You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!

Mr Gum hates children, animals, fun and corn on the cob. He lives in a dirty old house. The only nice thing about it is the garden, which happens to be ‘the prettiest, greeniest, floweriest, gardeniest garden’ in town. So when Jake the dog digs up the flowerbeds and poos on the lawn, Mr Gum is furious and comes up with a devious plot to get rid of the horrible hound forever. But Mr Gum’s evil plan is foiled by a little girl called Jammy Grammy Lammy F’Huppa F’Huppa Berlin Stereo Eo Eo Lebb C’Yepp Nermonica Le Straypek De Grespin De Crespin De Spespin De Vespin De Whoop De Loop De Brunkle Merry Christmas Lenoir – aka Polly!

This entertaining story has great appeal to a wide age group (adults included). Its inspirational format balances humorous illustrations with imaginative typesetting to create a fast-paced and frenzied style that suits the characterisation of wacky old Mr Gum down to a tee – making it a ‘must have’ book for children who are put off by text-heavy pages.

Stanton’s style of writing is a refreshing change. His inventive use of language and hilarious word play will draw in even the most reluctant readers, and also makes it a great choice to read aloud to younger children. Although the story is pure fantasy of the comic kind, the author often brings its readers face-to-face with the fact that they are actually reading a book. The asides about writing techniques, including chapters, endings and suspense, make this a useful teaching aid to inspire a child’s interest in storytelling. This is the first book in the Mr Gum series, so watch out for more comedy antics that are sure to get both you and your children giggling. SG