Sticky Beak

Blabber Mouth #2

by Morris Gleitzman

Anticipating the birth of a new sibling, Rowena Batts, a mute girl, struggles with conflicting feelings and adopts an abused cockatoo named Sticky Beak who promptly destroys the newly decorated nursery.

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Middle Grade

140 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 1995

About the author

Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic style has endeared him to children and adults alike, and he is now one of Australia's most successful authors, both internationally and at home. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.

Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as paperboy, bottle-shop shelf-stacker, department store Santa Claus, frozen chicken defroster, fashion-design assistant and sugar-mill employee. In between he managed to gain a degree in Professional Writing at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Later he became sole writer for three award-winning and top-rating seasons with the TV comedy series The Norman Gunston Show.

Morris wrote a number of feature film and telemovie screenplays, including The Other Facts of Life and Second Childhood, both produced by The Australian Children's Television Foundation. The Other Facts of Life won an AWGIE Award for the Best Original Children's Film Script.

He also wrote live stage material for people such as Rolf Harris, Pamela Stephenson and the Governor General of Australia. Morris is well known to many people through his semi-autobiographical columns in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald magazine, Good Weekend, which he wrote for nine years.

But the majority of Morris' accolades are for his hugely popular children's books. One of his most successful books for young people is Two Weeks with the Queen, an international bestseller which was also adapted into a play by Mary Morris. The play had many successful seasons in Australia and was then produced at the National Theatre in London in 1995 directed by Alan Ayckbourn, and also in South Africa, Canada, Japan and the USA.

All his other books have been shortlisted for or have won numerous children's book prizes. These include The Other Facts of Life, Second Childhood, Misery Guts, Worry Warts, Puppy Fat, Blabber Mouth, Sticky Beak, Belly Flop, Water Wings, Bumface, Gift Of The Gab, Toad Rage, Wicked! and Deadly!, two six-part novels written in collaboration with Paul Jennings, Adults Only, Toad Heaven, Boy Overboard, Teacher's Pet, Toad Away, Girl Underground, Worm Story, Once, Aristotle's Nostril, Doubting Thomas, Give Peas A Chance, Then, Toad Surprise, Grace, Now, Too Small To Fail, and his latest book, Pizza Cake. Morris' children's books have been published in the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia and Czechoslovakia, Russia and China.

Reviews

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another humorous and heartwarming story from Australia’s wittiest and ingenious children’s author.

Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes deep but mostly an endearing story of a mute girl who uses sign language or written notes to communicate, a funny jelly custard incident, an embarrassing father and a mouthy cockatoo.

Mary-Anne Fahey’s narration is once again wonderful, sparkling and clear as a bell.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morris Gleitzman was an author back from when I was in Primary school but it was so long since I have read one of his books I forgot if I even had finished reading one. It was with my surprise therefore I I found out that my feelings of joy and praise was justified when reading this, it was funny with most of the humour coming from not from dialogue but the first person thoughts from the mute lead character.

Very heavy on Aussie slang but in all honesty I wouldn’t call that a drawback for those that live outside of Australia especially if they want to know more about traditional/outback culture Australia has. Good read and I recommend it.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sticky Beak by Morris Gleitzman and Gift of the Gab by Morris Gleitzman
3rd grade and up – Realistic Fiction, Australia – I wouldn’t stop reading when I started Sticky Beak… had to continue immediately and finish reading Gift of the Gab. Special books to enjoy, glad I made time to read the trilogy or as the publishers called The Blabber Mouth Collection. Loved going back to the world of loud country music, crazy birds, funny situations with tempers flaring, and especially families growing and various situations from murder to pesticide overuse. Just one packed set of books with a main character who is mute but bursting with conversations. Brilliant beginning to end…

[Anne]

Auf deutsch: „Plapperschnabel“

Rowenas Leben könnte doch eigentlich so schön sein: ihr Vater hate ihre Lieblingslehrerin geheiratet und Rowena bekommt bald ein Geschwisterchen. Trotzdem geht irgendwie alles schief. Bei Miss Dunnings Abschiedsfeier schmeißt Rowena den Himbeerwackelpudding in den Ventilator, so dass hinterher die ganze Stadt auf sie sauer ist. Und Plapperschnabel, der angeblich verstockte Kakadu ihres Erzfeinds, zeigt sich wenig dankbar dafür, dass sie ihm bei sich zu Hause Asyl gibt. Außerdem kriegt sie wegen Plappers Zerstörungswut auch noch Ärger mit ihrem Vater. Am liebsten würde Rowena ihren ganzen Frust laut hinausschreien, aber das geht ja nicht , wenn man stumm ist. Zum Glück hat sie Amanda , ihre beste Freundin, die ihr wie immer zur Seite steht.

[Grace B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not something I would usually read but I definitely recommend it to all age groups. It only has 116 pages and is a simple day read. However, this book is filled with twists and humor and is great to spend a couple hours of your day reading.

[Brooke Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best

[Megan-Leigh Lucas]

Amazing

[Jo Beale]

tom

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morris Gleitzman was a favorite author when I was in primary school and I read everything he put out. The covers were quirky and weird, and every time I laughed and wanted more.

*Note, I haven't read these books since I was a child myself, so this review will be repeated across all of Gleitzman's books I marked as read many years ago ;)

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Blabber Mouth; standard fare. Now, was this the one where she hired the sky-writer to write PULL YOUR HEAD IN DAD or was that the first? Because that was classic!

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also read to me by my friend, and we'll move on to the 3rd (and final) next week I hope. I never thought I'd enjoy having a book read to me so much. Enjoyed this slightly less than the first, but that may have been me not focusing as well as I should've.

[Karinomsnoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ceritanya lumayan menyentuh dan bikin...tersentuh sih...
cerita anak-anak yang bagus...konyol...lucu!

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book for kids. Dunno why I read it really, but I bought it years ago and couldn't remember ever opening it. Gleitzman is a funny guy.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

107th - 2011

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, I read it years ago but still remember it!!! It can be sad at times....

[Pujiyanto_x · Rating 3 out of 5]

lucu aja, dan sangat ringan gaya berceritanya-- yang khas banget tulisan Om Morris iki, penuh dengan pemikiran-pemikiran tokohnya yang nyleneh kemana-mana.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I still like these books as much as I did when I was a kid

[tmo. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good book for a young reader.

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morris Gleitzman was one of my absolute favourite childhood authors - I even got his autograph! His books are light and easy to read and have a comedic value only Andy Griffiths could match.