Lights! Camera! Action! (Claude) by Alex T Smith

Claude #7

by Alex T. Smith

Meet Claude- No ordinary Dog!

A playful jump on a trampoline turns out to be more fun than Claude expected when he bounces right into an all-action gorilla thriller!

Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize (2015)

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Chapter Books, Picture Books, Animals, Dogs

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Alex T. Smith is the creator of the much-loved and bestselling Claude fiction series for early readers. He was the official World Book Day illustrator in 2014, and other recent accolades include the UKLA Picture Book Award for Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion and the Children’s Book of the World Illustration Award for illustrating Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians. When not working, Alex enjoys doodling in his sketchbook, reading, people-watching, and eavesdropping. He lives under the watchful eye of his small canine companions, who are a constant source of inspiration to him.

Reviews

[Florence · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok but I found it quite boring at times as Claude ( The main character) was doing the wrong thing over and over again. I have enjoyed some of the previous books but the storyline for the books is the same!( Sir Bobblysock and Claude are bored they get into trouble then all is sorted) Not for me but maybe for other readers.

[Claudia G-D · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun good book for independent reading or for use in guided reading groups. Suitable for Lower Ks2 children. Part of a series.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Actually laughed out loud more than once. I love Claude and Sir Bobblysock!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taattua Kaarle-seikkailua ensimmäisistä sanoista takakanteen. Tällä kertaa Kaarle ja Lordi Nukkasukka sekaantuvat elokuvan kuvaamiseen.

[Tim Roast · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Claude is a small, plump dog who wears the snazziest of sweaters and a jaunty red beret.” His best friend is Sir Bobblysock.

My 7-year-old daughter has read other Claude books and even studied one with her class, “Claude in the City”, as part of the school curriculum. Claude also now has his own TV show on Disney Junior, although we haven’t checked that out yet.

This book follows the same structure as other Claude books. It starts in the morning with Claude at home as his owners Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes go out to work; Claude and Sir Bobblysock then go out and have an adventure making such an impression on the other main protagonist of the story that he/she asks them to accompany him/her as they go about their business to which Claude and Sir Bobblysock politely decline as they prefer home which they then return to taking along some remnant of their adventure which Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes spot and comment on when they too return home thinking to themselves as to whether Claude was in any way responsible for it or had he in fact just spent the whole day sleeping instead.

The adventure in this book starts with Claude and Sir Bobblysock going outside into the garden to jump on a trampoline where Claude goes up high allowing him to see all the familiar local people and sights. Then he spots “a giant gorilla in a dressing gown, drinking a cup of tea.” He just has to investigate and he accidentally wanders into a film set where director Everard Zoom-Lens is directing a film starting Errol Heart-Throb, Gloria Swoon and Alan the giant gorilla. There Claude becomes “a movie star AND a gorilla rescuer.”

There is plenty of humour. The humour comes through the characters names, for example Mr Lovelybuns the baker who has the best buns in town. It comes through Sir Bobblysock displaying human-like behaviour when you wouldn’t expect him to, him being a sock after all. It comes through the art – e.g. film set shows a high street store “Miss Reed’s Read-a-lot bookshop – we like big books and we cannot lie.” It comes through the silliness of the story.

The art style – a limited colour palette of red, grey, black and white – is consistent through the book and the art flows through every page making this book easy to read, appealing to look at, and fantastic for young, new readers (although some jokes aimed at older readers may be lost on them). Lovely book.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of the intrepid and irrepressible canine explorer, Claude, will happily follow him and this sidekick, Sir Bobblysock as they set off on yet another adventure. In this, the seventh book in the series, the two wait until Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes head off to work before leaving home. Claude's been hanging out the laundry, airing out his costumes when they learn that there's movie being made on Waggy Avenue. Not only is a gorilla one of the stars, but Claude and Sir Bobblysock are impressed with the attractive male and female leads, and end up being allowed to help out on the set. However, as often happens when Claude is around, his curiosity leads to some problems, and the stars are injured after being wrapped up in the clothesline he has been dragging around. The movie set will have to be shut down unless the two friends can save the day, but how can a dog and a sock star in a movie? Readers won't be surprised that Claude and Sir Bobblysock can do most anything, of course, including rescuing one characters from the rooftop. As I always say once I reach the conclusion of these books, Claude's human companions are absolutely clueless about how strange objects and even creatures end up in their place. This time they're in for a big surprise. It's all silly fun, wrapped within a wry sense of humor and absurd situations, but it is undeniably fun to watch Claude in action and wonder what his sidekick is thinking.

