duo found themselves on a luxury ocean liner bound for London. A thousand passengers. A thousand nautical miles of ocean around them. It was the perfect place for a murder…
Or two.Or three. Or four. Or MORE!
Super Sleuth is the hilarious new historical mystery novel from multi-million bestseller David Walliams.
Review
If you are looking for a delightful and humorous mystery novel suitable for young readers, then “Super Sleuth” by David Walliams is the one I’d suggest from my recent reads. The story follows Dilly, a young detective who solves made-up murders, inspired by her favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes. Dilly and her dog assistant Watson make a great team, as they board a transatlantic cruise liner bound for London. Dilly accompanies her Aunt Gladys who looks after her post her parents’ demise. Aunt Gladys falls in love with Lord Fox who also is on board the ocean liner. A series of mysterious events on board, make Dilly and Watson Super Sleuth to unwind the motives behind the multiple murders.
Walliams trademark blend of humor and adventure makes the book an interesting read for both kids and adults. Funny situations and quirky characters make it an entertaining read that is also light-hearted. I especially loved the different character names and their exhibit that was included while introducing them which I feel is a great way the kid could visualize. The illustrations from Stower are vivid and give out a visual dimension which enhances the narrative thereby bringing the characters and scenes to life.
On the whole, “Super Sleuth “ is a fun and engaging mystery read that encourages kids to think creatively and analytically while enjoying the read. It is also a good addition to any young detective’s library.
About the Author
David Walliams is a literary phenomenon whose books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and have been translated into fifty-five languages.
This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.