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The Great Dream Robbery
A brand-new adventure beyond your wildest dreams, from the bestselling authors of KID NORMAL.
Unlike most 12 year-olds, Maya Clayton is desperate to go to bed early. Falling asleep is the only chance she has to save her dad - the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter.
The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late!
Maya will face a dangerous journey and some difficult choices. But sometimes all you need is a dream . . . and a bit of courage.
Featuring a hospital heist, some banana-loving llamas and a talking cat called Bin Bag, this is one mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from.
Unlike most 12 year-olds, Maya Clayton is desperate to go to bed early. Falling asleep is the only chance she has to save her dad - the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter.
The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late!
Maya will face a dangerous journey and some difficult choices. But sometimes all you need is a dream . . . and a bit of courage.
Featuring a hospital heist, some banana-loving llamas and a talking cat called Bin Bag, this is one mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from.
397 pages, Hardcover
Published September 16, 2021
29 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 20, 2024
A really nice concept going in and out of people dreams and I thought the illustrations were really fun, I enjoyed maybe the first 100 pages but after that it got repetitive. Breaking the fourth wall was a choice too and although I don't think it was a particularly bad one it happened way too many times.
There was so much filler in this book, I don't know why they didn't just make it shorter rather than trying to stretch everything out to an inch of it's life. Having said that there were some funny moments and decent jokes and I think most kids would enjoy this book.
All of the characters were enjoyable enough but not very memorable there wasn't any real development, and yes I know this is a middle grade book but I have read plenty with character development. For me this was a below average middle grade book with a lot of issues but at it's heart a cute story.
There was so much filler in this book, I don't know why they didn't just make it shorter rather than trying to stretch everything out to an inch of it's life. Having said that there were some funny moments and decent jokes and I think most kids would enjoy this book.
All of the characters were enjoyable enough but not very memorable there wasn't any real development, and yes I know this is a middle grade book but I have read plenty with character development. For me this was a below average middle grade book with a lot of issues but at it's heart a cute story.
December 23, 2021
Wow! What a story! This was so much fun! Unlike most 12 year-olds, Maya Clayton is desperate to go to bed early. Falling asleep is the only chance she has to save her dad - the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter. The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare & Maya & the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late! Maya will face a dangerous journey & some difficult choices. This is another 1 that IMO would make a terrific read aloud with kids. It’s full of family, friendship, imagination, facing your fears instead of running from them, & even a heist or 2 , & maybe a dramatic, singing, dancing, self loving unicorn. lol The characters are just phenomenal! Maya is a great MC, & the friendship she forms with Bea & Teddy is so wonderful. They make an amazing team. The humor is on point lol so good. The narrator talks to you, & even the “publisher” in way steps in at 1 point to move things along lol you have to read it. This is good vs evil in the most fun, silliest, adventurous form. There’s a dastardly plot, & a very over the top villain. The whole dream idea, & everything that goes with it were so interesting & I loved it. Such an imaginative read that shows the importance of imagination-all of it. We can also learn from the bad parts, not just the good. I had so much fun with these lovable characters, & I’m not sure if there will be, but I hope there’s more to come! Did I mention the talking cat?! Along with the beautiful cover front & back, beautiful naked hardcover, you also have almost every page filled with amazing illustrations. Amy Nguyen did a stunning job illustrating this book. Highly recommend!💜
January 1, 2022
I love Greg James, and I like a good children’s book, so had high expectations for this book. I guess I just can’t get away from the sad truth, this book is aimed at kids, and I am not one, I mean I am at heart, and I like children’s books, a lot, goosebumps, Winnie the Pooh, etc. However some of the silliness, and humour in this book, was lost on me. The overall plot and characters I liked, the idea of going into other people’s dreams. But the book is so loooong, due to long winded descriptions, and constant sections of ‘breaking the fourth wall’ where the authors speak to the reader. I can see how this (fourth wall stuff) might be fun for a child but to me it just felt self indulgent and took away from the plot. So, it’s not bad, I liked the cover, but I could do without all the extras, found myself skimming through them by the end. I need to get over it, I ain’t a kid, and I still love Greg James
December 21, 2021
Dreams, tons of imagination, a big heist, and a unicorn who loves show tunes!