[Trudy Zufelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claude takes care of the important work of hanging his costumes out to dry, with his trusty sidekick, Sir Bobblysock, supervising from his lounge chair. After the work is over, Claude pulls out his new trampoline and the shenanigans begin. With each bounce he gets a view of the action on Waggy Avenue where he sees a gorilla sporting a cup of tea and his curiosity gets the best of him. Why would a gorilla be drinking a cup of tea?

With Sir Bobblysock bouncing along beside him, Claude shoves the trampoline in his trusty beret and heads toward the action on Waggy Avenue. Tripping over the clothesline doesn't slow Claude down. He shoves it with all of the costumes inside of his beret too. His excitement builds when he finds Waggy Avenue lined with cameras, spotlights, and microphones. An invitation to watch the filming a movie lands Claude a front row seat. Unfortunately, his inability to sit still shuts out the lead actor and actress. Will Claude and Sir Bobblysocks have what it takes to save the movie?

As always, Claude's zaniness leads to chuckles which turn to laughter with the continued absurdity of his antics. The ever endearing Claude, with his snazzy sweater and classy beret, help the young reader navigate from the picture book into the next reading level through bizarre and lighthearted fun.

I received a copy from the publisher to facilitate my original review on my blog, Boys To Books.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLAUDE ON THE BIG SCREEN features a dog named Claude and his best friend, which is a sock named Sir Bobblysock. The two of them do very important things in very important ways. As Claude is hanging his clothes up to dry, he spots a gorilla which is very out of the ordinary.

Claude and Sir Bobblysock decide to investigate and find themselves on a very glamorous movie set. There's a lot of fun to be had there with all of the cameras, lights, and wigs. It isn't long before Claude and Sir Bobblysock become the new stars of the movie.

This is a very silly book for children. The illustrations pop off the page and Claude and Sir Bobblysock bring a lot of humor into the plot. There aren't any morals or lessons to learn, but this is the perfect story for those children who like something out of the box and funny.


Final Verdict: This book was definitely written to entertain children, so it's perfect for those who like dogs and silly stories.

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read and thoroughly enjoyed Claude and The Big Screen, I couldn’t help but think what a great opportunity so many parents are missing! Often, once a child can read on their own, grown ups think they are no longer needed to read to their child. This can be a bit of a relief for the adult (been there), and can even allow the parent to do some of their own reading (!), but it can also cause them to miss a great opportunity! Reading a book like this can be such a fun experience, allowing grown-up and child to bond with literary laughs. Independent reading is a HUGE milestone for a child, and grownups should absolutely allow them time and space to read on their own. But also look for opportunities like this book to continue to grow your child as a reader and continue to share a rewarding reading experience with them. Some books beg to be read aloud and shared, this is one of them. Enjoy!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claude and Sir Bobblysock wander outside and straight into a movie set. Claude and Sir Bobblysock try to be helpful but the line of washing Claude stuck in his beret keeps sneaking out and wreaking havoc.

My favorite scene in this one was the after shot of Claude's makeup job for the actors. So funny. The movie being made is a version of King Kong, and Claude's owners prove themselves the most unflappable people in England with their response to the gorilla at the end. Kids should love Claude and Sir Bobblysock's adventures on set. There's a little bit of information about what goes into a movie shoot to be picked up along the way. And see if kids can pick up on the foreshadowing about what's going to happen. (It is pretty obvious foreshadowing, so this would also be a good book to teach about that.)

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When his owners go out for the day, Claude and his friend Sir Bobblysock go out for an adventure. Today they discover a movie being filmed right on Waggy Ave. They quickly involve themselves in helping make the movie by helping the actors get ready and when a disaster strikes and the lead actors can’t film, Claude and Sir Bobblysock are ready to step in and become movie stars.

This humorous illustrated beginning chapter book series is funny in a very British sort of way. I think the American audience will get most of it, if not they will just enjoy that the main characters are a dog and his sock and that they have these secret adventures that their owners no nothing about. I would recommend this book for purchase by any public library.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[BrocheAroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Claude adventure! Claude and his best friend, Sir Bobblysock, are always so cheerful and inventive, no problem puts them down for long. Even a problem as big as a scared gorilla movie star stuck on top of a building. Claude and Sir B. to the rescue! The imaginative language and illustrations are not to be missed. This is a favorite series of mine for the constant play on words and all the little story details included in the illustrations.

[blueisthenewpink · Rating 5 out of 5]

A csillagozást megbeszéltem a mindjárt hétévessel. Ez volt az első Claude, amit külön olvastunk (mikor lett ilyen nagy?). Még mindig nagyon szeretjük mindketten. Remek humorú sorozat, és rendszeresen megnézem, ki ez a szuper fordító*, aki például ilyeneket tud, hogy Spoil Ervin, a rendező. A házak feliratait is érdemes böngészni az egyik képen, azok is jól sikerültek! A kölök épp a következőt olvassa.

