Firstly, there’s her parents. How can she make sure that the other kids at school don’t realise her parents are so strange? Her dad makes compost for a living and her mother thinks leftover lentil burgers are perfect for her lunchbox. Having parents who are so in tune with nature they refuse to own a car or a TV isn't likely to help her social standing at school.
Then there is the fact that Darcy spent the money that was supposed to be donated to the Save-a-Species fundraiser on potato chips. Of course, they weren’t just ANY chips. They were Skippity Chips, the latest snack food craze that has made their creator a multimillionaire. How could she resist?
Oh, she also needs to work out how to deal with the talking frog who thinks she is an Earth Guardian who can discover what has happened to all the missing frogs. Just your everyday ‘save the delicate balance of the environment’ kind of thing.
It’s going to be a busy week.
Darcy Moon and the Deep-Fried Frogs presents a very clear environmental message about the importance of preserving the food chain and balance in the environment through an adventurous story filled with humour. Darcy is a reluctant hero, but she nevertheless comes up with an ingenious and entertaining plan to save the frogs and reveal the person responsible for their disappearance. In doing so, she also manages to stumble upon the secret ingredient that makes Skippity Chips so tasty. What could it be? You might be surprised.
The chapter format includes 12 black and white illustrations by Michael Scott Parkinson and the text is well suited to younger children who want the challenge of a more involved story. Darcy Moon and the Deep-Fried Frogs has a clear message about environmental sustainability that works well with the current school curriculum and there are teachers notes available.
I had some laugh out loud moments reading this story and would be interested to see Darcy Moon return for more environmental adventures in the future.
Title: Darcy Moon and the Deep-Fried Frogs
Author: Catherine Carvell
Illustrator: Michael Scott Parkinson
Publisher: Fremantle Press, $14.99 RRP
Publication Date: March 2014
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922089717
For ages: 6-10
Type: Junior Fiction
