Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Who Ate Auntie Iris? by Sean Taylor & Hannah Shaw (Children's, Picture book, 9/10)



April 2012, Janetta Otter-Barry Books
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: living in a block of flats, appearances can be deceiving, perception of certain animals, lots of fear, constant unseen peril

Summary from Frances Lincoln
One little chinchilla loves going to visit Auntie Iris - but there's danger in the air at the block of flats where Auntie Iris lives. . .There are bears on the first floor, crocodiles on the second floor, wolves on the third floor. Then one day, when Auntie Iris goes down to put out the rubbish - she doesn't come back! 

Who ate Auntie Iris? Little Chinchilla bravely goes to find out. But who are the new neighbours on the fourth floor - and could they have something to do with Auntie Iris's disappearance?


Nayuleska's thoughts

I get spooked easily, and as Im writing this review I'm a bit on edge, which proves the book is well written. I was scared for the chinchilla searching for their auntie with the type of neighbours that are about. All of them are meat eaters! I felt more at ease when I saw into their lives as the investigation continued, but the silhouettes at the front of the book and the colour images (revealing what the silhouettes were) are creepy. 

Auntie Iris must either be hard up or very stupid to be the only vegetarian animal in the flats. It doesn't give her much security and I'm still scared for. I make this a 9/10 read - I'm mostly ok with being freaked out like this but usually endings feel happier than this one did.

You can find out more on Sean's website and Hannah's website.

Suggested read

For more thrills check out the awesome granny who saves everyone with her axe in Giles Paley Phillips' The Fearsome Beastie


No comments: