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Mr. Gum #1
Ви поганець, пане Гам!
Старий буркотун пан Гам ненавидить дітей, тварин, веселощі та кукурудзяні палички. А ще він намірився отруїти улюбленця дітлахів � веселого та невгамовного песика-здоровесика Джейка. На заваді підступним замірам стають відважна дівчинка Поллі та її кумедний приятель Фрайді Нежурись.
Книжка отримала багато нагород і була визнана найсмішнішою дитячою книгою Британії у 2007 році.
Книжка отримала багато нагород і була визнана найсмішнішою дитячою книгою Британії у 2007 році.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2006
112 people are currently reading
1,823 people want to read
About the author
Andy Stanton
49books101followersAndy Stanton lives in North London. He studied English at Oxford but they kicked him out. He has been a film script reader, a cartoonist, an NHS lackey and lots of other things. He has many interests, but best of all he likes cartoons, books and music (even jazz).
One day he’d like to live in New York or Berlin or one of those places because he’s got fantasies of bohemia. His favourite expression is ‘Good evening� and his favourite word is ‘captain�. Andy has now written more than one book, but less than twenty.
-from publisher's website at
One day he’d like to live in New York or Berlin or one of those places because he’s got fantasies of bohemia. His favourite expression is ‘Good evening� and his favourite word is ‘captain�. Andy has now written more than one book, but less than twenty.
-from publisher's website at
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
July 24, 2024
I get to read a lot of children's books in my 3rd job as carer for my very disabled 8 year old, Celyn. She can't see well or play, so stories is where it's at.
Mr Gum is a wildly random tale of a positively Dahlian nasty-old-man. The humour has a Python-esque feel to it and delights in running along abstract corridors of word association.
It's silly, surreal, often abstract, did I mention silly? And it works enough of the time to pull you through the book and deliver the promised good time.
Not an excellent time, mind you, but a good time. Celyn laughed like a drain, we both smirked. Mr Gum's nastiness was foiled. The big whopper of a dog did not die of poison. All was well.
Buy it by all means. I got Celyn another Mr Gum book for Christmas and we're enjoying that one too.
It lacks that timeless magic and heart that keep some children's tales with you long after the book is returned to the shelf. I'm not talking about soppiness here, just heart, some solid and real core that the child will look for in all books as they grow. That's not here. But that doesn't stop it being fun.
..
Mr Gum is a wildly random tale of a positively Dahlian nasty-old-man. The humour has a Python-esque feel to it and delights in running along abstract corridors of word association.
It's silly, surreal, often abstract, did I mention silly? And it works enough of the time to pull you through the book and deliver the promised good time.
Not an excellent time, mind you, but a good time. Celyn laughed like a drain, we both smirked. Mr Gum's nastiness was foiled. The big whopper of a dog did not die of poison. All was well.
Buy it by all means. I got Celyn another Mr Gum book for Christmas and we're enjoying that one too.
It lacks that timeless magic and heart that keep some children's tales with you long after the book is returned to the shelf. I'm not talking about soppiness here, just heart, some solid and real core that the child will look for in all books as they grow. That's not here. But that doesn't stop it being fun.
..
June 22, 2014
Well, that was ridiculous.
January 10, 2011
I haven't genuinely laughed at a book, like I did with this one in a long time. It was completely absurd and completely fun. My kids loved it too and are now walking around exclaiming "The truth is a lemon meringue!" and calling each other "meddling chowder faces" both of which will make sense once you read the book...actually they wont make anymore sense but will be funny and make you also want to say them.
I highly recommend the audio as it's worth it to hear the author read the "secret bonus story" at the end as well as the glossary. His accent makes all the difference!
I highly recommend the audio as it's worth it to hear the author read the "secret bonus story" at the end as well as the glossary. His accent makes all the difference!
March 6, 2025
#بازخوانی
بچه که بودم برای اولین بار این کتاب رو خواندم. خیلی ازش خوشم اومد. یادمه خیلی باهاش خندیدم!