I was so so SO excited when I saw a new book appear by these two authors. I loved their Kid Normal series and I was hoping they would get together again to make a new book. And this book was just so so so much fun. I laughed, I snickered, I used my imagination (unlike what the kids say, adults can have imagination), I cheered.
I am a tad tired and still have a few other things to write so I am going to make a list review with all I loved. Normally this list would also contain a not so good part, but I just don’t have any complaints. XD
😍 Loved Maya. She was imaginative, strong, brave, and she is not afraid to kick some serious butt! I loved how creative she was and would have definitely liked to see some of her scribbles appear in the book. At times I just wanted to give her a big hug because there is a lot going on in the book. Her dad is missing, her mom is sad. That is terrible, but finding out that your dad’s boss just kind of did that to him? Ouch. So hugs I wanted to give.
😍 Teddy and Bea were such terrific characters. Love how they are twins but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. Bea is rational, calm, smart. Teddy is like the Cheshire Cat. I had to get used to Teddy a bit but after a while I just really liked the guy. He was so funny and his plans were wild but also great.
😍 I love that the machine was called CHEESE. OK, it also brought forth some hunger pangs because I love love cheese.
😍 Love that one can now enter dreams and later we can do even more with the machine. It was just so much fun. I wouldn’t mind visiting some dreams. Mine haven’t been the best lately what with my mental health being crap, so I wouldn’t mind visiting one with more happiness and calmness. I love that you can use your imagination in the dreams to make awesome things happen. And then later with what happens with the dream machine and what it can do? I just wanted to pop in the book and imagine some fantastic things. Food, unicorns, some big giant fluffy hamsters, a big block of cheese, a flock of cute sheep to transport me to places. I could go on. I want one of these machines.
😍 Loved the plans the kids had and loved that they all did it in dinky old van with a mattress on top. Loved that the van was electric and had a laugh at how they had to divide the energy between driving or the lab in the book.
😍 The illustrations! So wonderful. They fitted so well and I love love their style.
😍 The fourth wall being broken! I just love it when books do that and I was already looking forward to seeing it happen in this book. They also did it in their Kid Normal book, so I knew I would be in for a treat in this book.
😍 The villain was great, I couldn’t even really dislike her. In fact I mostly just felt sorry for her. I knew that underneath all that anger was a tired woman who just wanted to freaking sleep for once but thanks to nightmares and dad she wasn’t able to. So I was looking forward to seeing her change, see her understand. But before that we get some great parts in which she is a wonderful villain. Evil, mean, and shouty.
😍 The heist was a wonderful plan and I had a laugh at what more the plan involved. Because it wasn’t just figuring out how to get dad back, but also some other details. I can only say this, MOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
😍 I loved the later part of the book with them breaking into the dream lab! That was just so much fun to read and see what these kids get up to! Lots of imagination and tons of laughter from my side.
😍 Unicorn that loves showtunes? Um, YES. YES. YES.
😍 The ending was just perfection! I loved every bit of it.
I could probably talk more and more about this book but I will just say that everyone will need to read this one! It is fun. Hilarious. Imaginative. Dream-filled.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was so so SO excited when I saw a new book appear by these two authors. I loved their Kid Normal series and I was hoping they would get together again to make a new book. And this book was just so so so much fun. I laughed, I snickered, I used my imagination (unlike what the kids say, adults can have imagination), I cheered.
I am a tad tired and still have a few other things to write so I am going to make a list review with all I loved. Normally this list would also contain a not so good part, but I just don’t have any complaints. XD
😍 Loved Maya. She was imaginative, strong, brave, and she is not afraid to kick some serious butt! I loved how creative she was and would have definitely liked to see some of her scribbles appear in the book. At times I just wanted to give her a big hug because there is a lot going on in the book. Her dad is missing, her mom is sad. That is terrible, but finding out that your dad’s boss just kind of did that to him? Ouch. So hugs I wanted to give.
