The Ice Monster by David Walliams

HarperCollins Children's Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780008297244.
(Age: 8-13) Highly recommended. Themes: Mammoths; Humorous Fiction; Orphans. David Walliams writes in a style that would make Roald Dahl proud! Characters are quirky, some of the adults are Dahl-esque and unpleasant and the plot is fanciful and yet wholly appealing. In this book, a poor orphan named Elsie rescues the Frozen Ice Monster (the extinct Woolly Mammoth) from his frozen Museum display - creating an extreme resuscitation involving a home-made balloon, lightning and copper wire! With the help of the extremely dipsy Museum cleaner, Dotty, she demonstrates incredible thinking skills and ingenuity to make the escape with her new friend, 'Woolly', safe from attack by predatory adults. The care that Elsie shows to her fellow orphans, to the big Woolly Mammoth and for her new friend Dotty and an entourage of aged soldiers is endearing and ultimately very rewarding. (Queen Victoria thinks so too!)
This book will be devoured and loved by Primary aged readers and can certainly be recommended to lovers of Walliams and Dahl. The humour and warped history will satisfy their desire for a 'funny story' that is entertaining. The onomatopoeia scattered through the story also adds an auditory and visual highlight for younger readers.
Highly recommended for readers aged 8 - 13
Carolyn Hull