REVIEW: ‘The Gobbledygook And The Scribbledynoodle’ by Justine Clarke, Arthur Baysting & Illustrated by Tom Jellett

Published: 17th October 2016

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Pages: 32 Pages

Format: Hardcover courtesy of the publisher

RRP: $19.99

4/5 Stars 

Look! Look! It’s the Gobbledygook!
He’s reading his favourite mon-story book.
He’s taking a look at his mon-story friends.
And this is where the story really begins . . .

When a monster jumps right out of the Gobbledygook’s library book, it takes a bit of clever handling to stop the Scribbledynoodle from scribbling on things it shouldn’t!

Following the success of The Gobbledygook Is Eating A Book, comes the mischievous new adventures of Gobbledygook. This time best selling authors Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting and illustrator Tom Jellett are taking us back to the world of monsters and books in a super cute new picture book that young readers are sure to gobble up!

With Gobbledygook on his best behaviour having learnt in previous books that books are not for eating, he is shocked to find a monster jumping out of the pages of his library book and drawing on everything, and everyone, in sight. Can they stop this little green Scribbledynoodle before the library is completely destroyed? What follows is a hilarious, mischievous and highly imaginative narrative from the best selling collaborators Justine Clark, Arthur Baysting and Tom Jellett.

I’m just going to start by saying this is a super cute and adorable picture book aimed at young children who are learning to read and write, and perhaps what one can and cannot do with a picture book. It’s bold, it’s funny and it’s a poignant reminder that we do not draw on books, walls or people!

I love that the three creative genius behind this book have taken a very straightforward concept – don’t draw/scribble in books – and turned into in an epic misadventure of comic proportions and imagination.

Featuring Tom Jellett’s trademark full double page illustrations  right from the book’s end-pages (those pages that the book opens and closes with before/after the story), I knew we were in for a fantastic and colourful ride and Jellett doesn’t let us down. His illustrations an explosion of colour and mischief that really brings Clarke and Baysting’s words to life.

The text used throughout this book uses very simple language, and big bold print making it the best kind of books for children learning to read, or tired Mummies and Daddies who just want a quick, but reasonable story to get their little one’s off to sleep. I really love the size and how bold the text is in this book, as I’ve found most picture books as of late are choosing smaller and smaller font sizes and as such their text isn’t as clear and coherent as it could be.

Lastly, I want to talk about the textual elements of this book. While the inside pages of the book are straight paper, Penguin Viking have gone a step above and added two textual elements to the books cover. The first is the feel of the title on the cover.  Like a child’s drawing on a piece of paper, the title text has been ‘sunken’ into the cover, leaving raised edging and grooves. Many readers won’t necessarily notice this, but I think very young readers will love the textual feel of it. Next, thinking of all the Gobbledygook’s who haven’t learnt that books are not to be eaten yet, Penguin Viking have given the binding of this picture book a heavy duty binding. Over the top of the board binding, they have about an inch thick either side of green calico like material protecting the book’s spine from further damage.

Combining Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting’s hilariously cute and innocent text with Tom Jellett’s colourful illustrations which burst off every page, The Gobbledygook And The Scribbledynoodle is the perfect blend of picture book awesomeness, making it the ideal addition to every young reader’s library collection.

 

 

Other books in the series:

To learn more about Justine Clarke, Arthur Baysting and Tom Jellett, visit the following social media sties:

Penguin Books Australia | Justine Clarke’s Website | Justine’s Facebook | Justine’s Instagram | Tom Jellet’s website | 

To purchase a copy of this book, visit the following online retailers:

Penguin Books Australia | Booktopia | Angus & Robertson’s Book World | QBD | Abbey’s Bookshop | Collins Booksellers