😍 Teddy and Bea were such terrific characters. Love how they are twins but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. Bea is rational, calm, smart. Teddy is like the Cheshire Cat. I had to get used to Teddy a bit but after a while I just really liked the guy. He was so funny and his plans were wild but also great.
😍 I love that the machine was called CHEESE. OK, it also brought forth some hunger pangs because I love love cheese.
😍 Love that one can now enter dreams and later we can do even more with the machine. It was just so much fun. I wouldn’t mind visiting some dreams. Mine haven’t been the best lately what with my mental health being crap, so I wouldn’t mind visiting one with more happiness and calmness. I love that you can use your imagination in the dreams to make awesome things happen. And then later with what happens with the dream machine and what it can do? I just wanted to pop in the book and imagine some fantastic things. Food, unicorns, some big giant fluffy hamsters, a big block of cheese, a flock of cute sheep to transport me to places. I could go on. I want one of these machines.
😍 Loved the plans the kids had and loved that they all did it in dinky old van with a mattress on top. Loved that the van was electric and had a laugh at how they had to divide the energy between driving or the lab in the book.
😍 The illustrations! So wonderful. They fitted so well and I love love their style.
😍 The fourth wall being broken! I just love it when books do that and I was already looking forward to seeing it happen in this book. They also did it in their Kid Normal book, so I knew I would be in for a treat in this book.
😍 The villain was great, I couldn’t even really dislike her. In fact I mostly just felt sorry for her. I knew that underneath all that anger was a tired woman who just wanted to freaking sleep for once but thanks to nightmares and dad she wasn’t able to. So I was looking forward to seeing her change, see her understand. But before that we get some great parts in which she is a wonderful villain. Evil, mean, and shouty.
😍 The heist was a wonderful plan and I had a laugh at what more the plan involved. Because it wasn’t just figuring out how to get dad back, but also some other details. I can only say this, MOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
😍 I loved the later part of the book with them breaking into the dream lab! That was just so much fun to read and see what these kids get up to! Lots of imagination and tons of laughter from my side.
😍 Unicorn that loves showtunes? Um, YES. YES. YES.
😍 The ending was just perfection! I loved every bit of it.
I could probably talk more and more about this book but I will just say that everyone will need to read this one! It is fun. Hilarious. Imaginative. Dream-filled.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
March 12, 2024
A fresh and original concept, or at least one I have never met before. But I didn't feel the need to read it through to the end. The flippancy is overdone.
The scene where the heroine goes into the dream to find her father is over far too quickly. This is, after all, her first venture into someone else's dream and more should be made of it. Tradition holds that such a quest should consist of three challenges: a test of courage, a battle of wits and a test of heart. Only the test of courage is present here.
The scene where the heroine goes into the dream to find her father is over far too quickly. This is, after all, her first venture into someone else's dream and more should be made of it. Tradition holds that such a quest should consist of three challenges: a test of courage, a battle of wits and a test of heart. Only the test of courage is present here.
August 7, 2022
I liked the plot for this one but my god did I find the writing irritating
September 19, 2021
When twelve-year-old Maya Clayton’s sleep expert father invented a special device that allows you to slip into other people’s dreams he was excited at the prospect of discovering more about the human imagination. What he did not plan was for his villainous boss of Somnia Incorporated, Lilith Delamere, to trap him in a nightmare from which he cannot escape.
Maya isn’t the only one who needs to stop Lilith, siblings Teddy and Bea have uncovered a terrible plot that involves their mum. It is time to assemble the Dream Bandits. But can they take down Lilith, shake-off General Pheare, defeat a crack squad of security goons, stop the dastardly plan and bring Professor Dexter back…
This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith, the duo behind the brilliant Kid Normal series. There latest book, The Great Dream Robbery, is part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun.
