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Queen of Muck
Lucy and Lily’s Granddad is missing and they’re desperate to find him.
But first they must survive a great and unusual adventure filled with brutes in nail-polish, a strange bookshop, a children-eating beast, a huge rock and secret tunnel, a very bad orchestra, rotten tricks, flying chunks of cupcake, a talking fox, vomiting, swords, sneak-walking and someone who really isn’t very nice.
*The book is pitched at children seven to eleven and Granddads who buy them books (or Grandmothers who buy them but let Granddad say he did).
But first they must survive a great and unusual adventure filled with brutes in nail-polish, a strange bookshop, a children-eating beast, a huge rock and secret tunnel, a very bad orchestra, rotten tricks, flying chunks of cupcake, a talking fox, vomiting, swords, sneak-walking and someone who really isn’t very nice.
*The book is pitched at children seven to eleven and Granddads who buy them books (or Grandmothers who buy them but let Granddad say he did).
- GenresFantasy
168 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2021
2 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Thackray
2 books1 followerIsaac Thackray has funny words and strange ideas falling out of him like coins from his pockets.
Sometimes he will bend over, pick them up and put them with other words and ideas.
Then he will stare at them while drinking coffee and shuffle them about until they turn into something.
Many think this is strange and wonder what he is doing. Or if he is doing anything at all.
But some people know the truth.
You might be one of them.
Sometimes he will bend over, pick them up and put them with other words and ideas.
Then he will stare at them while drinking coffee and shuffle them about until they turn into something.
Many think this is strange and wonder what he is doing. Or if he is doing anything at all.
But some people know the truth.
You might be one of them.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 9, 2022
Lily and Lucy live with their Grandad. At only six and nine and three quarters old, they are very worried when they discover their fun, loving, clever inventor Grandad, missing! They search high and low. He's not in the house. He's not in the garden, and he's not even in his inventing shed. It has been a week, and they are not only worried about Grandad, but the fact they can't tell anyone he's missing in case they get taken back to the orphanage he found them in.
When a postcard in his inventions shed behaves a little strangely, they decide it's a clue. They follow the information on it and discover themselves in a completely different world. Is Grandad here? Being very brave girls, they set off to look for him. The first thing they need to find is the village of Florez they saw on the front of the postcard.
What they do find is a surprising creature. A fox called Frederick who not only stands on two legs and is dressed rather dapperly, but he talks as well. This is only the first of the astounding but wonderful charms of the land they have found themselves in.
It's not all happiness in joy however. Frederick tells them of a village nearby, once called Celestia but now ruled by a terrible tyrant who calls herself Queen Muck. Celestia became the village of Muck - a very sad, grey, grim place indeed.
Meanwhile... Queen Muck is planning something. Everything Frederick said about her is true, but times ten. She hates any happiness unless it's hers. Anything nice, bright, lovely, beautiful or happy makes her want to puke. The village people and her palace staff only do what she demands as they are threatened constantly with being thrown in the tower cells.
Lily and Lucy won't be put off by stories of Queen Muck, and their courage inspires others to stand up for themselves. Is Queen Muck finally going to meet her match? Can they keep their cool in dark underground tunnels, faced with gruesome giants and in front of the evil Queen herself? And where on Earth is Grandad?
Mix together a cup of Narnia, a large spoonful each of The BFG and Fantastic Mr Fox and then stir in some Bad Jelly the Witch, and you're coming close to this wonderful adventure - Queen of Muck.
Narrated in a storyteller format, Queen of Muck is exciting, funny, with a truly nasty villain and a group of brave heroes willing to do anything to rescue their loved one. It's not all straight forward good vs evil, though. Some characters have to dig deep to find their courage, whether to face Queen Muck for the first time or to stand up against her and risk her threats of the tower.
Illustrations are scattered through the pages and some sounds are emphasized by bold fonts or capital texts.
I can just imagine Spike Milligan reading this aloud, putting on all the voices of the characters.
