Claer Barrett Review

Review:
Billy Bonkel is the embodiment of our PlayStation generation - a young boy who totally lacks imagination. Worse, he dismisses everything around him as `boring' (sound familiar?) If you buy this book, there is an outside chance that it will prise your own offspring away from their consoles, from whence they will be catapulted into a magical world of adventure that author Tony Joyce so brilliantly creates. Billy's adventures begin when he bangs his head, and falls down a tree stump. Finding himself inside a labyrinth of caves, he has to use all his skill and cunning to navigate through a series of dangerous and engrossing adventures. The petulant child metamorphoses into a brave hero as he grapples with tough questions, wins the trust of strangers, and outwits a series of dastardly adversaries - including giant spiders, evil eagles, and a haunted theme park - learning important lessons as he goes. Joyce's own imagination knows no bounds, and his visual style of storytelling means the book works fantastically well read aloud. The short chapter format makes it less daunting for reluctant readers to tackle alone. But be warned - Billy's adventures are so engrossing they resulted in me having an adventure of my own. Reading the book on the tube home from work, I missed two stops and ended up in Mile End.