Pugnacious & Scuttlebutt: Mall madness by Adam Wallace and Wayne Bryant

cover image Larrikin House, 2024. ISBN: 9781922804822. (Age: 6+) Highly recommended.

Pugnacious & Scuttlebutt: Mall Madness is sure to keep the audience laughing with this whirl wind escapades and fun filled fiascos.

Adam Wallace, together with Wayne Bryant’s clever illustrations, deliver another fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure in the third instalment of the series. The totally memorable, yet unlucky homeless dogs, Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt, are still on the run; desperately searching for a home while dodging the relentless dog catcher, S.M. Ellybottom.

Believe it or not, Mall Madness finds them in even trickier situations than before. Discovering they are trapped inside a shopping mall and hot on their tails are three security guards, their old nemesis, S.M.Ellybottom, along with an unpredictable and whacky granny. How will they ever get out of this mess?

Wallace masterfully blends humour and suspense, keeping readers on edge as the dogs stumble from one disaster to the next. From heart-pounding chases to laugh-out-loud mishaps, the story is packed with action and comedy galore. Bryant’s brilliant cartoon illustrations compliment and complete the storyline; adding excellent engagement for the audience.

This fabulous short fiction novel is extremely fast paced with a highly energetic and engaging storyline. Filled with loads of fun black and white cartoon pictures, speech text and action, it is a style mixed between a graphic novel and standard novel. This targets a wider audience and will appeal to many. Containing short chapters, large print and a really cool layout, it is a great story for all ages.

Perfect for fans of the Ratbags series by Tim Harris, Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt: Mall Madness is an engaging, fun-filled read that will leave the audience eager for the next adventure. With its mix of action, comedy and heart, this book is a fantastic addition to the series, proving once again that sometimes, even the most mischievous underdogs deserve a happy ending.

Themes: Dogs, Problem solving, Friendship, Humour.

Michelle O'Connell