Written by Terrie Chilvers
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An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.
Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Lower Middle Grade KS1 Fiction.
This Sunday, besides the selfies, we are also the latest stop on the Book Blog Tour for this super fun, gastropod filled adventure.
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| Artwork © Brenda Figueroa |
AUTHOR: Terrie Chilvers
Illustrations by: Brenda Figueroa
Published by: Firefly Press
Publication date Paperback: 3 April 2025
Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978 191 544 4 882
UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99
Amazon KINDLE price: N/A
Pages: 151
Age range: 6+
SPOILER ALERT
Some as to plot direction and characters.
The plot
We meet our two snail protagonists, Fergus and Shelby, as they sit on the garden fence of their best human pal, Angela Miller. Fergus, one of the smallest snails in the area, is remonstrating. Today it is about the slug spar built by their human neighbour, Mr Hamilton. He has even been seen feeding the slugs grapes! Across the land slugs are getting lots of positive coverage, and humans are being encouraged to let slugs eat their best crops. Even the UK Prime Minister is fighting the slugs corner. Rumour has it there is now a sign up at the local allotments banning snails.
The only person that now seems to love snails is Angela. She feeds them daily with a nice bowl of salad. She doesn't even mind when they nibble her fresh lettuce. At least Fergus, and Shelby who doesn't seem at all bothered by the slug issue, have their own little paradise.
Well, that is until Gavin the slug slithers by and announces their garden is going to be bulldozed to create a slug salad bar! In fact the back gardens in the street are all going to turned over to the slugs. One is even being made into a slug disco!
As the bulldozers are due to rumble in the following day, Fergus and Shelby have limited time to save their home.
Now, how might two snails on a mission get to change peoples minds when humans cant speak snail? The answer is they decide to get hold of the UK Prime Minister, the ultimate power in the land, and the one who can stop this travesty.
They, well, Shelby thinks up a plan, but they first need to get to 10 Downing Street to deliver their message. Shelby's plan to use the bus is dismissed as it would take way too long. Then Shelby suggests they use their Mega-Morphing abilities.
This ability is news to Fergus. But it seems when there was a lightning storm some days earlier, and the puddle they were in took a zap of power, the snails got the ability to change into anything, or anyone! All they have to do is say in their heads three times the name of the person or object they want to become, then they morph. As simple as that. Or maybe not as simple when you morph into humans and get legs!
From this startling discovery that Shelby forgot to mention, our two snails set off on a course of action that is anything but regular, but very very. Their mission to save their garden quickly changes to one to save not only Angela, but also all of human kind from a fate worse than death– being turned into a lettuce!
The perps of this scary scheme are none other than the UK Prime Minster and her sidekick, the Deputy PM!
If I say any more I will end up on a slippery and slimy slope and reveal far too much. Needless to say, the best and tastiest parts of this lettuce adventure story are ahead of you. Oh, and be prepared to never look a lemon drizzle cake the same way ever again!
So, what did we think?
For anyone who has read and enjoyed Terrie's earlier adventures featuring two loveable canines, Michael (the Amazing Mind Reading Sausage Dog) and Stanley Big Dog, this series is a must. Read our review of Book 1 HERE. Read the review of Book 2 HERE.
I happily described the humour of those first books as slightly Laurel and Hardy and vauderville-esq.
These two new characters not only bring a new dynamic in motion and outlook, but also the ability to morph and interact with their world of humans in a very different way.
As a result, the humour is noticeably different, but equally as fun. The dynamic between Fergus and Shelby is more like a comedy soap opera couple from some years (possibly decades) back. And I found myself wondering how they get along and stay together. But together they are, for better or worse, and it does work well.
Fergus is definitely of the stress-head cum perfectionist kind. As such he worries needlessly. Shelby, however, is laid back and cleverer than she seems or knows. Yet she is also a bit naive and happy to muddle along and slither through on her own forgetful path. Opposites attract maybe? Well, at the end of the day it is the very interaction and responses to situations that bring the charm and opportunity for Terrie's humour style to shine through.
The plot is really fun, and had a great Sci-Fi adventure and Dr Who vibe. Which I think will be very appealing to the younger readers as well as the adults that will share the reading with them.
The artwork from Brenda is spot on. The cover is magical and clever. It took a while for Mrs H to spot the shadows on the cover. Within there are the charming snail images to each chapter heading, and plenty of other images throughout that lift the recipe to perfection.
Pleasingly, there are lots of little morals interwoven into this story. I'm sure with guidance from parents and teachers reading this book, the younger readers will come away as enriched as they are entertained.
So . . . .
Crunch time.
As is our wont, Mrs H and I compared notes afterward we had read. Our conclusion is that this is a top buy. It is as refreshing as a newly pulled lettuce and will offer the young who is just starting to explore new books plenty of encouragement to explore, turn pages and to grow.
Terrie Chilvers' web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.terriechilvers.com/
Brenda Figueroa web page can be found HERE or type this: https://brendafigueroa.com/
Firefly Press' web page can be found HERE or type this: https://fireflypress.co.uk/
Now lets head over to the Manor House at Upper Much-Mousing for the closing scene in a very, very long running race.....
