Tuesday 31 July 2018

Review: Children's - Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure

This review comes from me on holiday, on the outskirts of Edinburgh supporting a friend performing at the Edinburgh Festival. No shortage of junior book-worms as you can see!

'Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure' is about Dan, who has a rather strange friend - Wizzy! He's a highly opinionated and automated wheelchair who is more than the sum of his parts. Together friends, James and Sophie he and Dan (not forgetting Honey the labrador for some four-legged intelligence) a thrilling seaside adventure unfolds.

It would be tempting to tell you more about author Anthony Ridgway's achievement in writing 'the Wizzy books' - this is his second - but that would treat him differently to any other author, something I don't think Wizzy would approve of. So, with my professional reviewer's hat on - and the smiles of my neighbour's children to urge me on, here's a big thumbs up for 'Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure'.

This is a book made for reading out loud. Wizzy's words are helpfully printed in a bright blue font. Expect all the 'ooos' and 'yuks' that children love as you romp into the seaside village of Haven and encounter thieves and... I daren't share more or I'll spoil the fun.

I can tell you that with Wizzy, Dan's and even Honey's powers of detection and deduction the baddies had better watch out¬

Every page of 'Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure' is charmingly illustrated. The coloured drawings by talented artist Suzan Houching will enchant young, old and all those in between.

This is a story six-year olds and upwards will want to read more than once. I hope number three of the Wizzy stories is in the pipeline.

Liz Darcy Jones, House Poet