His JUST! series of short stories has sold over two million copies worldwide and I can see why. Griffiths writing is just so much fun. His characters were so vivid in my mind that I was cheering, hissing and making little vom-vom noises at/with them.
In Just Crazy!, there are nine far-out stories, each one a little more kuckoo than the next with awesome side servings (literally most of the illustrations are in the margins) of Terry Dentons brilliant illustrations.
All of the stories revolve around Andy (a young Mr Griffiths perhaps?), his best friend Danny, Andy’s family and their poor and unsuspecting dog Sooty.
• Have you ever had a Band-Aid on for so long that you can’t tell where the Band-Aid ends and your skin begins?
• If your dog ate your homework, would you make him spew it back up again? If yes … how?
• What would you do if a joy ride on some helium balloons went wrong? If you had to lose an item of clothing in your travels, what would it be?
• What is the worst thing that could happen if you forget to put the bins out? Rats? Disease? Pestilence? Or perhaps Lisa Mackeny seeing you in your action man PJs?
• What on earth could go wrong whilst baby-sitting your slightly satanic little girl cousins?
• Have you ever had one of those dreams that feel really real? Like your best friend splitting into hundreds of mini Dannys or how about a gigantic Danny that eats you? You know, that old chestnut.
• There is a tale about how telling the truth could get you the girl … if you tell the truth, that is.
• Lastly just how many things have to wrong to turn your dad into a mudman?
If you are still not sure if this book is for you, click the link below to Pan Macmillian to read the handy blurb from the back cover. Or I could just make it easy for you and say click here.
Just Crazy! is so much fun and would be suitable for a wide range of reading levels. The comic-like illustrations and short stories make it so encouraging. If I haven’t convinced you yet of this book's brilliance how about this... it comes with free page numbers! What a bargin!
Andy Griffiths … HIGH FIVE!
- this review by Kelly Morton
Title: Just Crazy!
Author: Andy Griffiths
Illustrator: Terry Denton
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $14.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 August 2000
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780330362153
For ages: Junior Fiction
Type: Short Stories
