Jeremy Strong knows just how to pitch a story to junior readers and the three different adventures in this collection have all his hallmarks: exaggerated characters; bags of slapstick; fast, furious storytelling that still leaves children with something to think about. Pudding Lane Primary, as explained in the first story, is the proud owner of a pet ostrich, Iris aka Mad Iris. Iris is prone to get up close with things she likes (telephones, children) and doesn’t like (Pudding Lane’s football rivals, unpleasant school inspectors) and opportunities for fun are all explored! At the same time, Strong describes a budding KS2 romance, comments on today’s over-anxious parenting, and has a go at current teaching dogma. Sarah Horne’s illustrations catch the method in the madness and this is a star addition to Barrington Stoke’s excellent Conkers series.
The Conkers imprint has quickly and successfully established itself: offering the very best authors and illustrators, all heavily illustrated throughout, in a range of gorgeous formats.
Pudding Lane may be the only primary school in the UK with a real, live ostrich for a mascot. She comes to the school as an escapee from the ostrich farm and soon wins a place in the hearts of staff and pupils alike. Rival schools and Ofsted beware as Pudding Lane prepares to deploy its tall, feathery secret weapon against all comers.
Brilliantly illustrated in black-and-white by Sarah Horne, this Conkers edition includes jokes, quizzes and trace-and-cut-out activities including false moustaches.