الان بعد از ۱۲ سال دوباره خواندمش! و بعد از تمام شدن کتاب فقط یه جمله توی ذهنم تکرار می‌شد� این چی بود من خوندم؟!! داستان به شدت عجیب‌وغری� و خنده‌دار�! شخصیت‌ه� یکی از یکی دیگر عجیب‌ت�!
بنظرم تا خودتون نخوانیدش متوجه منظورم نمی‌شوی�.
۱۴۰۳/۱۲/۱۵
بچه که بودم برای اولین بار این کتاب رو خواندم. خیلی ازش خوشم اومد. یادمه خیلی باهاش خندیدم!
الان بعد از ۱۲ سال دوباره خواندمش! و بعد از تمام شدن کتاب فقط یه جمله توی ذهنم تکرار می‌شد� این چی بود من خوندم؟!! داستان به شدت عجیب‌وغری� و خنده‌دار�! شخصیت‌ه� یکی از یکی دیگر عجیب‌ت�!
بنظرم تا خودتون نخوانیدش متوجه منظورم نمی‌شوی�.
۱۴۰۳/۱۲/۱۵
October 18, 2016
خیلی عالی بود.خیلی پسندیدمش.یاد رولد دال افتادم.همان قدر که از جودی دمدمی متنفرم به خاطر لوس بودنش،عاشق اینم برای لوس نبودنش!خیلی هنر می خواهد اینطور نوشتن و به بیراهه ی بی مزگی نرفتن.
البته به یک بچه ی هشت ساله که دادمش تا بخواند،چون شوخی بعضی قسمت ها را نمی فهمید به اندازه ی من خوشش نیامد ولی او هم پسندید.
عالی بود.
بهترین قسمتش هم فصل چای خوردن آقای گام بود:)))
فکر نکنم تا آخر عمرم کتابی گیرم بیاید که به اندازه ی آقای گام دوستش داشته باشم.استنتون عزیزترین نویسنده ی دنیاست برای من.و آقای گام،دلبرترین شخصیتی که تو عمرم دیدم!
البته به یک بچه ی هشت ساله که دادمش تا بخواند،چون شوخی بعضی قسمت ها را نمی فهمید به اندازه ی من خوشش نیامد ولی او هم پسندید.
عالی بود.
بهترین قسمتش هم فصل چای خوردن آقای گام بود:)))
فکر نکنم تا آخر عمرم کتابی گیرم بیاید که به اندازه ی آقای گام دوستش داشته باشم.استنتون عزیزترین نویسنده ی دنیاست برای من.و آقای گام،دلبرترین شخصیتی که تو عمرم دیدم!
May 11, 2020
Read- May 2020 for Believathon II (Poacher's Pocket Inn- First book in a series)
- Me and my brother used to read these books together all the time back when we were younger and we used to love them. I will admit that I 100% see the appeal of these books but I really couldn't get over the blatant fat-phobic language in this book. I will be carrying on with my re-read of this series though because I never finished it the first time around.
- Me and my brother used to read these books together all the time back when we were younger and we used to love them. I will admit that I 100% see the appeal of these books but I really couldn't get over the blatant fat-phobic language in this book. I will be carrying on with my re-read of this series though because I never finished it the first time around.
July 16, 2024
chose to read this instead of poor things because i just could not hack it after having my teeth drilled into and feeling sore and sorry for myself.
read it in about three hours at work (whilst doing my job in between times). so worth it. actually as good as i remembered??
read it in about three hours at work (whilst doing my job in between times). so worth it. actually as good as i remembered??
September 27, 2018
Ehkä parasta, mitä mulle on tapahtunut sitten viime torstain jolloin kävi niin että kun tulin kotiin niin huomasin että joku oli tuonut sinne laatikollisen äidin suklaapalleroita.
October 14, 2018
Absurd & just plain fun. We're listening to the author narrate it on audiobook and we all--from ages 2 to 35--cracked up when he started singing the song about "the chocolate you deserve." I was delighted to see it is one of a series because we are going to keep laughing for awhile. It's hard to find an audiobook that has such wide-ranging appeal for our whole family.