*Totth Benedek az #namethetranslator

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A British short chapter book interspersed with illustrations for kids. It was ridiculous and funny. It had a UK flavor which i love. Claude a dog stores many things in his beret. His best friend is a sock. They end up in the middle of a movie being filmed. Claude and his sock friend get to stand in for the stars and Claude saves the day! When he gets home Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes, his owners, think he sleeps all day. LOL

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claude finds himself on the set of a rather dramatic movie production in this addition to the Claude chapter book series. I love the expressive red, black, and white illustrations. I love the goofy details. I also love this for new readers who will delight in the illustrations, predictable beginning and end, and humorous plots. Another great addition to a wonderful series for new readers.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another installment in the “Claude” series sees Claude and Sir Bobblysock participating in the film industry. In a way, this story is custom made for Claude, a dog, and his sockly friend. It’s silly and imaginative and defines suspension of disbelief.

[Ashley Aolani Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claude is on yet another humorous adventure with his trusty friend Sir Bobblysock. This book was very fun and unique. I loved everything from the funny costumes and wigs Claude gets to wear and his clumsiness which leads to interesting results.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be my least favorite "Claude" book. The story was very odd and there was alot of actress cleavage in this book. One of the character names was Miss Melons (with huge boobs)...so I felt like it was a little inappropriate for the target age audience.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So random, but I love Claude. Odd sense of humor, and definitely quirky, but if you’re into it, you’ll love it!

[Abigail Randall]

L

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read by my 7-year old daughter.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kinda liked the first Claude book I read, but the ones I've read since then I haven't enjoyed as much. While Claude and his friend Bobblysock are enjoyable enough, the story here made me role my eyes at the stereotypes. The gorgeous blonde heroine who can't help but show her cleavage helplessly waits for the handsome, foolish hero to come rescue her from the big, dark, dangerous gorilla. Claude's clumsy attempts to help the show and the impending disaster that the reader senses is coming are the only things that save the book from being downright boring. That's not to say the book isn't going to find readers. Some young readers might enjoy the silliness enough to put up with the foolishness. Readers who've enjoyed the other Claude books will probably enjoy it. But I found myself rolling my eyes throughout.

[Leilah Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a very important group of authors whose work sits perfectly for emerging readers – that is, children who are ready to progress from something more challenging than your average picture book, but are in danger of being overwhelmed by longer-form text – and Alex T. Smith is a superhero amongst them.

Claude is a small, plump dog. A wearer of snazzy sweaters, and jaunty red berets. Accompanied by Sir Bobblysock, (a sock that is bobbly), he embarks on marvellously madcap adventures in his books, and Lights! Camera! Action! is no exception. Zany it may be, but it is the multiple layers of clever zaniness that make these books so enjoyable. First read through, you’re laughing at the words. Second read through, it’s the brilliantly drawn expressions alongside the words that tickle you. Third, it’s the details in the pictures – the contents of a washing line, a shop sign pun, a particularly expressive moustache… The text is, for the most part, laid out plainly so that it is very easy to finger-follow, and the limited colour palate means that the words are not fighting for attention with the pictures on the page. It’s a perfectly balanced book concerning funny bone-wibbling silliness. Clever. Very clever indeed…

He’s an author well-deserving of his numerous awards and accolades. So, superhero, yes: I imagine Alex T. Smith typing and scribbling away, pants resolutely on the outside as he crafted this adventure. And I’m hoping there’ll be many more!

[Angela Groves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is okay. I mean, it's just a silly book. Kids of a certain age will love it's complete daftness. It is in that awkward category of too old for a lot of kids, and too young for a lot of kids. The illustrations are fun and colourful, and there are a couple of things adults may find funny if reading with kids and have minds that err on the side of naughty (titivating buns and lovely pears anyone? No? Maybe just me.)

Overall it just silly kid fun. There is no real morals or teaching for your kids here, just entertainment. If that's all you want in a kids book, and your kids are 6/7/8ish, I'd recommend it. Of you want something with a little more substance for your children, probably skip it.

[Maggie Hesseling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly funny and highly entertaining. Claude is at it again with his best friend Sir Bobblysock. This time to the set of a film. I read it to a couple children today and we all had a great time. Smith's books really do delight, especially their illustrations (The wigs in this story are really not to miss!) Great for any age, but especially for children between 5 and 8.

[bermudianabroad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine for that awkward 5-8 age range. Silly with a dash of adult humour. Dog's partner in crime is a sock with a knighthood. How hip is that? Sock is definitely the best character I've come across in a while.