Today it is my turn on the blog tour
For an amazing new book
From the best selling and multi award winning
Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City
Peanut reminds me of my eldest daughter Esther. Brave, creative, able to create something out of nothing, magical, inspiring, loyal, and ready for adventure.
Little Bit reminds me of a mix of my younger daughters, Bea and Edie, brilliantly bright for her age, adores and looks up to her older sister but can totally hold her own with people of any age and in situations of any kind. Strong willed, determined, outspoken and super cute.
Rockwell reminds me of William. Anxious, fantastically clever with a maths and science mind, keen to be on time, stick to routine and do the right thing. Huge hearted and brilliant without meaning to be in a tricky situation.
I love so much about this brilliant new book from Rob Biddulph, but these three characters are the beating heart and beauty of the book. I adore them all and from the very first introduction to each of these individuals I was invested in them and their journey. They are wonderfully written and I am so excited that we will be able to get to know them more across this new trilogy from the creative genius behind #drawwithrob
This is a fast paced, adventure story, written in short chapters that are perfect to race through and easy to digest. This book is a joy to read aloud but I can also totally see my son curled up with this reading quietly but laughing loudly at various points in this brilliant tale of family, friendship, creativity, magic and adventure. Rob has created some amazing characters and has built a fantasy world inspired by art and artists that celebrates imagination and creativity in all its forms.
This book is a work of art. It has some incredible one liners, clever names, dream scenarios for children to experience through the characters of the book and a plethora of quotable catch phrases.
I have been grinning from ear to ear while reading the first instalment of Peanut’s story and have shared words, phrases and illustrations throughout my first read through of this brilliant book.
There are not enough superlatives to describe how much I have loved this book and how I cannot wait to read it again with my older two children. I know that it will appeal to my daughter’s love of art and making magic, and my son’s sense of humour. There are some wonderful comic moments in this story and also incredibly emotive poignant moments too.
Some legends are born,
others are drawn…Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can’t fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she’s stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers! Suddenly she’s pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad. Filled with magic, danger, friendship and art, Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City is a funny and exciting middle grade debut from the bestselling creative genius behind #DrawWithRob.
From the prologue this book grabs you. I love the art inspired figurative language. A simile and metaphor hunt in this book would be great fun and challenging children to create their own descriptions using art words or words linked to something that they are passionate about.
Rob sets scenes beautifully and lands you, the reader, right in the middle of each setting.
This book is designed with pizazz. The illustrations and feature pages are striking and the two colour palette is used to great effect. This is a book that hooks you in and keeps you wrapped tight in it’s magic spell page after page after glorious page.
Peanut is not happy. She hates her new school and life at home is not the same since her dad mysteriously disappeared. Her mum does not seem to care and the only person looking out for Peanut is Rockwell Riley, who is most definitely not her friend!
Peanut’s love for her Dad is beautiful and the bond between them is stunningly illustrated with Rob’s post it note collection. You can tell that this book was written by a loving father.
Peanut is sure her dad’s disappearance is suspicious and she is determined to prove it. Does her post it note collection from Dad hold the clues that she needs?
While looking through her collection Peanut finds something else. A pencil like no other. A pencil with magic powers. A pencil with which Peanut transports herself and Rockwell, and unknowingly Little Bit, to another world.
The amazing world of Chroma.
The magical land of Chroma is a genius idea and executed with perfection. My teacher mind feels the need to tell you that you could create an amazing art appreciation / art history curriculum centred around a map of Chroma. Different districts in the land are named after artists and key art techniques or tools. The Ink District, Die Brucke, Vincent Fields, Warholia, Cubeside.
Children could also add their own new areas to the land based on artists that they know. There is huge potential with this book for engaging children in creative responses to reading through art and writing. So much potential!
Arriving in Chroma Peanut, Rockwell and Little Bit meet Doodle, the scribbled dog, who completes the quartet who set off on a quest to find Peanut’s Dad.
Armed with Pencil Number One (aka Little Tail) they head off on their mission. As they cross the land of colour and creativity they come across many obstacles and problems that Peanut draws them out of with a little help from Rockwell’s maths and science knowledge and Little Bit’s genius mind. This adventure is every child’s dream. Filled with peril and danger as they evade the awesome baddies – the flying fish and the RAZERS! – who are acting on behalf of the evil villain Mr White who is trying to rid Chroma of all colour and creativity. But what does all of this have to do with Peanut’s Dad???
On their adventure the children meet the most wonderful cast of characters. Each one is unique but they did make me think of Narnia, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Land of Roar and the stories of Pages & Co.
Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City is one of the most clever middle grade adventure stories I have read. Clearly written from the heart, sharing a passion for art and creativity, this is a brilliant read.
I do not want to give too much away as I highly recommend that you read this book too. You will not regret it. I am certain that you will be buzzing with ideas and inspiration after reading it and that you will be as desperate as I am to tell everyone you know about Peanut and Rockwell and Chroma. And you will be waiting impatiently as I am, for news of book number two.
12 Reasons Why You Need To Read Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City
“Little Tail”
“PEEEEEEEEEAAAAAANUUUUUUUUUTTTT!”
“Wherever a flower blooms, so does hope.”
“Don’t get me wrong, computers are great and everything, but there is nothing like a bit of analogue action when it comes to learning.”
“Who or what are the Markmakers?”
“The kaleidoscoppi have been flying free in Chroma for centuries. It is said that their song has the power to inspire amazing ideas in whoever hears it.”
“Just trust in the physics.”
“By the wonder of wood!”
“Mankind will always need tables.”
“We love you, Jonathan Higginbottom.”
“Peanut gasped. Somewhere deep inside her brain, a penny, that had been teetering on a precipice for quite some time, finally dropped.”
“Love you forever x “