From: Judith Ridge <judithr>
Date: Sun, 05 May 2002 23:50:16 +1000

Is Paul Jennings popular or widely read in the US? He has been for many years Australia's best-selling children's author, although I sense that his popularity here is diminishing somewhat.

Jennings began writing in direct response to his own son's hatred of
"readers". His son, an early teen at the time, had reading difficulties, and apparently once threw a reader across the room in deep frustration, complaining it was a "baby's book". Jennings began to write high interest stories for reluctant readers, and soon found a huge mainstream audience of readers of all abilities. His stories are by and large quirky and funny, and usually feature a "twist in the tail".

Another highly popular Australian writer of humorous fiction for children is Morris Gleitzman. Jennings and Gleitzman have also collaborated on a couple of Stephen King style "novels by instalment". And in a similar vein to Jennings, Andy Griffiths has found favour with young readers with short story collections like "Just Kidding" and "Just Amazing" and his most recent best-selling novel "The Day My Bum Went Psycho". Which reminds me of a little gem of a book, Tim Winton's "The Bugalugs Bum Thief", in which everyone in the town of Bugalugs has their bum stolen overnight. So scatalogical humour has a firm place in the affection of (many) Australian children!

Other Australian writers of humour for children include:

Geoffrey McSkimmings' "Cairo Jim" series. Cairo Jim is a "well-known archaeologist and little known poet" whose companions are Doris, a talking Macaw and Brenda the Wonder Camel, and whose nemesis is Neptune Bone, a rival archaeologist of nefarious intent. The books are loosely set in the 1930s and each feature an archaeological "incident" in countries like Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Peru. The humour is largely linguistic, as well as situational, although McSkimming also has a serious mission to promote the proper guardianship of ancient historical artifacts and sites of significance.

Nick Earls write humorous fiction for adults and young adults. His books, such as "48 Shades of Brown", tend to deal with relationships - young men navigating their way through the bitter-sweetness of first love and sexual experiences. Similarly, but for a slightly younger readership, John Larkin deals with male adolescence with self?precating humour.

Elizabeth Honey writes wonderful novels for younger readers - 9 year olds, loosely - which balance moments of uproarious humour with serious issues such as the environment, teacher-student bullying, community and family. I know that "Don't Pat the Wombat" was published in the US.

Pamela Freeman's "Victor's Quest" is about a Prince who is not very bright, but is very brave and good. Victor sets out to find a Princess to marry, and has some hilarious and poignant adventures along the way, particularly when he meets a bad-tempered but witty bat called Carruthers. Children adore this book, and find it seriously funny too!

Certain scenes in Ethel Turner's classic 1890s Australian children's novel,
"Seven Little Australians", are guaranteed to make you howl with laughter. Others are guaranteed to make you howl with tears.

A very funny series of short novels in verse for younger readers has been published by Australia's ABC Books (the ABC being our national public broadcaster, which has a commercial branch that publishes books, music, videos etc). The series is called "Crazy Tales" and features titles such as
"Rodney's Runaway Nose" and "Quentin's Lunch." The humour is "gross out", but they are cleverly written (by various authors) and superbly illustrated by one of our best humorous illustrators, Stephen Axelsen.

A favourite funny book of mine is Emily Rodda's "Bob the Builder and the Elves". This is NOT the Bob the Builder of BBC TV fame - is that Bob known in the States? Rodda's Bob book was published before the OTHER Bob the Builder gained fame and fortune. In real life, Rodda's husband's name is Bob and he is a builder. In the book, Bob finds his house infested with Elves, who oh so helpfully wash his work clothes and shine his work boots - very embarrassing for a working man. All ends happily with the assistance of Bob's neighbour and love interest, a librarian named Lily who helps Bob solve his Elf problem. Aren't librarians wonderful!

Some great funny Aussie picture books include "Billy the Punk" by Jessica Carroll (written when she was 13) and illustrated by Craig Smith, also a fine illustrator of humorous texts, Rod Clement's "Grandpa's Teeth" and
"Counting on Frank". Tohby Riddle writes and illustrates funny-yet-melancholic books like "The Great Escape from City Zoo" and "The Singing Hat". There are many others. I'll think of some more and post again, if anyone can tolerate another long-winded Australian contribution.

Some non-Australian books that have recently made me laugh include:

Wiesner's The Three Pigs

The Great Gracey Chase

Arlene Sardine (thanks, Monica, who put me on to it last year)

Cynthia Voigt's "Born to be Bad" series (has anyone read "Bad Girls in Love"? It hasn't hit our shores yet)

Anything whatsoever by the sublime, superb Lauren Child (I have frequently embarrassed myself in public laughing out loud at her Clarice Bean books).

and I always laugh as much as I cry (and wince) at Louise Fitzhugh's
"Harriet the Spy" and "The Long Secret".

and Diana Wynne Jones is so funny, so clever, so wise, so inventive. And isn't that so much more than we can ask of a truly great writer of children's books?

Judith Ridge Sydney, Australia
Received on Sun 05 May 2002 08:50:16 AM CDT