Reminds me of Roald Dahl for having a bit of a dark sense of humor and offering up caricatures as if they were plausible people. Reminds me especially of Sarah Courtauld's The Perilous Princess Plot (which cracked up both my daughter and I when we read it) because it trusts the reader to pick up on subtle jokes. Also takes me back to the years where I waited for new Jon Sciezka/Lane Smith books to come out and tried to read all of Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School series.
Reminds me of Roald Dahl for having a bit of a dark sense of humor and offering up caricatures as if they were plausible people. Reminds me especially of Sarah Courtauld's The Perilous Princess Plot (which cracked up both my daughter and I when we read it) because it trusts the reader to pick up on subtle jokes. Also takes me back to the years where I waited for new Jon Sciezka/Lane Smith books to come out and tried to read all of Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School series.
November 22, 2010
You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum is one of the funniest books I've read. The first time I read it I was reading it to myself, but I did read my mom the really funny bits. So inevitably I ended up reading it all to her. In my opinion, it's funnier than The Twits. Don't get me wrong-- I LOVE Roald Dahl, it's just that the Twits are the crazy ones and the rest of the world is fairly normal in respect to there are not little girls called Peter and the Twits don't have to keep their garden tidy or an angry fairy will appear in their bathtub and start wacking them with a frying pan. Every single sentence in this book is funny. Mr. Gum is so absolutely disgusting that you can't help but love him. But it's not all Mr Gum being disgusting. There are lots of good characters like Jake that massive whopper of a dog, and Friday O'Leary, and Mrs. Lovely, and who can forget about Jammy Grammy Lammy F'Huppa F'Huppa Berlin Stereo Eo Eo Lebb C'Yepp Nermonica Le Straypek De Grespin De Crespin De Spespin De Vespin De Whoop De Loop De Brunkle Merry Christmas Lenoir? If you're her friend you can just call her Polly, but if you're not her friend you'll have to say Jammy Grammy Lammy F'Huppa F'Huppa Berlin Stereo Eo Eo Lebb C'Yepp Nermonica Le Straypek De Grespin De Crespin De Spespin De Vespin De Whoop De Loop De Brunkle Merry Christmas Lenoir every time you read the name Polly. If you like complete insanity or you just have a sense of humor, you will love this book. Anyone from 3 to 100 can enjoy this book.
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
October 10, 2011
Even though this is a book designed for 8 or 9 year olds I found myself laughing out loud all the way through at the glorious language employed. Definitely in the vein of Roald Dahl or other absurdists like Spike Milligan this is the first in a series of books about the antics and misadventures of an ageing misanthrope known only as Mr Gum. He's the sort of larger than life character that children will love and if read aloud to the class you'll have trouble controlling them afterwards! He is described as lazy, dirty, fierce, violent and generally repugnant. He spends most of the time in his decrepit house only leaving to maintain his garden. This is monitored by a fairy with a frying pan who assualts Mr Gum if he is found lacking.
This particular outing concerns a large dog damaging Mr Gum's garden and his decision to poison it. In this he is thwarted by a little girl called Polly and a very kind (if a bit weird) old man called Friday O'Leary. Brilliant stuff.
This particular outing concerns a large dog damaging Mr Gum's garden and his decision to poison it. In this he is thwarted by a little girl called Polly and a very kind (if a bit weird) old man called Friday O'Leary. Brilliant stuff.
August 24, 2011
This book made me laugh out loud. It is the incredibly funny story of the complete horror Mr Gum, who has "two bloodshot eyes that stared out at you like an octopus curled up in a bad cave", who has a filthy house but a lovely garden. He's not a keen gardener, but is whacked with a frying pan by the fairy who lives in his bathtub if it gets untidy. A lovely big dog- Jake, who is "as friendly as toast"- takes a liking for rolling around in Mr Gum's garden and leaving him "presents" on the grass, so Mr Gum comes up with an evil plan to get rid of Jake. Luckily, a little girl named Polly overhears him...
