Herra Gummi ja salapiilo

Mr Gum #8

by Andy Stanton, Jaana Kapari-Jatta (Translator)

Mitä ihmettä? Lamonen-Pulissa on tapahtunut jotain todella merkillistä. Kaupungin katoilla istuu puhuvia papukaijoja, kadulla kasvaa jättimäinen kaktus, ja ilmassa hyörii niin ilkeitä hyttysiä, etteivät niiden kaveritkaan tykkää niistä. Ja minne pilvet ovat taivaalta kadonneet?
Polly ja Perjantai OVela perustavat Pilvien ja jogurttien osaston selvittääkseen, miten pilvet saadaan palaamaan takaisin. Mutta mitä kummaa, kaupungin pahimpia lurjuksia, herra Gummia ja lihakauppias Villle Viljami kolmattakaan ei näy mailla halmeilla!

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Humor

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Andy Stanton lives in North London. He studied English at Oxford but they kicked him out. He has been a film script reader, a cartoonist, an NHS lackey and lots of other things. He has many interests, but best of all he likes cartoons, books and music (even jazz).

One day he’d like to live in New York or Berlin or one of those places because he’s got fantasies of bohemia. His favourite expression is ‘Good evening’ and his favourite word is ‘captain’. Andy has now written more than one book, but less than twenty.

-from publisher's website at http://www.mrgum.co.uk/author/

Reviews

[Laura Hollywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout by Andy Stanton is quite simply one of the funniest children’s books I’ve ever read! Mr Gum is a wonderfully mean character who, along with his equally evil and rather stupid side kick Billy, decides to hatch a plan to exact revenge on the town of Lamonic Bibber. As the title suggests Mr. Gum and Billy find a secret hideout where Billy shovels rotting meat and animal parts into a giant furnace to exact their revenge, and it is well worth the wait!

I loved this book because it really was laugh out loud funny! The characters are great with Polly and Friday being an unlikely pair of heroes and the hilarious Surprising Ben. The word play is just so clever and Andy Stanton really seems to be in a league of his own with this series. Simply a must read!

[Tom Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great final book in a really good series. My 5 year old has loved it and I've really enjoyed it too (even though I had started to tire of them, reading all eight back-to-back!). Lots of fun characters, wacky jokes, post-modernist humour and wild adventures.

[Birgit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Für meinen Geschmack zu gewollt verrückt. Schwer vorstellbar, dass dieses Buch bei Kindern gut ankommt. Immerhin wir der Hörbuchsprecher Harry Rowohlt sehr gut :-)

[Jelka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember really liking the first three (?) Mr Gum books I read. However, this one was boring and not funny.


Possible reasons why I was disappointed by this book:

a) my sense of humor has changed since reading the first three Mr Gum books many years ago
b) this book is not as funny/ good as the first few
c) all of the Mr Gum books simply aren't funny and my sense of humor has changed for the better


Narration by Harry Rowohlt is still good though.

[Séan Brazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funty, epic, exciting, red bearded.

[Mark Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can’t help loving these books. Totally irreverent humour start to finish. Like a kids’ version of a Robert Rankin.

But it is the wordplay that wins hands down every time. If you’re going to read a Mr Gum book, read it out loud. You must, you really must. My voice choices for the characters are (might help, might not):

Polly - squeaky, broad cockney (think Del Boy trotter sucking a helium balloon)
Friday - broad Irish
Alan Taylor - public school master Received Pronunciation
Billy - generic bad guy thug voice
Mr Gum - The Hitcher from Mighty Boosh

A little word of warning for this particular story: there are gratuitous scenes of raw meat and offal abuse which are a tad graphic and likely to offend vegetarians.

More importantly, though… does the ending of this novel spell the end of Mr Gum?
The first ending, I mean, not one of the other, later endings.

[Chris Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but this is my first dip into Mr Gum's world. After hearing so much about these books, especially on my visits to schools, I thought it was about time I took the plunge. And how delighted I am! This was so much fun and I raced along on this crazy adventure, with all the completely bonkers characters. I will definitely be visiting Mr Gum again very soon.

[Hamza Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not as much entertaining as the rest of Mr. Gum series. Still I always enjoy reading about Mr. Gum's antics.

[aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wieder einmal ein witziges Buch das eigentlich überhaupt keinen Sinn ergibt, trotzdem aber sehr unterhaltsam ist.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read to my son every night but this book is so funny we did more laughing then sleeping 😂
He loved it will definitely be getting more to read to him 😝

[Novelle Novels · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 stars
As an adult reading this my rating was hard as I’m definitely not the target audience.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

More disgusting than usual.

[Charlie Harker]

Don't know why the title is in German but I can't find it in English ?

[Shoban Chittuprolu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

[Yeji · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️

[Lavinia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polly and Friday and their little pal Alan Taylor are back to adventures again, but this one is much worst than any others they have completed. Clouds are falling out of the sky, and all sorts of crazy and bazaar ideas are popping everywhere. But can the Department of Clouds and Yoghurts save the amazing but cruel day?

This adventure is basically up to Old Granny's hobby of swift sips and crafty guzzles of sherry and Billy William the Third and Mr Gum's way of meat.

This book was great, and I am sad to say that it is the end of the Mr Gum series. You have to read them again and again, but then you know what is to happen and knowing what is to happen happens to happen worse.

Andy Stanton may well be my favourite author, and that David guy as my favourite illustrator, but these books might just be TOO GOOD to actually like!*


*I'm saying that this is a marvellous book, not a horrible one.

[Farhana Faruq · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up to read to the children because the cover looked so crazy. I wasn't expecting it to have me laughing through the whole thing.

It's probably not the most interesting story, nor is the grammar what you'd like early readers going through, but it was SO funny!

I think it's the perfect book to read out loud!

The illustrations are awesome, love the style. It reminds me a lot of Quentin Blake's illustrations (in Roald Dahl's books).

Look forward to reading other weird things Mr. Gum is up to.

[Mark Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

More madness... some of it probably past its sell-by date. The first book of these I read with Celyn was probably 3.5* and this one's closer to 2.5*. We didn't laugh so often or so loud, or at all for large parts. Characters who were fresh and surprising for much of book 1 have become less so by this stage.

It's not a bad book. Our money wasn't wasted. I don't think we'll pay to play with Mr Gum again though. Time for reading pastures new.

[Silverwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!!! The most random series in the world and Andy has gone and made another one - and ths one was as funny and entertaining as a squirrel doig cartwheels. Love it!!!

[Agentb721 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good and interesting. I would recommend it.

[Nipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was rolling round on the floor afterwoods

[Riverina Regional Library]

Members of Riverina Regional Library reserve your copy now

[Sonia Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such great story for boys - my 9 year old & his parents thoroughly enjoyed reading this - it's hilarious!

[Shabnam Sheikhha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this one much cuz it wasn't really funny...it tried to be but it was miserably failing at making me laugh!but still the story wasn't bad...

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very funny! I wad bursting with laughter and I enjoyed this book very much. My favourite part is were Friday dressed up as Elizabeth.

[Tacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

We laughed all throughout this one! The duo of baddies are polluting Lamonic Bibber and contaminating Old Granny,'s beloved sherry, and must be stopped by the heroes.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn’t like the guts and disgusting things

[Anna Liapi]

imagenitive good book