Mrs Hudson paused mid stride having just passed the kitchen door. Her inner housekeeper super senses warned her something strange was going down by the back door. Counting to five, she took four paces backwards and glanced through the kitchens slightly ajar door.
"What are you doing, dear?" she asked Erin, and not without good reason. There on the kitchen floor, with one paw raised ready to swipe down on a time clock, was Erin.
"Quick, come and see the end of the race," Erin replied, not looking up.
"What race?" Nudging the door open with her elbow, Mrs Hudson entered the kitchen. Having placed the laundry she was carrying to one side, she knelt down to see what Erin was staring so intently at.
"It's the Much-Mousing leg of the Tour De France race. The chalk mark is the finishing line." Erin gave her housekeeper and trusted partner in crime solving, an earnest look then returned to watching the garden path. Either side of finishing line were placed two chequered flags. "I was appointed the finish line marshal," Erin added, proudly. "Mrs Singh was the marshal on the start line on account of her shop having lots of fresh produce to give the competitors a hearty meal to start the day."
"I'll not be having hordes of muddy lycra-clad men cycling into my kitchen, not after I've just cleaned these tiles. And I'll not be having pile-ups on the garden path, either. We've just had new gravel put down as well as new bedding plants in the borders. Shouldn't the finishing line be outdoors. Somewhere wide with banners and bunting and where the reporters can take pictures?"
"Oh, no need to worry about any of that, Mrs H, as there's no lycra or bicycles involved. Though some of the bedding plants might get a bit... umm, damaged. Absolutely little chance of a pile up. Even if there was, these guys, possibly girls, don't mind that sort of thing. As to the newspaper reporters, I've got that covered." Erin gestured with a paw to an old Polaroid Instamatic camera sat on the floor next to the chalk line. "And I can use the camera in case of a photo finish."
Mrs Hudson gave her best confused look, one nearly always reserved for Erin when she had just explained, or rather tried to explain one of her plans. "But the Tour de France does have bicycles, dear, else how would they travel around. And aren't the special stages longer than 3 miles?" Mrs H had regularly cycled to the shops and considered it only challenging in high winds, hail and snow.
"Oh it is very challenging if you take a cross country route rather than the road." Erin said matter-of-factly. "And these competitors are on a foot, Mrs H."
"On foot? Wouldn't that be rather slow. It would take months to get around the UK and France. Anyway, the Tour de France isn't in the UK till 2027."
"Oh it takes longer than that, Mrs H. This race, the local leg, started five days ago. The main race started over a year ago; postage and getting lost in sorting offices does slow things down a bit. The competitors, should they survive being shipped around, and are not eaten on route, are expected to pass the finish line at the Champs-Elysees in Paris, sometime in June 2027 – give or take a month.
"Not eaten!" Mrs H said with astonishment.
"Oh yes. Quite regularly there have to be team member changes. It can take many generations of snails to finish. Apparently in the last race, in 2010, half the competitors were trodden on when the press corp rushed to the finish line. And some seagulls picked off a dozen others at Dieppe."
"Snails?!" Mrs Hudson's expression become one of sudden realisation. "Oh. Oh, I see. Well in that case I suggest we retire for a cup of tea."
"No time, Mrs H, they are due here any minute." I've got to do the stopwatch and then gather them up, count heads, or rather shells; that sort of thing. Then we will have to feed them and send them off to the next stage. That is at West Pudbury Hill. A tricky section that will sort out the hard shells from the soft.
"Oh we have plenty of time, dear. There will be a delay to their arrival; roadworks and a meal stop, I believe."
Erin gave her a quizzical look then looked down the drive. There was no sign of the snails in their painted shells. "How do you know that, Mrs H?"
"There has been roadworks along the final section of the route. Or as I would describe it, old Ned the gardener doing the gravel path."
"The competitors, they . . . They're not . . . gone, are they?" Erin looked really down hearted.
"Fear not. Ned told me he had collected up 55 snails with national flags painted on their shells. Being the kind hearted soul that he is, he refused to put them over the hedge. They are in a big storage box chomping down on some lettuce in his potting shed as we speak."
"I think I am out of a job. Mrs H. I can’t send them back to Mrs Singh's to start again as it would ruin the tour schedule. And it would take a superpower snail to make up for lost time." Erin sighed and stopped the time clock.
"Fear not Erin, I'll make a new starting line for them at the start of the gravel path. Then you and I can cheer them on to the finish line. If anyone asks, we can call it a sprint finish.
"What shall we do in the meantime?" Erin was starting to feel peckish. Thankfully snails were not on her menu.
"Well, it just so happens this week's book review is about two very special snails with superpowers. Why don't we settle down with a cup of tea and shortbread and write up our review for our readers?
I hope you enjoyed that book review, and our short adventure too.
And finally, it's Sunday Selfie time!
We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. A link to their website and the hop can be found HERE.
Till laters!
ERin
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