The inventive use of language would make this a great read aloud book. The crazy illustrations and use of typefaces would attract reluctant upper KS2 readers. I loved it, and recommend it and other Mr Gum books particularly to Roald Dahl fans.
The inventive use of language would make this a great read aloud book. The crazy illustrations and use of typefaces would attract reluctant upper KS2 readers. I loved it, and recommend it and other Mr Gum books particularly to Roald Dahl fans.
March 17, 2008
Children's books about miserly, nasty, no good, rotten old men go one of two ways. Either the old man is redeemed at the end and Tiny Tim lives, etc. etc. or you get to the end of the book and the miserly, nasty, no good, rotten old man hasn't changed a jot. He's just been thwarted. A kind of Count Olaf ending, if you will. The nice thing about Andy Stanton's Mr. Gum books is that they're written with a two-dimensional villain in place with whom you never, at any point, sympathize. Stanton is a fan of goofiness and is willing to pile a whole bunch of weirdness on top of itself in the hopes that there will be enough funny material to keep the kids ah-reading. For the most part, You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! works and even when it doesn't it just seems to be so pleased with itself that you can't help but feel some affection for it. This isn't the strongest silly book for kids I've ever read, but it has its heart in the right place.
Mr. Gum was nasty, to begin with. Nasty heart, nasty soul, nasty housekeeping skills, the whole enchilada. The one thing about Mr. Gum that is not nasty is his lovely little garden. Lest you attribute this to something noble in his soul, you should know that the only reason he keeps it tidy is that if he doesn't the angry fairy that lives in his bathtub will hit him repeatedly on the head with a frying pan. It's one of those deals. All would be well and good if it were not for a big massive whopper of a dog named Jake. Jake likes gardens and he especially likes Mr. Gum's garden. After getting whopped continually by the fairy every time Jake makes a foray into his yard, Mr. Gum comes up with a malicious plan to take care of the friendly canine forever. Now it's up to a little girl named Polly and an eccentric old man named Friday O'Leary to save Jake from Mr. Gum's nefarious intentions before (or possibly after) it's too late.
The jokes are what make the book work, because when they're on, they're on. When we first meet Mr. Gum, for example, we hear that "the bed was never made. (I don't mean that the duvet was never put back on the bed, I mean that the bed had never even been made. Mr. Gum hadn't gone to the bother of assembling it. He had just chucked all the bits of wood on the floor and dumped a mattress on top." What's more, "He would much rather hear a piano being demolished by illegal bulldozers than a Mozart concerto." I love that it couldn't be just any bulldozers. It would have to be ILLEGAL bulldozer. Jake, on the other hand is, "a furry wobbler and friendly as toast."
Individual British terminology appears to have been maintained, for the most part. Mr. Gum's punishment from the fairy is called "pan-whacks". A man is described as moving like "a footballer" rather than a soccer player, which is interesting. And continuing a trend I've seen in more than a few books for children this year, there is a glossary of amusing terms at the back of the book ala Lois Lowry's (though many of these are referring to Britishisms and the like). Here's an example of one of the definitions then. "Scotland: It's a place near England where everyone's got beards, even the women. And the men wear skirts and everyone shouts a lot and has an okay time. By the way, it's freezing up there in winter, so don't bother." There you go then.
Sometimes the book is right on track and sometimes it skews a little too far towards the goofy. I mean the plot hangs together, which is important. You don't want to get to the end of a children's book and find the storyline erupt into some kind of Blazing Saddles/Monty Python and the Holy Grail unsatisfactory unfunny descent into madness. It doesn't do that, but at the same time there are things that never entirely work. Friday O'Leary, for example, is a pretty superfluous character. The jokes have moments when they just don't click. It's all going to come down to the personality of the person reading the book, really. If the kid reading You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! thinks that the inanity of a frying pan lobbing fairy is funny without explanation (and, of course, there never is one) then this will be the book for them.
