ReadItDaddy's Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 18th August 2017 - "Corpse Talk: Ground Breaking Scientists" by Adam and Lisa Murphy (David Fickling Books)

Our Picture Book of the Week is a sneaky early copy of something that once again quite literally digs into history to uncover brilliant mouldering minds in the coolest way possible...
Adam and Lisa Murphy's "Corpse Talk" has ended up being Charlotte's 'go to' way of learning about important historical figures for quite some time. In fact it's fair to say that she loved Corpse Talk way before she got into Horrible Histories, so I thought I'd sit her down and find out why she loves CT so much.

"He digs them up, talks to them, and finds out all sorts of amazing things about them!"

"They're dead, but they tell their own stories, it's better than reading about them in a history book!"

"Adam is SO funny!'

I can't disagree on any of those points, in fact I often wonder what it would have been like for me at school if I'd had a comic genius describing the likes of Marie Curie, Aristotle, Galileo and Einstein (to name but a few) to me in such a funny and fantastic way.

Adam Murphy is like a zombie puppetmaster version of Parkie (Michael Parkinson for those of you not quite old enough to remember when his chat show was staple fodder for celeb interviews, long before Graham Norton and his ilk came along). His wry writ and acute observations are the perfect foil for his undead figures of note, in this particular volume concentrating on scientists and philosophers, theorists and complete nutters who have made a name for themselves with their incredible ideas and discoveries.

Running as a semi-regular strip in The Phoenix Comic, Adam and Lisa have built up quite a catalogue of characters who have been placed under the spotlight. The real genius though, as Charlotte recognised and pointed out, is that you feel like these folk are right there in the room, justifying some of their more way-out ideas - and of course offering up a more human side to their lives than you'd probably glean from dry text. Adam's fantastic ability to step into their (squishy) shoes and voice them in this way really makes Corpse Talk truly unique.

Of course, stuffy folk who can't be doing with comics might turn up their noses. "They're dumbing down history for kids!" they might scoff. "It's not PROPER history!" they may sneer. But let me tell you, if there's ever been a better way of engaging kids with something hugely interesting and educational than digging 'em up and parading 'em around in an interview stylee I've yet to see it.

(PS Don't forget, you can still get Corpse Talk Seasons 1 and 2 as well! Click the links below to pick up your copies NOW!)

Charlotte's best bit: DEATH RAYS! Yes, I'm afraid she's become slightly obsessed with them (don't worry, I've checked the fire insurance on the house, I think we're covered).

Daddy's favourite bit: Where to start, oh where to start. Cleverly written, hilariously drawn, sharp as a porcupine's quill humour, and a bunch of dead guys and gals making us grin with their afterlife affectations and undead observations. Utterly and completely perfect.

"Corpse Talk: Ground Breaking Scientists" (even the title is ace!) is out on 7th September 2017, published by David Fickling Books (kindly supplied for review).