Booklist

Giles Andreae illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Billy Bonkers
Orchard (128 pages) 9781846161513
The content of the three stories in this book has maximum appeal for boys of a certain age - with burping and pants; a seaside shark pops up too. There's a rather dry, unappetising breakfast to contrast with toffee-shaped aliens in a chocolate-covered world. Nick Sharratt's clear pictures are inviting and they work as an aid for readers portraying the fittingly named Bonkers family, Billy and his adventures with humour and some relish too. Good knockabout fun.

Jon Blake
Stinky Finger's Peace and Love Thing
Hodder (122 pages) 9780340944806
'Welcome to the House of Fun' says the Madness song, as does this series in which all adults have been sucked away into a space place. In this fifth story Bryan sets out to make a model of the actual House of Fun, as in the books. But a diversion caused by a seed found in the attic leads Stinky, Icky and Co. into the midst of a hippyish festival, with the sort of disgusting toilets which prompt appropriately levelled humour. It's daft nonsense of course, sheer escapist, comic-type humour that is well constructed and irresistible for some young readers.

Adam Bushnell
Seriously Silly Stories: Snakes Legs and Cows Eggs
E-print (99 pages) 9781905637218
There are eight stories here and all conform to the very descriptive overall title of 'Seriously Silly'. It's a laugh out loud invite to readers who might be encouraged by the short and widely-spaced paragraphs, clear print and easy-on-the-eye cream, not stark white, paper. Underlying the jokeyness there are echoes of worldwide folk tales with Anansi the Spider, the Thunder God of the Norse, and more. The end notes of suggestions for activities and follow-up storytelling and writing add an extra dimension to a useful and very appealing book.

Martin Chatterton
Stunt Monkeys 1: Four Boys Go Ape!
Stripes (155 pages) 9781847150127
Although there are over 150 pages here, many have comic illustrations and many are half picture and half words. The story from this prolific author/illustrator has four crazy derring-do boys, Kurtis, Einstein, Grunt and Stench, who live in boring and sleepy Sludgeville. The names alone indicate the style as these four try to get an entry in the book of 'Unbelievable Amazing World Records'. How many chickens might be balanced on one head? In among these efforts they manage to undermine the strict regime of a boot camp and quite how the public toilet comes to be in flight to land amid a civic ceremony is all part of the irreverent fun.

Steve Cole
Astrosaurs: The Sun-Snatchers
Red Fox (124 pages) 9781862302549
First and foremost this is funny, very, very funny. Equally importantly it is a good story and part of an extensive series with a steadily growing readership. Teggs may be a dinosaur but he is also captain of the spaceship DSS Sauropod. In this adventure he needs to save the woolly rhinos by restoring their Suns which are likely prey to a fantastic star-swallowing threat. Good sized print and pictures on nearly every page will add to the sense of confidence for some readers; familiarity with the series helps too.

Steve Cole
Cows in Action: The Moo-my's Curse
Red Fox (144 pages) 9781862301900
The previous title in this recent - and building into a successful - series is The Ter-moo-nators. Puns and fun are the order of the day. Professor McMoo is a genius and he, not she, has two assistants, Pat and Bo. All three are CIA (see the series title) agents. A time-crime threatens to turn an ancient Egyptian problem into a world-wide threat. A moo-my has come to life and our unlikely heroes face perils and dangers as they save the day. It is all crazy - wholly and totally child-friendly craziness.

Daren King illustrated by David Roberts
Sensible Hare and the Case of Carrots
Faber (105 pages) 9780571231751
In the first place this writer's previous book Mouse Noses on Toast was awarded a Nestlé Gold, and in the second Hare is not at all sensible. This is a pastiche of a detective crime story, there is a load of puns, and the absurdity is both wryly, knowingly amusing and laugh-out-loud uproarious. The case is not there at all as it is Mazy Rabbit's missing suitcase, filled with gorgeous carrots. Poker-playing villains, a helpful assistant, disguises and chases crop up as Hare's dedication to the wonders of carrots drives his relentless pursuit. With the quirky drawings of David Roberts to add to the fun it is all really exciting stuff.