The whole thing revels in silliness and prides itself on being utterly bizarre and riotously outlandish, no-one does story-telling this ridiculous better than James and Smith. Along with the non-stop story, there are zany fonts, ridiculous songs, appearances from the Chief Puffin - head of Puffin Books, made-up words, authors directly addressing the reader and encouraging them to read certain parts aloud and black and white illustrations all adding to the fun. The story may be about dreams and sleeping but there’s not a chance that kids will be falling to sleep whilst reading this, expect laughs and giggles long past bedtime.
Hilarious hijinks are in abundance as the three plucky kids, who are desperate to save their parents, dash in out of dreams, carry out daring hospital heists, encounter banana loving llamas and let their imaginations run wild in an epic battle finale complete with Phantasma Plasma, a breakdancing, beatboxing unicorn named Donald, line-dancing robots and a lot of custard. In amongst the madness there are subtle nods to facing up to fear, tackling things head on and putting demons to bed.
Honestly, I could sleep for days and not dream up anything nearly half as good as this. Brilliantly bonkers, wonderfully wacky and the kind of read that many children will thoroughly enjoy getting lost in!
Recommended for 8+.
With thanks to Greg James, Chris Smith and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy that was received via NetGalley.
Maya isn’t the only one who needs to stop Lilith, siblings Teddy and Bea have uncovered a terrible plot that involves their mum. It is time to assemble the Dream Bandits. But can they take down Lilith, shake-off General Pheare, defeat a crack squad of security goons, stop the dastardly plan and bring Professor Dexter back…
This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith, the duo behind the brilliant Kid Normal series. There latest book, The Great Dream Robbery, is part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun.
The whole thing revels in silliness and prides itself on being utterly bizarre and riotously outlandish, no-one does story-telling this ridiculous better than James and Smith. Along with the non-stop story, there are zany fonts, ridiculous songs, appearances from the Chief Puffin - head of Puffin Books, made-up words, authors directly addressing the reader and encouraging them to read certain parts aloud and black and white illustrations all adding to the fun. The story may be about dreams and sleeping but there’s not a chance that kids will be falling to sleep whilst reading this, expect laughs and giggles long past bedtime.
Hilarious hijinks are in abundance as the three plucky kids, who are desperate to save their parents, dash in out of dreams, carry out daring hospital heists, encounter banana loving llamas and let their imaginations run wild in an epic battle finale complete with Phantasma Plasma, a breakdancing, beatboxing unicorn named Donald, line-dancing robots and a lot of custard. In amongst the madness there are subtle nods to facing up to fear, tackling things head on and putting demons to bed.
Honestly, I could sleep for days and not dream up anything nearly half as good as this. Brilliantly bonkers, wonderfully wacky and the kind of read that many children will thoroughly enjoy getting lost in!
Recommended for 8+.
With thanks to Greg James, Chris Smith and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy that was received via NetGalley.
January 18, 2024
A wacky, completely bonkers, story about kids who can travel through Dreams.
Given this is a story about traveling through dreams it is natural to say there adventures are bizarre, fun, and absurd. There are llamas who like bananas, a talking, show tune loving, sassy unicorn, a talking cat, clown cars, and a machine called cheese.
We listened to this as an audio book and the narrators (the authors) were fantastic bringing the story alive.
We thoroughly enjoyed the book and all of us giggled at the jokes, puns, and ridiculous situations.
Given this is a story about traveling through dreams it is natural to say there adventures are bizarre, fun, and absurd. There are llamas who like bananas, a talking, show tune loving, sassy unicorn, a talking cat, clown cars, and a machine called cheese.
We listened to this as an audio book and the narrators (the authors) were fantastic bringing the story alive.
We thoroughly enjoyed the book and all of us giggled at the jokes, puns, and ridiculous situations.
April 7, 2022
Maya misses her Dad. They used to spend hours and hours together in his wooden shed in the back garden, imagining amazing things. Dad is a scientist - a sleep scientist you might say. He studies dreams and works for a company called Somnia.
But something went terribly wrong and Dad is in hospital, unable to wake up. His boss Lilith Delamere is paying all the expensive hospital bills, but Maya thinks there's something not quite right about the tall, dark haired lady who looks like she hasn't slept for months!
