'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Fluff: Mess up!

Gilbert and Fluff are back in another hilarious instalment in Matt Stanton’s Fluff series. 

This time Gilbert and Fluff have made a huge mess after "accidently" getting in a food fight. It happens, right?

Mum isn't pleased and tasks them with spending Saturday cleaning the family’s caravan. 

Of course, this isn’t exactly how Gilbert and Fluff want to spend their Saturday. They’d much rather be sipping on banana smoothies.

They come up with a genius plan to get the caravan cleaned up without having to clean it themselves. But, in usual Fluff and Gilbert style, one problem leads to another problem which leads to another problem. Each bigger than the last, until they end up with a jumbo jet-sized problem they don’t know how to get out of.

Fluff Mess Up! is a hilarious and fast-paced junior fiction story for fans of chaos and craziness. Gilbert and Fluff love pushing the limits, and the story explores just how far they can go.

The characters Stanton has created here are unique and highly entertaining. Fluff, a giant rabbit and Gilbert’s best friend, is unlike any character you’ve met. He's cheeky, naughty and usually a bad influence, which results in calamity and mayhem. Gilbert, too, is fun, funny and always ready for the next adventure (or problem to solve).

The way Stanton pushes reality in these books is brilliant. A giant talking rabbit for a best friend isn’t something I’m aware you can have, but it is in this story world. The escalation of the problems often result in things that in reality just couldn't happen, but they happen in this story world. The silliness is wild, addictive and entertaining. These books don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re a super fun read.

They’re also great for kids who like less words and more pictures. The text is minimal, and the bold black and white illustrations throughout help kids immerse their minds in the story.

This is a great book, part of a great series, for junior readers.

Title: Fluff: Mess up!
Author/Illustrator: Matt Stanton
Publisher: Harper Collins, $11.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460714331
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction