You’re a great man

A very quick book recommendation, mainly to take away the self pitying grumpiness of the last post.

The children and I have just finished reading the marvellous: ‘You’re A Bad Man, Mr. Gum’ by Andy Stanton.

It is a work of unmitigated genius, if you like silly jokes, colloquial writing and pure bizarre stream of consciousness it is the book for you.

It is very short. Had I been reading it on my own, I would have finished it in an hour, to an hour and a half tops.  You could easily fit it into your busy schedule if you try.

It is so funny it actually made me laugh out loud this evening, Given that I have lost my temper with the children to a shame making level this evening, and am feeling like a bear with a sore head, you will appreciate the genius.

The story, very simply is about a horrible, horrible man, called Mr. Gum.  He is like a more wily and cunning version of Mr. Twit.  Mr. Gum has a terrifically neat garden, not because he likes gardening, but because he has a garden proud fairy living in his neighbourhood, and if his garden gets messy, she comes over to his house and repeatedly bashes him on the head with a frying pan until he has cleaned it up.

All is well in Mr. Gum’s horrible world, until the biggest dog in the world, Jake, comes round and takes a shine to Mr. Gum’s garden, which he then persists in digging up.  Mr. Gum has had quite enough of being smashed about the head with kitchen implements and decides to take his revenge on Jake.

It is all very, very silly, but hugely funny and irreverent and written in this wonderfully dynamic and energetic style that I loved.  There are lots in the series and we have been to the library to get more.  We are developing a Mr. Gum habit.

We think you should too.

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