Maya loves to dream, both daydreaming (which gets her in trouble at school) and dreaming at night. When a boy from one of her dreams turns up in real life, she's really not sure what's going on. But he knows. His name is Teddy Flamewood and he and his sister are there to help Maya use her dreaming skills to put things right.
Teddy and Bea's Mum has also been caught up in something strange at Somnia Industries, and they want to know what. Together they become The Dream Bandits and put together an ingenious and totally bonkers plan to save their parents.
A hospital heist, rebuilding a complicated dream machine, achieving imaginative dream bending against Somnia security (with lots of cows), and stopping a dastardly plot to take over the world's dreams is totally unimaginable, until they achieve it - with their imaginations. Maya never thought her random dreams would save lives!
By the crazy creators of the hilarious and clever Kid Normal series, The Great Dream Robbery is even more imaginative - even using imagination to drive the plot. As always, the authors often stop to speak directly to the reader, whether to explain something, apologise for something or to just make us laugh.
The villain isn't as villainous as we first believe, leaving me actually feeling sorry for her - which is great in a slapstick book such as this. The 'science' is completely bonkers but funny and somehow even believable (sort of), as it flows one way then another, giving a completely unpredictable tale.
I loved the constant quips between Teddy and the others, which drove them nuts but made me giggle.
The conclusion was wonderfully frightening even though I knew exactly what they had to do. But how do you think straight facing something so horrifying?
Definitely worth a read for a laugh, and maybe even some really strange dreams afterwards.
But something went terribly wrong and Dad is in hospital, unable to wake up. His boss Lilith Delamere is paying all the expensive hospital bills, but Maya thinks there's something not quite right about the tall, dark haired lady who looks like she hasn't slept for months!
Maya loves to dream, both daydreaming (which gets her in trouble at school) and dreaming at night. When a boy from one of her dreams turns up in real life, she's really not sure what's going on. But he knows. His name is Teddy Flamewood and he and his sister are there to help Maya use her dreaming skills to put things right.
Teddy and Bea's Mum has also been caught up in something strange at Somnia Industries, and they want to know what. Together they become The Dream Bandits and put together an ingenious and totally bonkers plan to save their parents.
A hospital heist, rebuilding a complicated dream machine, achieving imaginative dream bending against Somnia security (with lots of cows), and stopping a dastardly plot to take over the world's dreams is totally unimaginable, until they achieve it - with their imaginations. Maya never thought her random dreams would save lives!
By the crazy creators of the hilarious and clever Kid Normal series, The Great Dream Robbery is even more imaginative - even using imagination to drive the plot. As always, the authors often stop to speak directly to the reader, whether to explain something, apologise for something or to just make us laugh.
The villain isn't as villainous as we first believe, leaving me actually feeling sorry for her - which is great in a slapstick book such as this. The 'science' is completely bonkers but funny and somehow even believable (sort of), as it flows one way then another, giving a completely unpredictable tale.
I loved the constant quips between Teddy and the others, which drove them nuts but made me giggle.
The conclusion was wonderfully frightening even though I knew exactly what they had to do. But how do you think straight facing something so horrifying?
Definitely worth a read for a laugh, and maybe even some really strange dreams afterwards.
July 4, 2025
Maya Clayton’s dad, a professor researching dreams, has been in a coma-like state in hospital for a while. Maya suspects that the company he works for is hiding something and may be involved in her dad’s worrying condition. In an attempt to understand what has happened, she teams up with Bea and Teddy, two teenagers slightly older than her, to form The Dream Bandits. The trio intend to use a dream machine in the back of Bea and Teddy’s dad’s mattress delivery van to find a way to rescue Maya’s father. Madness ensues as they try to wake Maya’s dad up and his colleagues seem to want to prevent the children from discovering the truth.
..
REVIEW: Obviously a more limited age group, in terms of intended readership, and I am nowhere near it, but this was still pretty good. The illustrations were great; they helped to break it up a bit. I wasn’t keen on the few times the authors “spoke“ directly to the reader, but the rest was creative and enjoyable for a light read. I can imagine many children getting into this story and it could be one that older age groups like if they struggle with reading or just want to read something simple.
