Pasta! A staple food that families up and down the country devour daily and not particularly interesting I hear you mutter! That’s where you’re mistaken as author Bryony Supper has taken this run of the mill cupboard staple and created a wonderful world filled with pasta inspired characters that even have their very own language! Aimed at younger readers she has already written 25 fun filled Pasta Kidz & Petz easy to read stories that all contain a different subtle moral or educational message to help prompt discussion during and after reading – kind of like hidden veg in your pasta sauce!
To date three of Bryony’s pasta inspired titles have been published and I was lucky enough to receive the latest release; The Boing Boing Bushes, to share with Leo. Check out what we thought in our review below.
Synopsis
Camilla Cannelloni and Felix Fusilli are organising the annual Pasta Games but the naughty Pastaball is hiding, so Camilla decides that the first game will be to see who can catch a Boing Boing Bush. Camilla Soon realises that it is cruel to catch wild things and lets it go. Then the Pasta Beasties suddenly arrive with the stolen Pastaball, but Camilla and Felix call the Pasta Petz who come and save the day!
The Boing Boing Bushes is the third book in the magical Pasta Kidz & Petz series.
Review
The first thing I have to say about this book is what an amazing imagination author Bryony must have create such a unique bunch of character’s as well as developing a special language alongside for them to speak. It’s a concept that immediately engaged us in the story and the world they live which is filled with some pretty crazy beasts including the Boing Boing Bushes and The Pasta Beasties.
Initially we were a little confused about the language the characters were using, however we discovered a handy ‘dictionary’ as the back of the book which soon put pay to our confusion! The story is fun and easy to follow with a subtle emphasis on friendship, compassion and empathy which are all important traits and behaviours to discuss with children. I really enjoy sharing books with Leo that help open the lines of communication as this title does so well.
The text is accompanied by bright, colourful and engaging illustrations provided by Julian Bray which truly bring the story and characters to life. At the back of the book there is a dedicated page introducing you to the whole Pasta Kidz & Petz crew who are depicted as you’d expect; according to the pasta they were inspired by.
We really enjoyed sharing this book and will certainly be seeking out some of the other titles in the future to see what other adventures the Pasta Kidz find themselves on!
About The Author
Bryony Supper, the creator of Pasta Kidz, trained as a professional actress at the Drama Studio, Ealing. From there she played a series of comedy roles and has a wide range of experience from The Rocky Horror Picture Show to stand-up comedy and children’s television – She was a regular on Tyne Tee’s Gimmee Five with Any & Dec, writing all her own material. For the past three years Bryony has been working on developing the Pasta Kidz book Series and brand.
East Midlands born Bryony is partnered with the charity When You Wish Upon A Star, Nottingham Forest FC and is currently in discussion with an animation company to bring the Pasta Kidz to life. Her ‘Pasta Language’ has been a great hit in local schools and ultimately her aim is to raise money to help children with life-threatening illnesses.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Purchase Links: Book 1: The Inventing Tubes*
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