Most books arrive at ReadItDaddy Towers and are patiently put on our "to be reviewed" pile. Some books are grabbed with a whoop of glee by Charlotte and read straight away (which means I get to read them with her again sometime later, with commentary on all the ''good bits")
So it was with "The Queen's Handbag", Steve Antony's rollicking and crazy sequel to the brilliant "The Queen's Hat" (which deservedly won a truckload of awards AND meant that Steve got to meet Gillian Anderson, the lucky blighter!)
The Queen is off on a tour of the country and as she sits resplendent in her state coach, a rather naughty swan swoops down from the sky and nips off with the queen's handbag. HORRORS!
As you know, Madge (we love calling her Madge) isn't the sort of gal to sit by and let a naughty robber swan make off with her property, so before you can blink she gives chase in a rather nifty red sports car - followed even more swiftly by the country's police force, and her long suffering butler (and rather cool little corgi joining in the chase too!)
The swan leads the queen on a merry dance all over the country, trailing across Stonehenge in a fabulous motorbike and sidecar, zooming through our home town Oxford on bikes, whizzing through Edinburgh and all the way back to London before catching up with the nefarious feathered criminal at the end of the London Marathon. Where on earth does Madge get her energy!!
Steve is an utter genius, serving up a hilarious story that cracks along at a heck of a pace with every single scene chock full of the most brilliantly funny little details, ensuring your children will have plenty to look at and laugh at as they read.
You can almost picture next year's various children's book awards once again featuring Mr Antony's work, so we'll join in and also give this fab book our highest accolade.
Don't miss our review of "The Queen's Hat" by the way!
Charlotte's favourite bit: Sharp eyes spotting an alien, peeping out from behind one of the stone menhirs at Stonehenge.
Daddy's favourite bit: A brilliant, chaotic and hilarious country-wide chase. Steve has done it again!
(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)
"The Queen's Handbag"
Written and Illustrated by Steve Antony
Published by Hodder Children's Books
Release Date: 1st October 2015