Review: The Piraroo by Marko Kitti

THE PIRAROO

Tales from Puffington Hill

by Marko Kitti

Illustrated by Ant Carlos de Ituiutaba

Middle Grade Adventure/Mystery

336 pages

Dear Reader,

I’m afraid you’re soon going to meet a tarantula the size of a kitten. You’re also going to bump into a whopper of a seagull who is the British Champion in Poop Bombing. Not to mention an extraordinary, furry creature whose ancestor once belonged to a notorious pirate captain.

You’re also going to meet a ten-year-old boy called Max, the owner of the tarantula, whose life is about to turn upside down in this nail-biting adventure that includes petnappers and disgusting healthy smoothies!

So I am warning you, Dear Reader: Should you decide to read about Max and his animal friends, your life will never be the same again.

Yours sincerely,
MK 

MY TIDBITS

After reading and loving the Jesper Jinx series from this author, I was curious and excited to see where he was heading next. I was not disappointed.

Max leads a pretty normal life. His mother is a little over zealous in her determination to win a health smoothie contest with the most disgusting flavors, his younger sister is a pain in the neck, and his father is busy keeping both of them happy while working, but, at least, he has his pet spider. Until his spider dies and becomes bird food. But that's exactly what needs to happen to set off an exciting, informative and fun adventure.

Humor and action are written big in this book. Max is a wonderful ten-year-old, who does the best he can given his situation. He's clever, yet misunderstood at times. His love and curiosity for animals not only makes Max easy to cheer for but gives him just the right touch of sweetness which is hard to ignore. It's simply fun...and something kids can easily relate to...as he deals not only with his wacky family but with the crazy problem which stumble his way.

The author meets the readers on a more personal level by addressing them directly. This adds an immediate connection which draws in and makes the reader feel involved. Although hitting on fantasy, the animals in the book also poke reality and offer the reader some interesting insights on lesser known animals in some spots...not everything is sheer imagination. I found this connection to be a nice touch. 

One of the best aspects of this book can be found in the illustrations. They are bright and bold, and there are many of them. Although the length of the book might appear daunting, at least a third of the tale seems to be illustrations. These not only add life to the book but make it perfect for even reluctant readers. So, this receives kudo points from me!

All in all, it's simply a fun read and highly recommendable for especially boys and reluctant readers, or those who love an adventurous, humorous read.

And here he is...

Marko Kitti is a Finnish writer and illustrator. He is best known for his humorous Jesper Jinx children’s book series. Born and raised in Finland, Marko now lives in the small town of Santa Venera in Malta.

Marko’s scribblings are listed here: http://markokitti.wordpress.com/books/

https://jesperjinx.com

Review: Jesper Jinx and the Scrumptious Snacks by Marko Kitti

JESPER JINX and the SCRUMPTIOUS SNACKS

by Marko Kitti

Jesper Jinx Series, Book 5

Middle Grade Humor

ages 8+

152 pages

Jesper Jinx is eleven, and probably the unluckiest person in all of Puffington Hill. Everything he touches seems to end up in sweet disaster. Hence his nickname 'Jinx'.

In this fifth book of Jesper Jinx's wonderfully wicked adventures chaos unfolds when Jake the school bully meets an ancient chocolate bar. Soon, things get even weirder when Jesper's mum can't bake her cherry pie because her precious cherry tree's gone missing. And then, to top it all off, Snowy the Cat
decides to go on a hunger strike.

Can Jesper save the day with his best Boredom Breaker ever or will a diabolical lunch thief get to him first?

MY TIDBITS

I'll admit it. I'm a Jesper Jinx fan and have devoured every book in this series. This book, number five, keeps up the wonderful Jesper Jinx pace and left me wondering when book six will appear.

This book is all about snacks. . .or food which might be considered to fall into that category. With Jesper, it's never clear what turns the story will take. But one thing is sure, whenever Jesper is involved, the results will be unexpected, slightly ridiculous and leave a smile on the reader's face.

As always, the reader is drawn into the story through direct statements from the narrator. In this book, there's even a secrecy contract. Kids take a complete and direct dive into Jesper's world, one which is actually fairly normal and every day if it weren't for strange happenings which keep popping up. The entire thing is accompanied (as in the other books) with simple and very fitting illustrations, which draw a smile all on their own.

Packed with all sorts of zaniness, bits of lopsided logic and moments of sheer silliness, this is a book even reluctant readers will enjoy. Especially boys will sympathize with Jesper and the difficulties he faces with his older sister, or the 'mishaps' he runs into which really aren't necessarily his fault. And as a super bonus, there are even a couple snack recipes at the end.

Summed up, this is a book I highly recommend to especially boys ages 8+ who enjoy goofier reads.



This one is also going on my favorite read list 2016!

Jesper JInx and the Turkish Pepper by Marko Kitti

JESPER JINX 

and the 

TURKISH PEPPER

Jesper Jinx Book 3

by Marko Kitti

Humor 

Ages 8+

Jesper Jinx is eleven, and probably the unluckiest person in all of Puffington Hill. Everything he touches seems to end up in sweet disaster. Hence his nickname ‘Jinx’.

In the third book of his wickedly funny adventures, Jesper goes camping and develops a taste for Turkish Pepper. (WARNING: Turkish Pepper might not be what you think it is!) You’ll also get to know Jesper’s 99-year-old neighbour. Oh, and a fox called Frank. Finally, there’s a huge concert coming to town starring local rapper Horrid Porridge.

Can Jesper rise to the occasion with another Boredom Breaker or will the Turkish Peppers get to him?

MY TIDBITS

Jesper is back again, and boredom still is a word he's never going to understand. Like the other two books in this series, Jesper Jinx and the Turkish Pepper is packed full of humor. Especially boys ages 8 and up will love following Jesper as he again gets himself into quite the pickle...or, in this case, pepper.  I really enjoy the lighter side of life these books take, while still presenting a (fairly) normal boy and how he faces (fairly) normal, everyday problems in his own, original ways. Kids will have no trouble relating to Jesper and sympathizing with him as he tries to work his way through the craziest situations...although I doubt they'll try his techniques themselves. 

I can only recommend this series and believe that especially reluctant readers will enjoy accompanying Jesper on his hilarious adventures.

And here he is. . .

Marko Kitti!!!

Marko Kitti is an internationally published children's book author and illustrator. He is best known for his humorous children's book series, Jesper Jinx.

Jesper Jinx, who first appeared in 2014, is beloved by children all over the world, since books with his wonderfully wicked adventures are already published in several languages.

Marko has written novels and short stories too, and his Finnish novel Meidän maailma (Our World) was shortlisted for the Runeberg Prize in 2009. Born and raised in Finland, he now lives in Eastbourne, England, with his wife and stepdaughter and their two mischievous cats.

You can follow Marko on. . .

 Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/MarkoKitti 

Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/JesperJinx 

or visit The Official Jesper Jinx Website at http://www.jesperjinx.co.uk