Super Silly Museums

This is a wonderful, original, fold-out flap picture book giggle-fest from the remarkably talented Nick Sharratt. The cover gives the invitation, ‘Come inside and explore,’ and ‘It’s all quackers,’ proclaims a duck. There are eight museums within, and the first is the SHOE-SEUM. Open out the flap and wonder at the A-Z of shoes, from Ankle boot to Zip-up shoe, with Kitten heel, Roller skate and Trainer on the way. Second stop is TWO-SEUM. Open out, and all sorts of twos and pairs excite the eyes. ‘Life’s a grind,’ shouts the Salt and Pepper set. ‘We should pull ourselves together!’ giggle the running along curtains. Then there’s a queue at the Q-SEUM. See a quokka, quartet, quoll and quaff, and hear a quirky quack! Try saying that quicky, adds Nick. Can readers think of 28 items beginning with Q? Nick Sharratt can. Each museum has silhouetted visitors running along both sides and the bottom of each museum page, with LOTS to say., e.g. ‘Why doesn’t cucumber start with a Q?’ The POOSEUM comes next, a fold-out which will delight most readers as they examine each labelled picture. There’s the Wee-search Centre, and the Loo-boratory…. And don’t forget to keep searching for the recurring TAP jokes! The SNOOZeum is full of wildlife which surely will be a favourite visit for many youngsters, with lots of play on words. Enter the BLUE-SEUM. What an opportunity for a class to list as many blue connections as they can, before opening the flap. Did they find Peacock blue? Once in a blue moon?  Bolt from the blue? The penultimate visit is to the CONFUSEUM, with optical illusions to put you in a tizz. THE END. JUST KIDDING, greets us on the following page, claiming to have one more museum to visit; unique, and amazing. It’s the ALL-ABOUT-YOU-SEUM, with lots of targeted questions, from ‘How old are you?’ to ‘Record the next thing you see beginning with Q’ to ‘What will you look like when you are grown up?’ This book creation is an absolute sensation from beginning to end. Congratulations to Nick Sharratt for producing a best ever amongst his many huge successes, and its sturdy thick paper construction should survive the umpteenth time it is enjoyed by fascinated readers.