There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book

There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book by Shelly Unwin
Illustrations by Vivienne To
Published by Allen & Unwin
Date: 26 September 2018
R.R.P. $19.99

If you open this book, WATCH OUT!  There is a baddie on the loose and the only one that can catch him is you – the reader.  He’s fast and cheeky, he hides and steals things along the way, especially when he realises he is being chased.  There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book is fun and interactive, encouraging you to NEE NAW and, will make you want to run to catch the cheeky raccoon.

Brilliance!

Shelly Unwin has again delighted the reader with her ability to bring books alive, creating an atmosphere of fun and waggishness.  There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book is her best yet and I am not only excited about this book, but for what she will delight us with in the future.

There are many things to love about this book.  It flows seamlessly, it rhymes and does so with finesse, the story entices the reader to quickly turn each page to see what happens next, and combined with the illustrations it is just so funny.

I am very much a fan of Vivienne To’s illustrations and also loved her creations in The Sloth Who Came To Stay.  She has captured the pace and fun of the story and has a talent for creating expressive faces on the characters which add to the whimsy of the story.  The cheekiness that she has managed to draw on the raccoon pulls you right into the adventure.

This book will make a perfect group storytime book and will have children laughing at the raccoons antics.  For the older children I imagine it would be fun to talk about what happens next in the story, and at the end creating their own adventure about what the baddie might get up to next.

Although this book is recommended for 3-6 year olds, I believe that other ages will enjoy this too.  There are not a lot of words on each page so would engage a 2 year old, and I know many 7 and 8 year olds that would get a lot of joy out of reading this book.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh, enjoys a well paced and engaging story, and is happy to chase a cheeky raccoon through a book.

Thank you Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

You can find out more about Shelly on her blog – Shelly Unwin