David Melling
Stone Goblins
Hodder (90 pages + extra sketches) 9780340930489
This is the first in a series of perfect material for 7s to 9s with lots of detailed drawings from an author/ illustrator who is also an animator and creator of fine picture books. The proper names and introductory 'portraits' are inviting and a strong indicator of the style of the contents. Chief Cheesyfeet, Dribbledraws, Saggypants and Seepage are part of the goblin bunch, with a mania for collecting stones, in this episodic story. A dragon interferes and all the extremely annoying powers of various goblins are needed to get rid of it. But the dragon takes with it the plug and chain keeping the water in the lake - another problem to be tackled with perfect silliness.

Chris Owen
Hairy Mole's Adventures on the High Seas
Ransom Publishing (94 pages) 9781841675633
Pirates are perennial favourites and this colourfully illustrated storybook is spot on. It is the second of a series which is very funny indeed and has clever use of variations, like curving wiggles, in the text placing to emphasise parts of the tale. There's a mixed cast of characters with a captain who has none of the usual bravado and a crew of Belch, Pickle, Crevice and Pitt, the cricket-bat-legged Mr Bogey and Tiny Guff. The events involve an Italian mob of pirates with exotic birds as headgear. There really is a lot of fun in this short but very entertaining story.

Dav Pilkey
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People
Scholastic (175 pages) 9780439951340
The Captain is a superhero and here again George and Harold are in difficulties and needing help as another crazy enemy has to be defeated. More new heroes join the fray and bring still more idiosyncratic lunacy to the finely balanced wittiness of these stories. The only way to understand everything is to read the books in order, and there are quite a number. What is extraordinary is not just the popularity but the breadth of the age range of the, mostly boy, fans. Large numbers from 7s to 13s, and beyond, are captivated by the series and thoroughly indulge in reading these books with gusto. A superheroic achievement indeed and all power to Underpants!

Jamie Rix
Grizzly Tales: Nasty Little Beasts
Orion (128 pages) 9781842555491
A range of type sizes and page layouts, interspersed with lots of little drawings, add to the attractions promised by a sub-title, 'Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam'. After dire warnings and alerts addressed to all nasty little beasts, there are six stories with vivid titles like 'The Grub-A-Blub-Blub', 'The Fruit Bat' and 'The Clothes Pig'. All are funnily gruesome and all include loathsome children who meet with fate and get their just deserts at the hands of whatever they've been most spiteful towards, be it the glass-eyed toys or a python. There are more series titles to find and each has seriously silly stuff and perfectly pitched writing.

Andy Stanton
Mr Gum and the Power Crystals
Egmont (144 pages) 9781405228176
The fiercesomely bearded Mr Gum, an anti-hero but given book-title highlighting, deservedly won Andy Stanton a number of awards with the first book, You're a Bad Man Mr Gum, a Chatterbooks readers' choice. In a crowded market of jovial fun books for the younger 'junior' age range there is grand originality here. In this fourth crazy outing, Polly, Friday and the gingerbread (yes, really) Alan Taylor set out to save the town from an ancient curse. A tumbledown windmill hides a secret and the story is another wonderful romp with loads of exclamatory calls, shouts and lettering. Greatly entertaining all round.

Albert Udero translated by Anthea Bell
Asterix and the Vikings: The Book of the Film
Orion (65 pages) 9780752885902
The cover names the usual Asterix creators, R. Goscinny and A. Uderzo. However, this is not a picture-strip but a text story illustrated with stills from the film. It is adapted from the events in Asterix and the Vikings and is a lively, fast-moving affair featuring a Viking study group, Abba the Redhead, and characters like Justforkix, Cryptograph and Tinandahaf. The book ends with 16 pages of drawings, plans and sketches for the modelling from the creation of the film. This is an extra feature many budding cartoonists, and there are a lot, will thoroughly appreciate.