Credit where credit is due to illustrator Chad Dezern too. While I've nothing against the British illustrations to this book, Dezern has a penchant for clear cut lines and heavy shading that complements Mr. Stanton's words nicely. Plus, some of his images are more than a little interesting if you're willing to peer really closely at them. For example, there is an image of a newspaper that Mr. Gum has purchased solely for the purpose of glaring at the picture of the boy on the front page (sometimes Mr. Gum just need a good glare at a child to make himself feel better). Of course, if you look at the newspaper, I mean really look, you'll read not a story about a 10-year-old burping champion (as the headline suggests) but a story about a 53-year-old India born Toronto resident named Yegmb Varbade. This probably wasn't intentional on the artist's part, but I don't think I'm the only reader who felt inclined to peer closely at the picture so as to tease out the story. It's not entirely clear to me whether or not Mr. Dezern would have actually have been responsible for that item, though. In the book there are some fun "found item" types of things in this book, like slightly crinkled pieces of sheet music and the like. Is that the work of the illustrator or of the Art Director? It's a bit unclear.
All in all You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! is almost a kind of post- title. There are lots of pictures, making this an ideal early chapter book for those kids not quite ready for full 200-page pictureless work of fiction. What's more, I think that as a bedtime story, Andy Stanton's book is ideal for reading aloud. Teachers may wish to try it out on their third graders, fourth graders, and maybe even fifth graders too. It has some gaps and some oddities, but like that massive whopper Jake, its heart is in the right place. For a certain kind of kid, this book will answer their prayers.
Ages 8-13.
Mr. Gum was nasty, to begin with. Nasty heart, nasty soul, nasty housekeeping skills, the whole enchilada. The one thing about Mr. Gum that is not nasty is his lovely little garden. Lest you attribute this to something noble in his soul, you should know that the only reason he keeps it tidy is that if he doesn't the angry fairy that lives in his bathtub will hit him repeatedly on the head with a frying pan. It's one of those deals. All would be well and good if it were not for a big massive whopper of a dog named Jake. Jake likes gardens and he especially likes Mr. Gum's garden. After getting whopped continually by the fairy every time Jake makes a foray into his yard, Mr. Gum comes up with a malicious plan to take care of the friendly canine forever. Now it's up to a little girl named Polly and an eccentric old man named Friday O'Leary to save Jake from Mr. Gum's nefarious intentions before (or possibly after) it's too late.
The jokes are what make the book work, because when they're on, they're on. When we first meet Mr. Gum, for example, we hear that "the bed was never made. (I don't mean that the duvet was never put back on the bed, I mean that the bed had never even been made. Mr. Gum hadn't gone to the bother of assembling it. He had just chucked all the bits of wood on the floor and dumped a mattress on top." What's more, "He would much rather hear a piano being demolished by illegal bulldozers than a Mozart concerto." I love that it couldn't be just any bulldozers. It would have to be ILLEGAL bulldozer. Jake, on the other hand is, "a furry wobbler and friendly as toast."
Individual British terminology appears to have been maintained, for the most part. Mr. Gum's punishment from the fairy is called "pan-whacks". A man is described as moving like "a footballer" rather than a soccer player, which is interesting. And continuing a trend I've seen in more than a few books for children this year, there is a glossary of amusing terms at the back of the book ala Lois Lowry's (though many of these are referring to Britishisms and the like). Here's an example of one of the definitions then. "Scotland: It's a place near England where everyone's got beards, even the women. And the men wear skirts and everyone shouts a lot and has an okay time. By the way, it's freezing up there in winter, so don't bother." There you go then.
Sometimes the book is right on track and sometimes it skews a little too far towards the goofy. I mean the plot hangs together, which is important. You don't want to get to the end of a children's book and find the storyline erupt into some kind of Blazing Saddles/Monty Python and the Holy Grail unsatisfactory unfunny descent into madness. It doesn't do that, but at the same time there are things that never entirely work. Friday O'Leary, for example, is a pretty superfluous character. The jokes have moments when they just don't click. It's all going to come down to the personality of the person reading the book, really. If the kid reading You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! thinks that the inanity of a frying pan lobbing fairy is funny without explanation (and, of course, there never is one) then this will be the book for them.
Credit where credit is due to illustrator Chad Dezern too. While I've nothing against the British illustrations to this book, Dezern has a penchant for clear cut lines and heavy shading that complements Mr. Stanton's words nicely. Plus, some of his images are more than a little interesting if you're willing to peer really closely at them. For example, there is an image of a newspaper that Mr. Gum has purchased solely for the purpose of glaring at the picture of the boy on the front page (sometimes Mr. Gum just need a good glare at a child to make himself feel better). Of course, if you look at the newspaper, I mean really look, you'll read not a story about a 10-year-old burping champion (as the headline suggests) but a story about a 53-year-old India born Toronto resident named Yegmb Varbade. This probably wasn't intentional on the artist's part, but I don't think I'm the only reader who felt inclined to peer closely at the picture so as to tease out the story. It's not entirely clear to me whether or not Mr. Dezern would have actually have been responsible for that item, though. In the book there are some fun "found item" types of things in this book, like slightly crinkled pieces of sheet music and the like. Is that the work of the illustrator or of the Art Director? It's a bit unclear.
All in all You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! is almost a kind of post- title. There are lots of pictures, making this an ideal early chapter book for those kids not quite ready for full 200-page pictureless work of fiction. What's more, I think that as a bedtime story, Andy Stanton's book is ideal for reading aloud. Teachers may wish to try it out on their third graders, fourth graders, and maybe even fifth graders too. It has some gaps and some oddities, but like that massive whopper Jake, its heart is in the right place. For a certain kind of kid, this book will answer their prayers.
Ages 8-13.
January 26, 2022
перечитувала цю книжку вже вголос, із дитиною, і ще раз засмакувала � скільки в ній постмодерної гри зі словами, смислами, формами, образами.
як вдало автор грається з огидним, бурлескним, як вільно почувається, розповідаючи історію � і як це чудово перекладено українською!
як вдало автор грається з огидним, бурлескним, як вільно почувається, розповідаючи історію � і як це чудово перекладено українською!
September 3, 2017
Such an odd little book.
November 26, 2018
So funny I loved it !!!
February 9, 2013
Mr. Gum is indeed a bad man! He poisons dogs, hates little children and even picks his nose and eats his bogies! To make matters worse he is grumpy all the time too. But he has the “prettiest, greeniest, floweriest, gardeniest garden� in the world (if he does not keep the garden tidy then the fairy that lives in his bathtub will hit him over the head with a frying pan!) But along comes Jake the giant dog who destroys Mr. Gum’s garden leaving him to plot evil plans that involve poisonous meat. But his plans are soon thwarted by a little girl called Polly�
You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum is one of those books that will make you laugh out loud and Stanton’s use of descriptive language will see you shudder at the thought of Mr Gum and his lack of hygiene! This book would be particularly suited to children aged 7-11, particularly those who would be able to appreciate Stanton’s use of humour. This would be an ideal book for children to use for drama and role play as well as activities such as hot seating as different characters from the book. Definitely a must read!
You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum is one of those books that will make you laugh out loud and Stanton’s use of descriptive language will see you shudder at the thought of Mr Gum and his lack of hygiene! This book would be particularly suited to children aged 7-11, particularly those who would be able to appreciate Stanton’s use of humour. This would be an ideal book for children to use for drama and role play as well as activities such as hot seating as different characters from the book. Definitely a must read!
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May 13, 2012Mr. Gum is a book by Alan Stanton with illustartions by David Tazzyman
Mr Gum is a nasty man, “an absolute lazer who couldn’t be bothered with niceness and tidying and brushing his teeth�. His house is a complete mess. But he has the “prettiest, greeniest, floweriest, gardeniest garden�. This is not, however, because he enjoys gardening, but due to the frying pan wielding fairy living in his bath who whacks him if the garden isn’t perfect. This first book of the series sees Mr Gum hatching a plan to poison Jake the dog, who loves to roll around in the garden. Can Polly, a lovely girl of nine with “a smile as happy as the Bank of England�, save the day?
