It’s quite easy to be wary when celebrities and ‘adult’ fiction authors getting involved in the world of children’s books. But it’s pretty clear that Danny Wallace’s heart was fully into this project. The proof is in the writing and the wonderfully energetic story, and when I asked him why he wrote a children’s book it was for the best of reasons – he wanted to write something for his own children.
So what would you do if the world stopped about you, and you could get up to all sorts of mischief? And what would you do if you then found the reason time was freezing was because of the World Stoppers and an army of horrible monsters that wanted to take over the world?
Hamish and the World Stoppers, and its sequel Hamish and the Never People are epic adventures with a team of children who end up having to save the world. They’re funny, and silly, and best of all they’re exciting – and rammed with magnificent illustrations by Jamie Littler. I’d say this was a dream team, and the two books have so much going for them. Children will love them.
If you’re lucky enough to live near to one of Danny and Jamie’s festival events, they’re an awesome team on stage – you have to go!
If you like these, try The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt, illustrated by Ross Collins.
Published by Simon and Schuster. RRP £6.99.