Author: Doug MacLeod
Publisher: Ford Street Publishers, A$19.95RRP
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 9781876462796
For ages: 7+
Type: Fiction
About: Reminiscent of periodicals of yore, My Extraordinary Life and Death is as unusual as it is giggle-inducing. Squared firmly in tongue-in-cheek humour, author MacLeod must have had a load of fun creating this book – essentially a collection of cartoon-like commentary, woven together around a series of vintage line drawings, plucked from a variety of creative origins.
Beginning with an opening page of a horrendously ugly decorative stone portal head, circa who-knows-when, we learn our hero was born in 1959. And he was not an attractive child – as evidenced by the very unattractive head.
Ensuing pages follow the character through an unfortunate and quite bizarre childhood, education, adulthood, children, old age and an untimely death from starvation – due wholly from the act of becoming a writer with the intention of becoming rich. You may laugh.
This book is a really clever compilation of dry humour – encapsulated in a life woven around nonsense, like slugs in birdcages, poisonous toadstools, sailing bears and elephants in the living room.
Nonsensical, charming and page-turning, adults will guffaw under their breath at the comedic perfection while kids will at first regard pictures with puzzlement before the penny farthing firmly drops and lots of pointing and commenting ensues at the craziness of this fun book. Perfect to flip through with the fam under the guise of some ‘quality family time’. Everyone will love it.
Be sure to head to the Ford Street website to make your own Extraordinary page!
Author website
This book can be bought online
