Attack of the Alien Dung!

I have to confess that, despite loving some of Gareth P. Jones's books (the Steam Punk Pirates for younger readers and Constable and Toop for older readers), I was somewhat put off by the cover of this book although I can see it appealing to boys of a certain age! The book introduces the key characters quickly and sets the scene for the series that this book is clearly meant to start. The story features a dog called Biskit, a detective dog who fits the profile of an brooding 80s cop, - I work alone - who is forced to work with a new cat partner to bring an alien threat to justice. The reference to dung in the title is slightly misleading as the alien that lands actually quickly takes the form of a devouring robot type creature, a fact that would probably attract quite a few readers. As I was reading I could see that those younger readers who have enjoyed the Oxford Project X alien adventure stories would connect with the adventure of this story. It is fast paced, has mild peril and some funny characters, my favourite being the pink mouse who is the equivalent of Q in James Bond. The story also gently probes the issues of discrimination and prejudice through the plight of the secretly homeless cat, Mitzy. The story, like many children's stories, ended with a success that hinged on an unlikely pairing working together as a team. In that sense it is nothing new but the story telling was enjoyable and the illustrations were good. It would be a good follow on from the 'Cows in Space' or 'Spy Dog' type books.

Suggested Reading Age 7+