Intermittently brilliant
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One of the most popular children's books in Australian history has remained a hidden gem over here, but while this story is at times side-splittingly funny - for adults as well as children - it is occasionally a chore to read.
The storyline, involving a band of wandering chums who are guarding a magic, but very rude and bad tempered, pudding is a delight. The numerous altercations between the central heroes and the rotten puddin' thieves (always solved by fisticuffs) are sure to have young ones rolling in the aisles, but the songs, THE CONSTANT SONGS, which sometimes run over page after page, can become a bind. I found myself skipping past them.
Another plus, however, are Lindsay's magnificent illustrations that are as fresh and lively as anything you'll ever find, even 90 years after its release.
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Quite possibly the funniest children's book ever
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This is quite simply not only one of the funniest children's books ever written, but one of the funniest books full-stop. The story of the band of mates, their extremely bad-tempered magic pudding and the incompetent pudding thieves is non-stop hilarious. It's great to read aloud to young kids, excellent reading for pre-teens and a good laugh for gloomy teens - it's unvarnished, knockabout anarchism is sure to appeal. For grown-ups -I swear don't read this in public unless you don't mind looking like a loon on the bus. The Aussies have kept this classic to themselves for too long. This edition is illustrated with Lindsay's own wonderful drawings.
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United Kingdom | 
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