Friday 13 April 2018

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 13th April 2018: "Iguana Boy Saves the World: With a Triple Cheese Pizza" by James Bishop and Rikin Parekh (Hodder Children's Books) @hodderchildrens

Our Chapter Book of the Week is a super-powered mashup of heroes, lizards and our favourite food ever...
"Iguana Boy" by James Bishop and Rikin Parekh is only the second time we've ever seen reptiles and pizzas successfully mashed together to make awesome superpowered stories.

But you'll not find any teenage mutant ninja turtles in this book, just a boy and his iguana.

Dylan has wanted a superpower for as long as he can remember, especially since his brother and sister have got really cool ones.

But when his wish finally comes true, Dylan is MIGHTILY disappointed. For Dylan has become ... Iguana Boy. He can talk to Iguanas, which is quite the naffest super-power ever (C didn't agree though, she'd actually love to be able to talk to Iguanas but I fear she'd just invite them all home and upset mum!)

Dylan's plight is worsened by one Celina Shufflebottom, a super-villainess who makes Dolores Umbridge look like a kindly old Auntie. Celina kidnaps all the superheroes in London, but overlooks Dylan. Perhaps that's her biggest mistake. 

Dylan must now work out how to use his new team of chatty iguanas to save the day. He's going to have to think outside the box, (the pizza box), if he's going to become the hero he's always dreamed of.

This is so funny, tapping into our love of superheroes and pizza with aplomb, expertly ramping up the action and pace to frenetic proportions with one of the best supervillains we've seen in a long while too. C loved the mix of observational humour and complete haphazardness until Dylan begins to realise his destiny. It got us thinking about other crazy super-powers we'd love (for example the power to be able to conjure genuine italian pizza at will).

Don't miss this one. In the meantime our dinner's ready (triple-cheese pizza of course!) so get reading while we get scoffing!

"Iguana Boy" by James Bishop and Rikin Parekh is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).