The outrageous illustrations by David Tazzyman, the nonsense words, little jokes and puzzles, comments on the book from within the book, and varied typescript, this is a book perfect for reluctant readers in upper KS2. I would recommend it in particular to any child who enjoys the work of Roald Dahl
Mr Gum is a nasty man, “an absolute lazer who couldn’t be bothered with niceness and tidying and brushing his teeth�. His house is a complete mess. But he has the “prettiest, greeniest, floweriest, gardeniest garden�. This is not, however, because he enjoys gardening, but due to the frying pan wielding fairy living in his bath who whacks him if the garden isn’t perfect. This first book of the series sees Mr Gum hatching a plan to poison Jake the dog, who loves to roll around in the garden. Can Polly, a lovely girl of nine with “a smile as happy as the Bank of England�, save the day?
The outrageous illustrations by David Tazzyman, the nonsense words, little jokes and puzzles, comments on the book from within the book, and varied typescript, this is a book perfect for reluctant readers in upper KS2. I would recommend it in particular to any child who enjoys the work of Roald Dahl
May 15, 2015
Ihan ok. Poika (11v) tykkäsi äitiä enemmän ja lukin pikapikaa koko sarjan. Suuresti huvitti mm. luku nimeltä Herra Gummi juo kupillisen teetä, jossa herra Gummi joi kupillisen teetä. Piste. Myös ystävämme Pollyn sivun mittainen oikea nimi aiheutti hepulin. Kirjassa leikitään sillä mitä ja miten voi ja ei voi kirjoittaa. Kirjallisuuden konventioista ja koulun tiukoista ainekirjoitussäännöistä mennään raamit kaulassa ryskytellen sekä yli, ali, että läpi.
February 26, 2017
Deliciously ridiculous. The sort of book that some children will love for its silliness/randomness and I personally can't stand. But if it gets kids reading, who am I to judge? I was thinking "X in my class would love this" all the way through. But they're 7 & 8 and I'm in my 40s (so not target audience!) - I won't be reading it as a class novel but I will be recommending it to 1 or 2 boys who I'm sure will love it!
May 4, 2023
It’s shocking how many people think they’re funny when they weren’t the ones to write this book.
August 3, 2019
Hän piti puutarhansa jopa niin siistinä, että se oli koko Lamonen-Pulin viehkein, vehrein, kukkaisin ja puutarhaisin puutarha. Näin ihmeellinen se oli:
Ajattele numeroa yhden ja kymmenen välistä.
Kerro se viidellä.
Lisää kolmesataaviisikymmentä.
Vähennä yksitoista.
Heitä kaikki numerot pois.
Ajattele sitten ihmeellistä puutarhaa.
Millä tahansa numerolla aloititkin, ajattelet nyt ihmeellistä puutarhaa. Ja juuri niin ihmeellinen oli herra Gummin puutarha.
Herra Gummi -sarjan ensimmäinen osa on ihan kiva ja nopsalukuinen pläjäys, täynnä mahtavaa nonsense-huumoria ja kielellä leikittelyä. Jokusen jutun olisi voinut lapsille suunnatusta tekstistä jättää poiskin (kuten "Minne se vanha herra Gummi meni?" hän kysyi. "Luultavasti juomaan päätään täyteen Ville Viljamin kanssa", Perjantai arvasi ja oli oikeassa.), mutta kaiken kaikkiaan tämä on hauska kirja - ja sopivassa mielentilassa luettuna varmastikin to-del-la-hauska. Saatanpa tarjota opusta myös kahdeksanvuotiaalleni ja siirtyä itse seuraavan osan kimppuun.
Perjantai oli juuri päässyt viimeisiin nuotteihin, kun puhelin soi. Perjantai juoksi vastaamaan, mutta myöhästyi, koska puhelin ei soinut hänen pirtissään, vaan Erja Nuhjuston kotona sadan mailin päässä. Erjan ystävä Maarit soitti. "Hei, Erja", Maarit sanoi. "Miten menee?"
Ajattele numeroa yhden ja kymmenen välistä.
Kerro se viidellä.
Lisää kolmesataaviisikymmentä.
Vähennä yksitoista.
