The World’s Worst Children

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Die humor is vlymskerp en word aangevul deur voetnotas; die gebruik van wisselende lettertipes en -groottes en prettige volkleurillustrasies. Klanke maak deel uit van die teks en sal ongetwyfeld bydra tot die vreugde van voorlees vir kleintjies (Dwa! Zzz! Swoesj! Kadwaa! Boing!). Verskeie woordspelings het my laat glimlag (Kinders as kunstenaars = KAK) en ‘n situasie in ‘n oorvol detensieklas (‘Hou op in my neus krap! Ek’s vreeslik jammer; ek dog dis myne!’) het my kliphard laat skater. It's a story that a very talented child could have written, and I mean this in a positive way - it's just the sort of book that comes out of the imagination of a primary school student, tapping into their interests.

It isn’t hard to see why David Walliams’ books so popular, and I can easily see this one becoming a fast favourite of many young readers.

Earnest Ernest

All very silly, children will blaze through these short chapters alone or with parents reading. A few stood out for one reason or another - a parent who takes all his kids' toys reminded me of the Lego Movie and the Dad who won't let his children play with the family set, a Supermum who was actually pretty sympathetic (I am a Mum, after all!). The one who hit home for me was the Dad who queue jumped. That was a good one for unloading all your wrath onto. With his poor, embarrassed children in tow. Die skrywer word (myns insiens tereg) deur die ‘Evening Standard’ met Roald Dahl vergelyk en ek kan nie wag om hierdie boek se pasmaat (‘Die aardigste kinders op aarde’) ook te lees nie. Beide is in Afrikaans vertaal deur Kobus Geldenhuys en is lieflike lywige boeke (meer as 300 bladsye) vir voor- én selflees vir kinders van 6 tot ouetehuis. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. I was genuinely laugh out loud funny, the stories were interesting and the illustrations were visually stunning. As an adult reading this book I had a wonderful reading experience, so I can only image the joy this book would bring to its target audience. The change to The World’s Worst Children follows the news that Kate Clanchy is set to rewrite her Orwell prize-winning book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me after criticism of her portrayal of children of colour. Her publisher Picador have not yet announced when the updated version will be published.

This story was the one I was most exited about. Tho it is the most creative one out of all of them.....I had higher expectations of the story..... Don't get me wrong! Its a great story! Just not my cup of tea. I don't want to go in detail in this one cause this is about a mom who clean bogs. Now...there is no shame in hard work! But the thing that happened next........THE BOGS WERE ALIVE! THEY WERE SWALLOWING HUMANS! That was a MAJOR surprise!

I am a massive fan of David Walliams’ books so I had high hopes for this book, and thankfully it not only lived up to my expectations it well and truly surpassed them. I don't blame this man queue are really irritating and my feet literally give up on me but I can probably go by one WITHOUT having my STANDING ON THE END, MY GLASSES STEAMING UP, MY NOSTRILS FLARING UP?, AND MY EARS FLAPPING?! I am not kidding around when I say that he went COO COO CRAZY when he sees queues. Again.... I would have given this story more if it wouldn't have been for the aunt and her teeth! WHO BITES THERE NEPHEW?! And Terry did take it too far from doing all the chaos he caused. And the Ross illustrations perfectly accompany - with glee! Nothing is off bounds, giant bogey balls, seas of spit, stink monsters, bottom burps (in full colour of course). David Walliams is at it again and after three volumes of The World’s Worst Children he turns his pen and mind to The World’s Worst Teachers. I have to say that I did very much enjoy these stories, with many reminding me of some of my worst teachers – this volume is told with Walliams usual wit and jovial brilliance, with oodles of bum and poo jokes it’s as if you’re on a school trip to the local sewage works. These amazing stories were illustrated by the fabulous Tony Ross, adding an extra dimension to David Walliams’ fantastic stories.

Don't get me wrong....this is a great story, but I didn't get how she is one of the worlds worst parent. She is her son's teacher but she isn't crazy about her son to become the no.1 student or be the top of his class. The story is basically about a mother who is her sons teacher as well but the son doesn't want the school to know that. Then he gets into a fight and his mother saves him and then he tells the entire school that Miss Tutelage is actually his mother. I am just not really big fan of this story personally. Sure, some parents are embarrassing – but they’re NOTHING on this lot. These are ten tales of the world’s most spectacularly silly mums and deliriously daft dads. Daar is Mnr Kwadraat; die Wiskunde-onderwyser wat balle (eintlik enigiets wat rond is) met ‘n passie haat; Mnr en Mev Liefie-Diefie, ‘n smoorverliefde paar onnies; Juf Draka, die bibliotekaresse wat op ‘n gevaarlike poegie rondjaag; Juf Ydel, ‘n verwaande Kuns-onderwyseres; Juf Siedend, die onderhoof wat woedend is omdat die 99-jarige hoof, Juf Kanniedood, nie wil aftree of doodgaan nie; Juf Palawer, die Drama-onderwyseres wat selfs ‘n verlore biblioteekboek dramaties aanspreek: ‘O boeklike boek ! Span jou vleuels soos ‘n duif en haas jou terug; ons kwyn sonder jou !’; die vuil Wetenskaponderwyser, Mnr Drek; die grootpratende sportonderwyser, Mnr Bielie, wat beweer hy kan ‘n kolhou op ‘n gholfbaan in Skotland slaan, selfs al slaan hy in Ierland af; Mev Spatt, die grillerige kostannie met die metaalhand, glasoog en houtbeen wat skottelgoed met haar pruik was en Mnr Fobie, die skoolhoof wat bang is vir kinders. It's all very entertaining, and a refreshing change from horrible children. I listened to the audiobook from our local library, on school runs. So we missed illustrations and visual lists, Tony Ross's usual high standard I expect. But we did get to hear the author reading his own work, and as usual, his acting experience and natural persona/charm/whatever you want to call it brings out the humour, the playing with language and just general insanity. I absolutely love this series even though the characters aren't exactly the type to appeal to anyone.

Dribbling Drew

Walliams great theatrical and comical mind goes into overdrive with this collection of ten short stories, many being outlandishly devilish and enjoyable to no end, but I couldn’t help but see many of the stories ending in the same way – with the teacher disappearing out of the school in a variety of ways, maybe this is because all children want rid of their teacher, but for me I found it quite predictable and after a couple it becomes a little (dare I say it) boring. My daughter who is nine also commented on this fact, but still bent over double whilst we read them, and I guess she is more his demographic, rather than a thirty-seven year old who doesn’t want to grow up!