..
REVIEW: Obviously a more limited age group, in terms of intended readership, and I am nowhere near it, but this was still pretty good. The illustrations were great; they helped to break it up a bit. I wasn’t keen on the few times the authors “spoke“ directly to the reader, but the rest was creative and enjoyable for a light read. I can imagine many children getting into this story and it could be one that older age groups like if they struggle with reading or just want to read something simple.
December 5, 2021
The plot and characters are well-drawn and developed, and the dream concept is inspired. Their is humour and pathos, brave adventuring and sneaky intriguing.
The only reason this isn't a 5 star is, for some unknown reason, it just didn't click for the small Shines (8 & 5) or myself. We just found we weren't fully engaged when reading it, and after the first few chapters they abandoned it altogether, suggesting I read it myself rather than out loud.
Again, there is no reason I can pinpoint in the book for this, so it must be us! I would still buy this, and others by these authors, as gifts for tweens/younger teens, especially those who enjoy David Baddiel and David Walliams.
The only reason this isn't a 5 star is, for some unknown reason, it just didn't click for the small Shines (8 & 5) or myself. We just found we weren't fully engaged when reading it, and after the first few chapters they abandoned it altogether, suggesting I read it myself rather than out loud.
Again, there is no reason I can pinpoint in the book for this, so it must be us! I would still buy this, and others by these authors, as gifts for tweens/younger teens, especially those who enjoy David Baddiel and David Walliams.
Read
December 11, 2021When Maya’s dad, the inventor an innovative dream machine becomes trapped in a dream at the hands of the evil CEO of Insomnia, Inc., it will take creativity and imagination to rescue him and save the world from villains with the power to control dreams.
In this wholly-unique mystery adventure for middle graders, Maya and her friends Teddy and Bea battle General Pheare, his slapstick security team and a sleep-deprived CEO who is desperate to end dreaming forever.
The Great Dream Robbery is a rollercoaster ride of circus-like fun that will stretch the imagination and prompt lots of giggles.
Full review coming soon in Armadillo Magazine!
In this wholly-unique mystery adventure for middle graders, Maya and her friends Teddy and Bea battle General Pheare, his slapstick security team and a sleep-deprived CEO who is desperate to end dreaming forever.
The Great Dream Robbery is a rollercoaster ride of circus-like fun that will stretch the imagination and prompt lots of giggles.
Full review coming soon in Armadillo Magazine!
February 12, 2022
The Great Dream Robbery was whimsical with an interesting plot and laugh-out-loud writing! The concept of exploring people's dreams was very fun to read about and the characters were realistic and likeable. The writing was the best part and really suited the story well. Overall this was a great middle grade read that I would really recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
May 3, 2022
have been reading this with Riley since the New Year and we have LOVED it! Fun, fantastical and laugh out loud – it has all a kid’s book needs to be a great bedtime adventure of a read.
Despite it being slightly longer than other books we have read previously, this one kept both of us interested and excited to read with a fab bunch of characters and a thrilling story line.
Highly recommend for those 8+ who will love this imagination fun-fest, as well as the parents reading with them!
Despite it being slightly longer than other books we have read previously, this one kept both of us interested and excited to read with a fab bunch of characters and a thrilling story line.
Highly recommend for those 8+ who will love this imagination fun-fest, as well as the parents reading with them!
November 21, 2021
A really fun read....I think reading this to kids would be great fun and/or listening to the audio book would be amazing, the next time I want to "read" it I'll definitely look to see if there is an audio version available.
It was quite fun to have the narrator speak you, the reader, directly throughout the book definitely added another layer of interaction with the story.
It was quite fun to have the narrator speak you, the reader, directly throughout the book definitely added another layer of interaction with the story.
January 23, 2022
The great dream robbery was such a fantastic read. The story was engaging, and I found myself smiling (and laughing out loud) on multiple occasions due to the humour. I loved the illustrations scattered throughout the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something fun, heartwarming and full of adventure.