Heitä kaikki numerot pois.
Ajattele sitten ihmeellistä puutarhaa.
Millä tahansa numerolla aloititkin, ajattelet nyt ihmeellistä puutarhaa. Ja juuri niin ihmeellinen oli herra Gummin puutarha.
Herra Gummi -sarjan ensimmäinen osa on ihan kiva ja nopsalukuinen pläjäys, täynnä mahtavaa nonsense-huumoria ja kielellä leikittelyä. Jokusen jutun olisi voinut lapsille suunnatusta tekstistä jättää poiskin (kuten "Minne se vanha herra Gummi meni?" hän kysyi. "Luultavasti juomaan päätään täyteen Ville Viljamin kanssa", Perjantai arvasi ja oli oikeassa.), mutta kaiken kaikkiaan tämä on hauska kirja - ja sopivassa mielentilassa luettuna varmastikin to-del-la-hauska. Saatanpa tarjota opusta myös kahdeksanvuotiaalleni ja siirtyä itse seuraavan osan kimppuun.
Perjantai oli juuri päässyt viimeisiin nuotteihin, kun puhelin soi. Perjantai juoksi vastaamaan, mutta myöhästyi, koska puhelin ei soinut hänen pirtissään, vaan Erja Nuhjuston kotona sadan mailin päässä. Erjan ystävä Maarit soitti. "Hei, Erja", Maarit sanoi. "Miten menee?"
December 17, 2018
Thank you, GR friend Laura, for recommending this on audio! It was perfect for my road trip today� I laughed out loud a lot. The author is the audiobook reader. While sometimes that turns out to be a bad idea, in this case, it was perfect.
The humor is droll and absurd, with the most deliberately nonsensical similes I’ve ever heard. Characterization of the baddies is grotesque in a style similar to Roald Dahl’s.
Oddly, I’m not sure who to recommend this to, other than adults who like children’s books. It’s clearly a children’s book, but Mr. Gum really is a bad man who plots something pretty horrific against the town’s beloved stray dog. It would have upset me greatly when I was a child. I’m not a parent, but I am an aunty who gives books as gifts, and I think I’d be more likely to give this to my grown nieces and nephews (on audio, of course).
It was great fun for me, anyway, and I would recommend it to fans of Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl.
The humor is droll and absurd, with the most deliberately nonsensical similes I’ve ever heard. Characterization of the baddies is grotesque in a style similar to Roald Dahl’s.
Oddly, I’m not sure who to recommend this to, other than adults who like children’s books. It’s clearly a children’s book, but Mr. Gum really is a bad man who plots something pretty horrific against the town’s beloved stray dog. It would have upset me greatly when I was a child. I’m not a parent, but I am an aunty who gives books as gifts, and I think I’d be more likely to give this to my grown nieces and nephews (on audio, of course).
It was great fun for me, anyway, and I would recommend it to fans of Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl.
April 20, 2020
I read this book by reading it to a Year 3 class over the course of a placement during teacher training. It was entertaining for myself by also, the class found it a hilarious read. They were fully engaged with the story and had good memories about what had happened in the story whilst trying to predict what was going to happen next. The book it almost made to be read to a class or to someone else, as a lot of the different aspects the reader would pick up through the text are they explained to the listeners e.g. Engerland is written as such and then explained in the next sentence so that the listener knows it was intended to be spelt and said in such a way.
May 6, 2023
Ich schreibe eine Review mit dem Titel “ich schreibe eine Review� die ich gerade schreibe.
( Außerdem hab ich noch eine andere Review mit dem Titel “aber die schreibe ich gerade nicht� geschrieben, aber die schreibe ich gerade nicht)
( Außerdem hab ich noch eine andere Review mit dem Titel “aber die schreibe ich gerade nicht� geschrieben, aber die schreibe ich gerade nicht)
November 22, 2017
Great year 3 text - very funny in a very clever way!
August 17, 2018
So, so, so funny. I laughed out loud multiple times.
October 19, 2018
I will explain!
March 10, 2020
Hilarious insanity!
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