Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster!: The funniest book you'll read this Easter!

Grimwood #3

by Nadia Shireen

Venture back to Grimwood in the wildly funny third book in Nadia Shireen's bestselling and brilliantly anarchic illustrated comedy-adventure series.

A Bigfoot is on the loose! Ted, Nancy, Willow and the rest of the Grimwood gang must embark on their greatest adventure yet to save their home from a nasty, thieving stink monster. Monster hunters are GO!

Fully illustrated throughout and full of heart, laughs and surprises, this is the must-read third title in the bestselling and fantastically funny Grimwood series.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2023

About the author

Nadia was always destined for a career in illustration—as a child, she would doodle on her exercise books, while as a student she would doodle on her law degree notes. Then, when working as a journalist in London for pop music bible Smash Hits, she would doodle all the time on anything. The good people at Smash Hits didn’t fire her for doodling furry animals - instead they let her leave early to go to evening classes in illustration.

This was followed by a MA at the prestigious Anglia Ruskin University. Drawing and writing for a living is very much Nadia’s dream come true and we expect great things from this promising new author and illustrator.

source: http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk/illu...

Reviews

[Tom Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mental.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimwood #3, then, and we've seen the very strong opener to this series, and the fun-but-inessential-seeming first sequel. This time round, the wacky game of Treebonk has to be put on the back burner, for there are far more interesting things to happen. There will be a calamitous wedding – as you'd expect with the bride and groom being squirrels called Romeo and Juliet. There will be a spread of mahoosive footprints and a stinky stench that makes everyone think a monster is on the prowl. And the whole place, a place beset with the wackiest of wacky dreams, will have to get involved in Nancy's private space, from where she dare not speak her worries about her and her brother's missing parents. For her dreams are wackiest of all…

Well, second to the author's. The mind itself shudders at what goes on in her mind, considering what ends up on the page. And it was almost too much for me, in that what we got for the greater part was too odd-ball, too wacky, and too unhinged, before the ball finally became even and the hinge got replaced. Yes, there was a clear spot you reached almost marked in neon "the proper story starts here", with so much that had gone before seemingly throw-away. There was a lot of the overtly daffy, definitely getting half a shoe over the line that should not be crossed, into the world of the bonkers-because-it's-allegedly-fun, instead of the bonkers-yet-it-actually-makes-sense. At times here I thought this series and I were done.

But then the jackpot is struck, the hat-trick is achieved, the this is thatted and you can guess the rest. I found there was just enough here to remind me that these are fun reads, and the inventiveness has always sailed close to the wind of nut-jobbery. Sailed close – and still provided us with a surprisingly heart-warming look at Family, in that voice Mark Kermode puts on just to say that one word. This isn't about a bakery-obsessed deer, and it gets by pretty much without squirrels bouncing off trees pinball fashion 'til they land. It's about our two lonely fox siblings and why they actually are alone. Which can make the panoply of critter characters a bit confusing and annoying, but which has just enough to make one want to return to this cockamamie world. Four stars might seem slightly generous, but it's an indication of the series as a whole. So far – I mean, it might go utterly padded-walls wacko next time round...

[Liz H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster! is a wildly entertaining adventure packed with humor, heart, and wonderfully chaotic fun.

Nadia Shireen once again brings the quirky residents of Grimwood to life through sharp comedy, fast-paced storytelling, and unforgettable characters. As Ted, Nancy, Willow, and their friends set out to uncover the mystery behind a troublesome stink monster, readers are treated to a nonstop stream of laughs, surprises, and imaginative adventures. The lively illustrations and energetic narrative make the story especially accessible and engaging for young readers.

Overall, it’s a valuable read for fans of humorous middle grade fiction, illustrated novels, adventure stories, animal characters, friendship-driven narratives, reluctant-reader favorites, classroom libraries, and readers who enjoy quirky worlds filled with laughter, excitement, and unforgettable characters.

[Claire Smith-Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is our first time reading any of the grimwood series but it won't be the last. Centered around the animal community of Grimwood it has plenty of variety in creatures and therefore voices you can do when reading out loud.

Following Nancy and Ted the two fox siblings orphans, Nancy is trying to find roots and make sense of their past and how they ended up her, whilst Ted is having fun and trying not to get embroiled in his best friend Willow, the bunny’s, madcap schemes. When disaster strikes and a Bigfoot stink monster is spotted, the whole community is on edge.

The writing is fun and easy to get into. Oh my god the wedding! I did not foresee that.

Overall great fun and enjoyable for my 7 year and myself reading together at bed time. We'll explore the first two books next.

[The Bauchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wackiness of the first two books is less evident here and centres on relationships. Initially this was a disappointment to me, and my daughter, and we wanted to give it a 3* but after thinking and talking about it we decided it was a 5*, just a different sort of 5*

There is the now traditional unexpected and sudden death which if you are reading it as a bedtime book will leave you quite disconcerted.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lots of fun! Loved the adventure through the forest and the slight nods to horror films (I see you Jason!). All the references to everything else and the laughter this brought me - such a fun read for my bus journey! The illustrations brought me lots of joy too!!

[Tami Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking read and brilliant addition to the series! Bring on more Grimwood adventures!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Wyeth and this was 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 out of ten.

[Xanthe Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grimwood is the best for reading aloud for bedtime story! Literally crying with laughter & so many fun voices to do. We absolutely love this series!

[Umar Timol · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really funny and silly and it had a happy family ending

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het volgende boek in de serie en dan lees ik hem wel in het Nederlands als de bieb deze wel eindelijk heeft! Ik vond het net iets minder dan het vorige boek. Dat kwam voornamelijk door Nikkie (ik vind haar nog steeds niet een tof karakter), maar ook door Pamela. Ik snap dat het natuur is, maar was dat nou echt nodig?
Verder vond ik het wel leuk met dat mysterieuze beest en wie dat uiteindelijk bleek te zijn. We ontmoeten veel dieren van het bos. Ik wil die bibliotheek bezoeken. Ik vond het leuk om die narrator te zien. En de illustraties waren ook enorm tof!

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pamela is such an icon, I love her

I loved that the reunion did not go smoothly. No more perfect families in kids books, real children have complex emotions they dont really understand, and so do the fox twins.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss 9 enjoyed reading the first book on librarian's recommendation and quickly read the whole series :)