Well, the name may be a bit of a mouthful but this latest Gorgeous George story is an easy read that will delight tweens and even teens because it has the eurgh-factor ! Bucketloads of it in fact - there's snot, sick, wee, farts, burps, poo, even piles, all of which will undoubtedly have young readers giggling their heads off. Even as a grown-up, I couldn't help but stifle a snigger when reading the poem about an army of "jobbies" !
Author Stuart Reid, described as 40-something going on fourteen, has the perfect partner in crime in illustrator Calvin Innes, who brings his yuckiest situations to life in his inimitable drawings !
The story is based in Scotland and Scottish stereotypes abound. We have porridge championships, Loch Ness monster hunting, haggis and redheads on almost every page. As the author is a Scotsman himself though, this just comes across as a light-hearted look at his homeland and isn't as potentially offensive as it could be if it was coming from a Southerner !
Plotwise, Grandpa Jock heads off to Bonny Scotland with Gorgeous George, Crayon Kenny and the rather more sensible Allison in tow for a little camping trip and to enter the porridge championships. The unidentifiable unsinkable underpants of the title are the rather clever underwear that he has devised using inflated whoopee cushions to ease his piles ! All manner of strange things are going on though - the water level in the Scottish lochs is rising while the lakes in England are drying up and the soil has taken on a mysterious smell of wee. When the hapless group go on a spot of Nessie-hunting, they're just asking for trouble and sure enough, they find what they are looking for. Unfortunately, just as it gets exciting, the book draws to a close and you'll have to buy part two to find out what happens next and get answers to all the puzzling questions.
star rating : 4/5 (but it'll be 5/5 if you're under 12 !)
RRP : £6.99
Disclosure : I received a copy of the book in order to write an honest review.
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