When a postcard in his inventions shed behaves a little strangely, they decide it's a clue. They follow the information on it and discover themselves in a completely different world. Is Grandad here? Being very brave girls, they set off to look for him. The first thing they need to find is the village of Florez they saw on the front of the postcard.
What they do find is a surprising creature. A fox called Frederick who not only stands on two legs and is dressed rather dapperly, but he talks as well. This is only the first of the astounding but wonderful charms of the land they have found themselves in.
It's not all happiness in joy however. Frederick tells them of a village nearby, once called Celestia but now ruled by a terrible tyrant who calls herself Queen Muck. Celestia became the village of Muck - a very sad, grey, grim place indeed.
Meanwhile... Queen Muck is planning something. Everything Frederick said about her is true, but times ten. She hates any happiness unless it's hers. Anything nice, bright, lovely, beautiful or happy makes her want to puke. The village people and her palace staff only do what she demands as they are threatened constantly with being thrown in the tower cells.
Lily and Lucy won't be put off by stories of Queen Muck, and their courage inspires others to stand up for themselves. Is Queen Muck finally going to meet her match? Can they keep their cool in dark underground tunnels, faced with gruesome giants and in front of the evil Queen herself? And where on Earth is Grandad?
Mix together a cup of Narnia, a large spoonful each of The BFG and Fantastic Mr Fox and then stir in some Bad Jelly the Witch, and you're coming close to this wonderful adventure - Queen of Muck.
Narrated in a storyteller format, Queen of Muck is exciting, funny, with a truly nasty villain and a group of brave heroes willing to do anything to rescue their loved one. It's not all straight forward good vs evil, though. Some characters have to dig deep to find their courage, whether to face Queen Muck for the first time or to stand up against her and risk her threats of the tower.
Illustrations are scattered through the pages and some sounds are emphasized by bold fonts or capital texts.
I can just imagine Spike Milligan reading this aloud, putting on all the voices of the characters.
January 6, 2022
This book took me back to the feels of some of my favourite reads of my childhood. It was full of magic, adventure and fun. There were strong girls and great supporting characters (good and bad). It was a classic (stereotypical) good vs bad but done really well to keep the pages turning. It reminded me of reads like Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree stories.
Plus I loved the way the author involved the reader, talking directly to us so that we became part of the story. It's almost like a wink and a grin to us from the narrator of a stage play.
There were a couple of convenient (clunky?) plot effects but overall this was a really fun read which would make a great read aloud. I look forward to Lucy and Lily's next adventures.
Plus I loved the way the author involved the reader, talking directly to us so that we became part of the story. It's almost like a wink and a grin to us from the narrator of a stage play.
There were a couple of convenient (clunky?) plot effects but overall this was a really fun read which would make a great read aloud. I look forward to Lucy and Lily's next adventures.
April 8, 2022
After reading quite a few YA novels recently it was super fun to plunge myself into this quirky story for younger readers.
Sisters Lucy and Lily wake up one morning to find their beloved grandfather missing. ("You have to be careful with grandads. You never know when they will go wondering off...")
When they find a clue in grandad's shed, they fear the worst... he has taken from their beautiful village of Florez to the awful neighbouring village of Muck, which is ruled over by the horribly unpleasant Queen Diedre.
The sisters head off to try and rescue grandad... and along the way they meet a colourful cast of characters - all of whom are entertaining and likeable.
The story rocks along at pace and I am looking forward to suggesting it to some of our teachers.
Sisters Lucy and Lily wake up one morning to find their beloved grandfather missing. ("You have to be careful with grandads. You never know when they will go wondering off...")
When they find a clue in grandad's shed, they fear the worst... he has taken from their beautiful village of Florez to the awful neighbouring village of Muck, which is ruled over by the horribly unpleasant Queen Diedre.
The sisters head off to try and rescue grandad... and along the way they meet a colourful cast of characters - all of whom are entertaining and likeable.
The story rocks along at pace and I am looking forward to suggesting it to some of our teachers.
March 31, 2023
Excellent book great story line and words.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews