Marge and the Great Train Escape by Isla Fisher and Eglantine Ceulemams (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

August 2017, Piccadilly Press, 144 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Book summary

Have you met Marge? She has rainbow hair, tells wild stories and she's the best babysitter in the whole world.

Things do SOMETIMES go off the rails when Marge is around but Jakey and Jemima don't mind that. After all, no one else could rescue a train, help Jakey's wobbly tooth or cause chaos at the zoo!

Nayu's thoughts

This absurd series goes from strength to strength with this 3rd installment. Marge and her rainbow coloured hair continues to brighten (and occasionally worry) Jemima, who like me is a stickler for some rules but usually comes around to Marge's enthusiasm for life as she looks after her and her little brother. This time round Marge comes up with creative ways to loosen a tooth which all readers will relate to wanting done (although possibly a case of don't try it at home). 

As for the train incident-that guard was an idiot to be scaring all the passengers in the way he did! While not harmless the obstruction wasn't a zombie, but at least Marge knew what to do. Then there was the zoo story, when Jemima is desperate to see her favorite animal but is very much aware she needs to keep lher little brother Jakey happy. Marge finds a way to make both of them and others happy with chaos involved. As usual I love Marge's craziness, how her wild ideas turn out mostly ok and somehow Jemima's parents don't react to any leftover mess from their adventures. 

My favourite part of the book isn't quite the story, but the 2 mice who are always doing things by Marge-sometimes there are words describing what they are doing, sometimes not. I love when they take a bath on the train and rub each other's backs! 

Suggested read

Be sure to read other books in this series including Marge and the Pirate Baby by Isla Fisher (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)