Curly tales: Short stories with a twist by Bill Condon
Ill. by Dave Atze. Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9781925520590
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Proverbs. Animal stories. Humour.
Think about these twisted proverbs and sayings - 'the whirlybird
catches the worm' and 'curiosity chilled the cat'. Laugh aloud as
you read Bill Condon's Curly tales: Short stories with a twist;
these humorous animal stories are perfect for sharing with family,
friends and classmates. Fun settings, silly situations, talking
animals and crazy antics make up these creative twists on familiar
wise mottos.
Arty Smartypants and his team of fifty nifty muscled mice outsmart
bad to the bone Big Charlie the cat in 'Curiosity and the Cat'.
There is a trail of tiny fish nibbles, one large smelly fish and an
open freezer door all ready to trap the mean feline in this simple
quirky story.
The 8.35 Labrador to the city is packed with fleas including dad
Irving and sad little Fifi, who has read human stories about their
boring lives. Dad cheers his daughter up with a special concert.
After a fast ride in the city, they end up on the orchestra
conductor's shoulder and Irving dances on her nose and she wildly
waves the baton. A visit to watch the acrobats, jugglers, clowns and
other Flea Circus acts cheers little Fifi up and Dad notices her
change in mood. She is happy now and Irving ends with this wise
proverb, 'the best things in life are flea!
Harry Hairybutt the gorilla tests his friend nerdy gorilla Egbert in
the cautionary tale of 'a friend when kneed is a friend indeed!'
Condon's ridiculous characters include: Winston and Clemmy Love, the
not so typical senior citizen bunnies, Gerald the grasshopper who
picnics on Luigi de Lion's back and orphaned Nifty Neville the
giraffe being raised by Pip and Pete the Shetland ponies.
Curly tales: Short stories with a twist supports the Year 1-3
English Curriculum where students engage with a variety of texts for
enjoyment and create a range of imaginative stories based on
Condon's tales. With large easy to read fonts of different sizes and
styles and David Atze's funny cartoons this is just right for
younger novel readers.
Rhyllis Bignell