February 22, 2022
Fijn boek dat de dochter kreeg voor haar verjaardag. Zij vindt het super voor het verhaal, ik voor de vele goed gevonden woordspelingen en beschrijvingen. Een boek gevuld met zinnen zoals "With a voice colder than a penguin's posterior", dat zou ik met plezier lezen zelfs als het verhaal stukken slechter was dan dit.
March 7, 2022
My daughter read and loved this book, and insisted that I read it also. It was my first book by these authors and I found it very entertaining and imaginative. Highly enjoyable escapist fun - recommended for readers of all ages.
With grateful thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Children's UK, Chris Smith and Greg James for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
With grateful thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Children's UK, Chris Smith and Greg James for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2025
I didn't find it to be funny, as the cover promised, but I did find this to be a very fun read. The illustrations are superb and so are all the text edits to make the story more immersive.
I was also intrigued by the frequent decision for the narrator to break the 4th wall, but it worked well in this scenario.
Altogether a very enjoyable read.
I was also intrigued by the frequent decision for the narrator to break the 4th wall, but it worked well in this scenario.
Altogether a very enjoyable read.
May 1, 2022
DNF al 70% CAWPILE: 2.43/10 - 2/5
Creo que por fin encontré el libro que me estaba causando mi bloqueo, este.
Sé que no soy el público para este libro, pero de verdad que no pude soportar la narrativa, la ciencia, personajes o todos los cliches.
Creo que por fin encontré el libro que me estaba causando mi bloqueo, este.
Sé que no soy el público para este libro, pero de verdad que no pude soportar la narrativa, la ciencia, personajes o todos los cliches.
January 13, 2024
Struggled to finish
The story really dragged on. Couldn't wait to be done with it.
There were a few parts that I found interesting and fun, but overall, I really struggled to find the book engaging.
The story really dragged on. Couldn't wait to be done with it.
There were a few parts that I found interesting and fun, but overall, I really struggled to find the book engaging.
February 25, 2025
I read this because my daughter LOVES it (5 stars from her). I did not like it (1 star from me), so I'm averaging this out as 3 stars as it's my Goodreads account. But let's be honest, this was written for kids, so I'd recommend it for kids.
June 6, 2025
Started and finished date - 01.06.25 to 03.06.25.
My rating - Three Stars.
I like is book but I didn't love it and I think people who like the creakers by tom fletcher may like is book. The cover of book was okay. The writing was it was easy to follow and the ending of book was okay also the atmosphere was fine but bit bland. I like the illustrations in the book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced. The characters was okay and they need flash out bit more.
My rating - Three Stars.
I like is book but I didn't love it and I think people who like the creakers by tom fletcher may like is book. The cover of book was okay. The writing was it was easy to follow and the ending of book was okay also the atmosphere was fine but bit bland. I like the illustrations in the book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced. The characters was okay and they need flash out bit more.
July 20, 2025
I read this to my children (girl 10 & boy12), and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was loud and fun and, at times, interactive. I only rate it 4 stars, though, because it felt a little repetitive in some spots, but overall, it was a very fun read. I definitely recommend it.
September 30, 2021
Read & reviewed for The Bookbag http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/T...
October 25, 2021
Solid caper with fully fleshed-out characters, silliness, authorial involvement and some moralistic messages too. A good step after the Kid Normal adventures.
January 2, 2022
3.5
This was a lovely middle grade that focuses on facing your fears and embracing every corner of your imagination.
The main antagonist really just needed some emotional support or therapy.
This was a lovely middle grade that focuses on facing your fears and embracing every corner of your imagination.
The main antagonist really just needed some emotional support or therapy.
January 6, 2022
Loved reading this with the kids.
January 11, 2022
3.75 stars. Fun adventure with lovely ideas in it - a very significant question (WHAT IF?) and the importance of facing one's fears, otherwise we go in circles!
January 27, 2022
Fantastically Imaginative
This book was great from start to finish. Very funny and exciting read (both for an 8yr old and a slightly, ok much, older parent 😂)
This book was great from start to finish. Very funny and exciting read (both for an 8yr old and a slightly, ok much, older parent 😂)
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