How to make a pet monster: Smidgen by Lili Wilkinson
Have you ever wished for your very own pet monster? One that is cute and would keep you entertained forever? Well, Artie, Willow and Arabella Rose are back to create one again. Previously, after finding an ancient spell book called the BIGGE BOKE OF FETCHING MONSTERS, Artie and Willow created Hodgepodge, Artie’s best friend. But when they tried to create one for Willow, Flummox turned out to be Arabella Rose’s. Now Willow is desperate for her own!
Working together to gather the ingredients, the trio use their ingenuity to find items that are just right. But, trying to keep their monster secret can be a little tricky, especially when your club house gets invaded! Enter Zayn, a cool kid who loves soccer. He explodes into the headquarters, and they aren’t sure how much to tell him. However, Willow is so desperate for her own pet monster, they must make some compromises. So now everything looks like it is going to plan, until Willow becomes scrambled in her Dad’s souffle cooking competition! Will her monster dreams be smashed forever, or will they work out an egg-cellent solution!
Smidgen (#3 How to make a pet monster) is the third book in the series, but you can easily catch up with the characters and plot to enjoy even if you haven’t read the previous books. Lili Wilkinson writes an entertaining story. Filled with adventure, humour and fast paced action, the reader will be left enjoying every minute. The book also contains great cartoon pictures by Alex Patrick. These enrich the text and allow the audience further levels of engagement. The text has a larger font, which is easy to navigate and not overwhelming for those entering the excitement of a slightly longer novel.
With entertaining characters, a humorous storyline and jampacked with cool illustrations, this novel provides high engagement for the reader. The clever typography adds further interest, and this novel is sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys fun, adventure and some cute monsters to keep them amused too!
Themes: Monsters, Friendship, Adventure, Humour, Teamwork.
Michelle O'Connell