THE STORY OF THE LITTLE MOLE WHO KNEW IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS :: spoiler alert, it was Basil the butcher's dog!

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THE STORY OF THE LITTLE MOLE WHO KNEW IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS :: spoiler alert, it was Basil the butcher's dog!

Ages 2 to 12 years
Wanna hear a joke? There was once a family of moles who decided to go for a walk in the sunshine.  First there was Daddy Mole, then Mummy Mole, then Sister Mole, then Brother Mole, then Baby Mole – all walking in a line with their noses to the ground. 

Suddenly Daddy Mole stopped and said, “I smell honey – do you smell honey Mummy Mole?” 
Mummy Mole sniffed the air and said, “I do smell honey – do you smell honey Sister Mole?” 
Sister Mole sniffed the air then said, “I do smell honey – do you smell Brother Mole?”
Brother Mole sniffed the air then said, “I do smell honey – do you smell honey Baby Mole?” 
Baby Mole sniffed the air and said, “I don’t smell honey but I do smell mole-asses!”  (Molasses – get it?)

My kids thought it was the funniest, most risqué joke they’d ever heard when my Dad told it – on the day we bought The Story of the Little Mole 

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VESUVIUS POOVIUS :: toilets matter! (world toilet day is November 19)

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VESUVIUS POOVIUS :: toilets matter! (world toilet day is November 19)

Ages 4 to 12 years
Vesuvius is a problem solver – and Rome has a big problem. A poo problem. 

No one knows what to do with all the poo. It’s so bad that ‘Some people even dropped it into other people’s pockets when they weren’t looking.”  (Now if that line doesn’t bring at least a grimacy smirk to your face I don’t know what will.)

Because poo is such a problem, it’s also a “forbiddenus wordus’, which leads to a whole slew of hilarious euphemisms like ‘huge daffodil’ and ‘cola cube’. Aside from all the usual uses for a poo book, this one does a great job of teaching how and when and why to use a euphamism.

Vesuvius – clever if marginalised chap that he is – figures out the solution:  tunnels and rain. 

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THE FLY :: a bit gross but funny!

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THE FLY :: a bit gross but funny!

Ages 4 to grown-up
Fair warning – this one is kind of gross. It’s the story of a fly who learns that swimming can be very dangerous – well, if you go swimming in a toilet bowl. The fly is merrily swimming away when suddenly everything goes dark, then it starts to ‘rain’ and then a huge (brown) ‘meteorite’ comes crashing into the pool. It really is gross.

I’ve given away the punch line – but when you read this out loud try not to give anything away until the dreadful realisation comes when the fly hears “a voice saying: ‘Mum, Mum! I’ve finished.’”  It’s a brilliant moment – usually followed by all manner of groanings.

So – why read such a gross book? 

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to make little ones blush and giggle

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to make little ones blush and giggle

A sequel to Baa Baa Smart Sheep, this time Quirky Turkey tries to take revenge on Little Baa Baa by giving Little Baa Baa a glass of ‘lemonade’ – it all backfires horribly. I guess we’ve all been the turkey at some point – and possibly the sheep at some point too . . .

ages toddler to 12 years / funny

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a darned funny book that's great for upending stereotypes

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a darned funny book that's great for upending stereotypes

This might be a child’s first introduction to double entendre! There are three characters in the story – a mouse, a monkey and a jackass – guess where the double entendre comes from! Jackass and Monkey have a frustratingly funny conversation about a book with Jackass looking for its technological qualities.
ages baby to about 10 years

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"be proud of your bottom. it's lovely!"

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"be proud of your bottom. it's lovely!"

I'm pretty sure the reason I read this book so many times had nothing to do with the funny story, the cute illustrations or the healthy body image messages. And I’m pretty sure my kids found it totally hilarious that I kept reading the word ‘bum’ out loud. This is a FUNNY book.
ages baby to 12 years

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