Wednesday, 17 January 2018
I Love You, Stick Insect by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (Bloomsbury Publishing)
At least for Stick Insects. My earliest memory of "School Pets" was a tank full of these weird blighters. For some reason, they were deemed the most interesting pets for a classroom of kids who (certainly in primary school for me at least) had no real experience of animals other than dogs and cats.
Our heroic lovelorn figure in "I Love You, Stick Insect" by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros has fallen head over heels in love.
That wouldn't be such a bad thing, love is a fine thing and worth fighting for after all. Only Stick Insect's perfect new partner is...er, a stick.
No not a stick insect, a real honest-to-goodness stick.
The story hinges on the perfect awkwardness of seeing someone so blissfully happy in their ignorance that their friends don't know if it's the right thing to do - to break the spell, to tell the poor lovesick individual the truth. You know what it's like when you're the friend of someone who is so recklessly intent on their love that they do not see disaster ahead.
Needless to say, Stick Insect's story DOES actually have a happy ending (which we won't spoil for you). It looks like 2018 is kicking off with a truly original picture book that steps sideways away from the norm, offering up a beautiful story with heart. Oh, and sticks.
C's best bit: Stick insect's perfectly blissful ignorance.
Daddy's favourite bit: A hugely original idea this, though there is a lesson for us all here about unrequited love and the value of your friends giving you the odd wake up call from time to time. Nicely done Chris, nicely done!
"I Love You, Stick Insect" by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros is out now, published by Bloomsbury (kindly supplied for review).
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