Clever & Curious

This book really appealed to my inner kid. I had a lot of fun with it despite my age. The tales are clever and fun, full of silly imagery and curious quests. I can see how they can be very interactive tales with kids to tell them to.

The Way of the Pizza had me laughing out loud. It was just so silly and what kid doesn’t quest after pizza? Many of these tales deal with food. The Mango Mouse encourages kids to try something new to them, plus there’s a timid and polite mouse. Both quests involve various animals and little bits of subterfuge.

The stories are told as if they are being performed for a child. This nameless kid is addressed many times and apparently receives several bonks to the head, which is how they forget what adventures they have been on. Also each tale ends with praising the kid for their cleverness, etc.

Turvy Topsy Land had a sad snake that desires a different life. I love how the kid in these tales isn’t afraid of any particular animal. There’s also salad dressing involved. In The Revolting Brains, the kid must figure out how to fight becoming a brainless automaton, and then teach the animals the same trick. There is the small issue of accidentally getting the wrong brain…. but no plan isn’t without room for improvement, right?

All together, it’s a fun collection of stories which can be read as a collection or each one taken individually. 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Neil McFarlane gives an energetic performance. He has plenty of distinct voices to keep all the characters separate. His female characters could use more femininity. There is one short length where the volume goes up and down and I couldn’t tell if that was on purpose or not. 4/5 stars.

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