Boobela and the belching giant
by Joe Friedman

Release Date: 4th Oct 2007
Publisher: Orion
ISBN: 978 1 84255 540 8
RRP: £5.99

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A collection of wormy tales

My tail end is parked precipitously on the fence with this collection of short stories about Boobela’s adventures – and I’m staying there.
I can full well appreciate where Friedman is coming from, with his well intentioned expulsions on how one should behave and think...but as my mother used to say: many a wriggle has taken well intentioned worms into sticky beaks (of the feathered friend variety).

I think it is worth congratulating Friedman for attempting a single-handed attempt at reviving the moralistic tale (whether it is intentional or not), but for me is comes at a price - and a heavy one at that... with too much emphasis on expounding desirable behaviours and insufficient plot. ‘The Bet’ is a prime example. Besides, it galls me that there is another upstart worm trying to tell people what to think – when that it strictly the provenance of Words Worms. Throughout the ages, it has been Words that have transfixed and transformed the human world and it is outrageous that some relative unknown is attempting to usurp our position – a position we guard most jealously. Should Vivian Alfonso Ludwig Smartworm care to step out over this issue – I would be only too happy to oblige (being of studier build and a more bulwark stance, I believe I have the upper hand). Enough blustering though...

Boobela is a charming young giant, if not somewhat misguided and naive, which is surely not an accurate description of the average youngster these days? I can see the appeal for parents who are keen to blinker themselves into believing that their offspring give a damn about making compost rather than kicking ass on a Nintendo Wii.

I would add that Sam Childs is exceptional. A rising star among illustrators that may well equal Quentin Blake. Sam – you may illustrate me any day of the week (provided you flatter and flatten me around the girdle of course!).

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