Review: 'Stuck' by Oliver Jeffers

One of the things that I love most about my four-year-old son Oscar is that he is very silly. He’s a laugh a minute, crazy as a cut snake, never have I met a kid so entertaining…

So it’s no surprise to me that he and I both loved the this super-funny book, Oliver Jeffer’s Stuck (HarperCollins).

This book is a laugh-out-loud joy! Even as I re-read it

on my own this morning, I find myself giggling away like a loon:

“It all began when Floyd got his kite stuck in a tree…

The trouble really began when he threw a shoe up to knock the kite loose,

and that got stuck too, followed by a ladder, a bucket of paint, the kitchen

sink…”

And so on and so forth until dear silly Floyd finds himself dealing with one

very over-crowded tree.

The story itself is quite reminiscent of that poor old lady who swallowed a

fly, but it’s so much funnier. The illustrations are engaging, bright and

slightly whimsical, the text is wonderfully kid-friendly, and the story is

fantastic to read out loud (as all good kids books should be!)

My favourite part of the story? It would have to be when Floyd’s recruits

his cat to ‘help’…

“Cats get stuck in trees all the time, but this was GETTING RIDICULOUS.”

Floyd’s ‘unique’ approach to problem-solving is entertaining to say the least, and Oliver Jeffers brand of story-telling is irreverent, child-like and one-of-a-kind, as you might well expect from an Australian-born, Irishman living in New York. You can find out a little more about Jeffers’ in this article from The Age.

As well as Stuck, I’m looking forward to adding Oliver’s newest title TheNew Jumper to the collection next month. In the meantime, I’d guess that Stuck will be on high rotation in our house.

Buy your own copy of Stuck, at the TBYL Store!

This book was reviewed by Mandi Johnston, for her blog That Book You Like

You may also enjoy a visit to the TBYL website www.thatbookyoulike.com.au for lots of bookish fun!