Bottersnikes and Gumbles ¦ Gumbles on Guard
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Cover Story
Our cover this issue was created from the endpapers of the Blue Book and the Yellow Book of Hob Stories to be published by Walker Books later this year. Hob made his first appearance last year in the Red and Green Books of Stories about him by William Mayne. Patrick Benson who did the illustrations has just won the Mother Goose Award. For more details see Ed's Page (opposite) and the report of the Mother Goose Award (page 10). We are most grateful to Walker Books for help in using these illustrations.
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Send to friendBottersnikes and Gumbles
Illustrated by Desmond Digby
Gumbles on Guard
Illustrated by Desmond Digby
Bottersnikes are very unpleasant creatures. They live in rubbish heaps on the outskirts of the Australian bush and grumble and mutter their ways through life. With green wrinkled skin and ears that burn red with anger they are off-putting to the most charitable of characters, even the Gumbles who also live in the bush. Gumbles are squashy, shape-changing creatures who spend much time protecting weaker creatures than themselves particularly birds. Bottersnikes devote a great deal of energy to hunting down Gumbles, squashing them into old jam tins and releasing them only to act as slaves.
Bottersnikes and Gumbles introduces the two species and each chapter is a separate episode in the attempts to capture and escape. Gumbles on Guard tells especially of the Gumbles' attempts to protect a lyre-bird chick from both the fox and the Bottersnikes.
Easy reads, delightful illustrations. Would the contents appeal? When a very reluctant reader said 'Brilliant! Can I take it home?' then I was sure. Short chapters, lots of amusing incidents. Make them available.
