PESTS: Book 1

By Author / Illustrator

Emer Stamp

Genre

Animals

Age range(s)

Publisher

Hachette Children's Group

ISBN

9781444949629

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-04-2020

Synopsis

'Riotously funny, with enough expressive drawings and poo jokes to delight Pig fans as well as new readers' - The Guardian

When the lights go off, the PESTS come out! Meet Stix, the tiny but heroic mouse who might be living behind your washing machine. But is he naughty enough to join the PESTS? Stix is the size of an egg cup, can jump the width of a dog's bottom, and LOVES cheese. That's because Stix is a mouse. He probably lives behind your washing machine, but you wouldn't know it, because his grandma taught him to always stay out of trouble and NEVER let the humans know he's there. But now Stix has stumbled across PESTS - the Peewit Educatorium for Seriously Terrible Scoundrels - in the basement of his building, and along with a whole host of new pesty friends (and enemies), he's about to rip up Grandma's rule book and make a REAL pest of himself...

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Reviews

A fun and charming story of an adventurous mouse called Stix. He's the tiny size of an egg cup and his life revolves around sneaking out from his home (in a kitchen, behind a washing machine) at night with his beloved Grandma. Together they scurry for food but security conscious Grandma insists on strict rules to ensure they are never spotted by humans; a trace equals a trap.

Young Stix's curious mind and secret outings to practise his acrobatic skills, however, lead him straight into trouble and straight into the path of cunning, mean, sly rat Maximus. Maximus' cavalier biscuit crumb spraying antics in Stix's kitchen lets the humans know they aren't alone and Stix and Grandma's lives are put at risk as Nuke A Pest are summoned!

Forced to flee, Stix finds surprise friendship and education in the Peewit Educatorium for Serious Terrible Scoundrels (PESTS) in the basement . There he meets some fabulously named creatures ( Dug the mole, Underlay the carpet beetle ) and their pigeon professor Dr Krapotkin, who all show Stix that being a pest with PEST can be harmless fun and not all living in fear.

PESTS is a funny, fast-paced story of animal antics. There's plenty of toilet/poo jokes to please the younger reader, although the poo proves central to the plot here with an evil cockroach Prof Armageddon on a mission to destroy the humans homes.

Stix makes a lovely sweet, eager hero who grows in confidence and leads his little gang of cheeky creature classmates to the rescue. Lovely illustrations throughout the book bring the cast of characters to life.

PESTS will most definitely be coming out in our school when this book appears!

192 pages / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, HLTA