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Bottersnikes and Gumbles #1-4
The Complete Adventures of Bottersnikes and Gumbles
Bottersnikes have green wrinkly skin, cheese-grater noses and long, pointed ears that go red when they are angry, which is most of the time. Gumbles, on the other hand, are friendly and cheerful and can be squashed into any shape without being hurt. This volume contains four stories of adventures.
- GenresChildrens
332 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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May 25, 2024i'd thought i was reasonably well versed on children's australiana but i'd never heard of bottersnikes and gumbles, so thanks ulrike for loaning me your copy :^)
this book is certainly less racist than many australian children's classics
this book is certainly less racist than many australian children's classics
April 27, 2019
What’s Good About It
This is a delightful little set of children’s books. Written by an Australian writer, they feature the Australian countryside, creatures and climate quite heavily, but at their heart are a cute series of battles between the Bottersnikes and Gumbles that any child from any country would likely enjoy. And their parents too!
There are strong moral messages at the heart of many of the stories too – looking out for your friends, not being lazy, working together, respecting the environment, and a nice dash of political satire, particularly in Gumbles in Summer, for the grownups to enjoy without clouding enjoyment for the kids.
There are some laugh out loud funny moments and really memorable characters. The Bottersnikes are delightfully horrible, while the Gumbles are charming and cute, even if they are a bit giggly.
The books are written in chapters, but mostly each short chapter is a stand alone story, with small elements running throughout the whole book, so it’s perfect bedtime story material for five to seven year olds, possibly even slightly younger and older. I’m twenty two and I enjoyed reading them immensely!
What’s Not So Good
Well, the copies I had I borrowed off a friend and were printed in 1972… (£1.25 each! I wish all books were that price!) so I don’t know what the availability is like. But if you do manage to get your hands on a copy definitely spend an hour reading, no matter what your age!
This is a delightful little set of children’s books. Written by an Australian writer, they feature the Australian countryside, creatures and climate quite heavily, but at their heart are a cute series of battles between the Bottersnikes and Gumbles that any child from any country would likely enjoy. And their parents too!
There are strong moral messages at the heart of many of the stories too – looking out for your friends, not being lazy, working together, respecting the environment, and a nice dash of political satire, particularly in Gumbles in Summer, for the grownups to enjoy without clouding enjoyment for the kids.
There are some laugh out loud funny moments and really memorable characters. The Bottersnikes are delightfully horrible, while the Gumbles are charming and cute, even if they are a bit giggly.
The books are written in chapters, but mostly each short chapter is a stand alone story, with small elements running throughout the whole book, so it’s perfect bedtime story material for five to seven year olds, possibly even slightly younger and older. I’m twenty two and I enjoyed reading them immensely!
What’s Not So Good
Well, the copies I had I borrowed off a friend and were printed in 1972… (£1.25 each! I wish all books were that price!) so I don’t know what the availability is like. But if you do manage to get your hands on a copy definitely spend an hour reading, no matter what your age!
July 20, 2014
This was one of my favourites as a child and it was fun to revisit it. It hasn't lost any of its charm.
Read during the booktubeathon for the challenge 'start and finish a series'
Read during the booktubeathon for the challenge 'start and finish a series'
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews