Review:
Random
House, 2006 (1995)
Age 10-12 This reissue of Peter Carey's first book for children has lost none of its freshness, and is admirably augmented with the illustrations by Stephen Michael King. Sam Kellow sleepwalks out of his parents' room at a hotel and is kidnapped by a crazy set of parents whose own son has developed chicken pox and so is unable to compete in the Perfecto Kiddo Competition now on in the same hotel. Despite Sam's lack of finesse and dress sense, the new parents think they will pull it off, but despite the whole evening spent readying the boy, things just don't go their way.
Carey has his tongue firmly in his cheek as he pokes fun at the appalling parents whose children are in this competition. So removed from ordinary children, they cannot cope with Sam's friendliness and lack of competitive spirit. Of course the climax of spag and bog gets out of hand, but Sam is able to save the day, the judge thinking along the same lines as Carey, and so presenting the winning cheque to the boy who is normal. A delightful read from start to finish, The big Bazoohley will find an new audience, with its new set of charming illustrations.
Fran Knight
May 02 2007
The big Bazoohley by Peter Carey
Random
House, 2006 (1995)Age 10-12 This reissue of Peter Carey's first book for children has lost none of its freshness, and is admirably augmented with the illustrations by Stephen Michael King. Sam Kellow sleepwalks out of his parents' room at a hotel and is kidnapped by a crazy set of parents whose own son has developed chicken pox and so is unable to compete in the Perfecto Kiddo Competition now on in the same hotel. Despite Sam's lack of finesse and dress sense, the new parents think they will pull it off, but despite the whole evening spent readying the boy, things just don't go their way.
Carey has his tongue firmly in his cheek as he pokes fun at the appalling parents whose children are in this competition. So removed from ordinary children, they cannot cope with Sam's friendliness and lack of competitive spirit. Of course the climax of spag and bog gets out of hand, but Sam is able to save the day, the judge thinking along the same lines as Carey, and so presenting the winning cheque to the boy who is normal. A delightful read from start to finish, The big Bazoohley will find an new audience, with its new set of charming illustrations.
Fran Knight
© Pledger
Consulting, 2007