Georgia's parents are beside themselves. The police are useless. And of course, no one believes Georgia for a moment. Yes, a dragon stole their house with a toddler inside. Riiiiight...
Frustrated, Georgia ropes in younger brother Henry and takes matters into her own hands--to seek out that dragon and rescue what is rightfully theirs. As a bunch of useless adults sit about waiting, it's a joy to see these kids not only find that dragon, but set about repairing injustice.
Georgia is a wonderfully non-stereotypical main character with short, spiky hair, shorts and a great sense of adventure and courage. Her determination and cleverness is both inspiring and heart-warming, as is her relationship with the dragon and the way she embraces the changes that come with the story's resolution.
Kim Gamble's whimsical illustrations are charm personified, and beautifully carry the magical realism text, which I must say, is some of the best junior fiction writing I've had the pleasure to read in quite some time. With a humorous and unique voice, Cate Whittle writes a story that's both well-crafted and economic, but still retains its quirk and beautiful language and word placement. It's wonderful to see publishers of junior fiction books stack the shelves with books that both celebrate story AND glorious writing.
Trouble at Home will soon be followed by three more books in the series - Trouble and the Missing Cat, Trouble and the New Kid and Trouble and the Exploding House. I'm so looking forward to where Cate's lyrical writing and fabulous characters take us next.
Title: Trouble at Home
Author: Cate Whittle
Illustrator: Kim Gamble
Publisher: Omnibus, $9.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 February 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781742990767
For ages: 6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction