Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator

What have an inquisitive schoolboy, a mad bagpipe-playing trumping granddad and an insidious power company all got in common? The answer lies in the fabulous book "Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator" from indie publishers My Little Big Town. As we've previously mentioned in this blog, My Little Big Town handle the majority of publishing tasks in-house and GGatGGG is one of their flagship titles.

Though it's aimed at older children than my busy four year old (Four today! Happy Birthday Charlotte!), she had a lot of fun listening to me read extracts of the book, looking at Calvin Innes' quirky and humorous illustrations, and of course giggling like a drain at the trump-tastic gags in the book itself.

"Gorgeous" George is an ordinary everyday schoolboy who dotes on his slightly eccentric mad Scottish Granddad, Jock. When Granddad Jock mysteriously goes missing, leaving an enigmatic note behind, it's up to George and his new best friend Allison to try and solve the mystery.

Evil forces are at play in the sleepy town of Little Pumpington, and an evil power corporation, led by an insane, evil (and very wobbly) tyrant called Mr Watt, (aided and abetted by his strict schoolteacher wife and a grumpy janitor), have a great deal to do with the nefarious goings on.

A great romp peppered with plenty of plopping, farting and evil doings courtesy of Stuart Reid's fantastic imagination. Perfectly complimented by Calvin Innes illustrations which are great fun too, this is the sort of book that deserves to become a bit of a children's cult classic.

To compliment the book's launch, Stuart has been visiting schools to introduce children to the world of Gorgeous George, a fantastic idea that's sure to win the book many more fans.

As mentioned before, it's a great introduction to the My Little Big Town ethos, and definitely means we'll be keeping up with what they do in future. As to how the book ends, you'll have to delve into the world of Gorgeous George yourself!

Charlotte's best bit - Giggling about Grandad's trumping and bagpipe music

Daddy's favourite bit - The wonderful slow-burn build up of tension and the story to the fantastic conclusion (which I won't spoil).

Rating - 4 out of 5 stars