Published: April 2020, Oxford University Press
👍👍👍👍👍
A victory pose is definitely in order. We have finished the first, long anticipated, Super Happy Magic Forest chapter book and it is a fizzing frolic of fun!
For those that are not familiar with Super Magic Happy Forest, it is a picture book bursting to the brim with super settings, hapless (or not so hapless) heroes and an epic quest to save the 'Magic Crystals of Life'. Told in a comic-style format, this 'Lord of the Ring' spoof is imaginative, hilarious and sparkles like sunbeams on the sea. Thank goodness the incredibly talented Matty Long added to the collection with Salty Dogs, Super Happy Frozen Forest and Super Happy Magic Forest: Slug of Doom. My son has requested them all.
The chapter book format didn't disappoint and is the perfect next step for those wanting more. The plot is deliciously fiendish yet drenched with a happy light-heartedness. The five heroes are loveable yet totally madcap. Trevor the Mushroom is a wonderful champion for disability, Blossom blasts apart gender stereotype and Herbert is a whizz at finding sprite jam. Who'd have thought?
To save the Rainbow Dragon and the whole of Super Happy Magic Forest from the festering, filth of the Humongous Fungus and his spores, the five heroes are entrusted by Gnomedalf and Shroomsworth to find five key ingredients for an antidote. But when the medicine fails to work, will they ever be able to stop the toxic spread of Fungellus' evil?
The story offers entertainment for the whole family. Aged from 4-40, we giggled, frolicked and quested with the heroes until we could quest no more and we found that the book does offer an antidote that works! It is a much needed dose of silliness to counteract these serious times.
We thought there were a few too many characters - some a bit similar to others - and weren't sure whether the 'Happiness Committee' were all needed. However, they offered some fun parodies to real life which added an extra layer for adult readers. The ice-cream tree, candyfloss cave and hugberry island were massive hits with my little ones and got them imagining other delicious places which they could add to the map. My four year old enjoyed the story so much, he is still delightfully carrying the book around with him whilst my autistic daughter, aged 9, is still giggling over the unicorn poop.
So to round things up: This is a slapstick sizzler of a story full of smiles, spores and 'fun guys'! We can't wait for the release of Happy Magic Forest and the Portals of Panic - coming October 1st 2020.
Pre-order available
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