ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 5th August 2016 - "The Phoenix Presents: Lost Tales" by Adam Murphy (David Fickling Books)

Our first Book of the Week this week reboots traditional lost folk tales in a hugely engaging way. Adam Murphy's sublime "Lost Tales"...
Normally you can find Adam Murphy breathing new life (quite literally) into dead historical figures with his fantastic and much celebrated "Corpse Talk" series for The Phoenix Comic.

If there's ever one series that's fuelled Charlotte's interest in history, it's that. So in "Lost Tales" Adam looks to do the same for an incredible selection of rare and overlooked folk tales from around the globe, giving them the "Murphy" treatment and presenting them in a fantastic comic strip format.

We were won over by this series when it was originally featured in the comics, but having them all collected together in this first volume is like having a gigantic cup of hot chocolate on a freezing cold day, with the world's biggest marshmallow dumped in it (according to Charlotte - she's at that age where most favourable analogies involve indulging her sweet tooth).

So over breakfast most mornings, she sat absolutely rapt by this. Stories as diverse as the fantastically funny tale of Daddy Wali, who renounces all riches but finds that good fortune isn't exactly easy to give away.

Then there's the tale of Donald McDonald, which is by far our favourite. The poor farmer, picked on by his immediate neighbours, uses his keen brain and wit to fend off their bullying attempts to throw him off his tiny scrap of land. Eventually the rotters come to a rather sticky end (hooray) and Donald wins out.

There are so many more, collected together and respun in Adam's unique style. Completely love the idea, and yet another addition to DFB's 'trophy cabinet' of Book of the Week wins. For anyone who still thinks comics aren't worth of attention, this is the sort of thing that could change your brain for good.

Charlotte's favourite bit: Donald McDonald cleverly outwitting a pair of horrid bullies! Hooray!

Daddy's favourite bit: A unique blend of dark humour, traditional storytelling and superb wibbly wobbly illustration. Adam is a flipping genius!

(Kindly sent to us for review by David Fickling Books)

"Lost Tales"

Written and Illustrated by Adam Murphy

Published by David Fickling Books

Publication Date: 4th August 2016