The Exciting Adventures of Super-Grover
by Emily Perl Kingsley; ill. Joe Mathieu (Western Publishing Company, 1978)
Grover’s quasi-heroic alter ego was good for laughs on Sesame Street itself but falls horribly flat in this oversized Golden Book. The illustrations are passable but the stories are pure cardboard, reaching futilely for humour while lacking both imagination and basic craft.
Because a Little Bug went Ka-Choo!
by Rosetta Stone [aka Dr Seuss]; ill. Michael Frith (Random House, 1975)
Fun though inconsistent rhymed verse from Dr Seuss, illustrated in the Seuss style by Michael Frith. The story is a rambunctious demonstration of the butterfly effect, starting with a bug’s sneeze and ending in town-wide mayhem. The bopped turtle is a highlight.
Equal Rites
by Terry Pratchett (Victor Gollancz, 1987); audiobook read by Celia Imrie (Isis, 1995)
Not the most substantial of storylines, yet a key work in the development of the Discworld. Pratchett sets Rincewind aside in favour of the far richer character Granny Weatherwax. In so doing he makes societal change a serious part of his worldbuilding.
Last Chance to See…
by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine (Guild, 1990)
In many respects this is Douglas Adams’ best book. Being non-fiction, the plot is taken care of, and Adams’ observational wit offsets the grave subject matter. What results is a humorous travelogue and rallying cry, at once poignant, profound, cautionary and hopeful.
Peanuts Revisited: Favorites Old and New
by Charles M. Schulz (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1959)
A compact collection of Peanuts comics from 1955-1959. Schulz’s drawing style isn’t yet fully developed, nor his humour, nor indeed the characters, yet several long-running Peanuts themes are on display here in their early form, and the choice of strips is astute.
Biggles Hits the Trail
by Captain W. E. Johns (Oxford University Press, 1941)
Biggles has dated into problematic territory, particularly in how Johns depicts ‘uncivilised’ (though clearly in this case not unintelligent) people. Assumptions of superiority notwithstanding, this is a roaring, peril-filled, page-turner of an adventure, predicated Jules Verne style around a real-world speculative element.
A Gentleman of Leisure
by P. G. Wodehouse (Alston Rivers, 1910); audiobook read by Frederick Davidson (Blackstone, 2012)
An early example of the comings-and-goings type novel that Wodehouse would bring to perfection in his Blandings Castle series. While the plot in this instance is a twist or two short, the prose is fresh and the characterisation typically Wodehouseian. Audiobook recommended.
Mrs Windyflax and the Pungapeople
by Barry Crump; ill. Murray Ball (Hodder Moa Beckett, 1995)
Though Crump’s rhyming verse and storyline aren’t up to much, Ball renders this children’s picture book visually resplendent through a mix of vibrant cartoon watercolours and his more usual Footrot Flats-type illustrations. The New Zealand landscapes offer a pleasing point of difference.
The Complete Peanuts: 1989-1990
by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics, 2013)
With the change of decades, Schulz took an increasingly wistful eye to drawing Peanuts—particularly through Charlie Brown, who hankers back to days past and the simple pleasure of spending time with his dog. (Granted, he is also allowed a successful romance!)
Tintin and the Picaros
by Hergé (Methuen, 1976)
The most mature of Hergé’s Tintin adventures, Picaros is a neatly plotted political commentary on South American despotism, serious in tone and light on improbable escapades. Hergé remains committed to background detail but cuts back (perhaps too far) on the physical comedy.