📖 Overview
Mr. Gum and the Goblins follows the continuing adventures of Lamonic Bibber residents Friday O'Leary and her friend Jonathan Ripples. The two must confront the grumpy Mr. Gum and his ally Alan Taylor in their latest scheme involving a mountain and its mysterious inhabitants.
The story takes place in the quirky town of Lamonic Bibber and extends to the forbidding Mount Undercrumb. Friday and Jonathan navigate through encounters with goblins while trying to prevent Mr. Gum from carrying out his plans.
The third book in Andy Stanton's series maintains the absurdist humor and unconventional storytelling style established in previous volumes. The text includes random asides, deliberately silly descriptions, and breaking of the fourth wall.
This tale explores themes of friendship and courage while celebrating the power of embracing life's oddities. The story continues Stanton's tradition of combining nonsensical elements with genuine heart.
👀 Reviews
Readers call this third Mr Gum book just as funny and absurd as the previous installments, with many noting it maintains the same irreverent humor and bizarre characters. Parents report their children aged 7-11 particularly enjoy the silly names and nonsensical scenarios.
Likes:
- Fast-paced storytelling
- Chris Riddell's illustrations
- Creative wordplay and made-up terms
- Appealing to reluctant readers
Dislikes:
- Some parents find the humor too crude
- A few note the plot feels scattered
- References that may confuse younger readers
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.3/5 (1,200+ ratings)
Amazon UK: 4.7/5 (300+ ratings)
Amazon US: 4.6/5 (50+ ratings)
"Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl's humor" appears in multiple reviews. One teacher noted: "Gets even reluctant boy readers engaged with its gross-out jokes and weird characters." Some reviewers mention the book works better when read aloud to appreciate the wordplay.
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Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey Two fourth-graders transform their principal into a superhero who battles villains using toilet humor and outlandish schemes.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis An incompetent child detective and his imaginary polar bear partner solve mysteries while misinterpreting everything around them.
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy A clumsy witch stumbles through magical mishaps at a witch academy where nothing goes according to plan.
The Nothing to See Here Hotel by Steven Butler A boy manages a hotel for magical creatures where chaos unfolds through encounters with monsters, goblins, and peculiar guests.
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey Two fourth-graders transform their principal into a superhero who battles villains using toilet humor and outlandish schemes.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis An incompetent child detective and his imaginary polar bear partner solve mysteries while misinterpreting everything around them.
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy A clumsy witch stumbles through magical mishaps at a witch academy where nothing goes according to plan.
The Nothing to See Here Hotel by Steven Butler A boy manages a hotel for magical creatures where chaos unfolds through encounters with monsters, goblins, and peculiar guests.
🤔 Interesting facts
🌟 Andy Stanton wrote the first Mr Gum book on his phone while commuting to work on London buses
🌟 The Mr Gum series has been translated into 32 different languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide
🌟 In the book, Mr Gum and the goblins live in a place called Goblin Grotto, which was inspired by the author's childhood fear of caves
🌟 The character Friday O'Leary is named after the author's favorite day of the week and a brand of ice cream he enjoyed as a child
🌟 The book won the Red House Children's Book Award and was performed as a musical at the National Theatre in London in 2019