PRAISE IN THE USA FOR GRANDPA’S GREAT ESCAPE: “A realistic and touching relationship. Ample illustrations from the always splendid Ross will keep the pages in this plump volume turning. A Dahl-esque tale.” — Kirkus Reviews
“While the irreverent wit will keep readers engaged, the surprising tenderness in the relationship between Jack and his ailing grandfather is what makes this book truly shine. A darkly humorous tale with a surprising amount of heart.” — School Library Journal
“Walliams gives Grandpa-and [his] Spitfire-a grand send-off. A pleaser for fans of similar escapades engineered by the likes of Roald Dahl or Frank Cotrell-Boyce.” — ALA Booklist
“Ross’s energetic drawings and some playful use of typography bring additional drama and humor to the story. The story’s comedy is nicely counterbalanced by the poignant bond between Jack and Grandpa.” — Publishers Weekly
PRAISE IN THE USA FOR DEMON DENTIST: “A Brit-flavored romp that combines moments of intense terror and bracing courage with biting satire.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A Dahl-esque mix of humor and horror that will appeal to fans of both.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“A goofy, gory, outlandish tale of deep evil and terrible tooth-rot-and sweetness of heart. Kids who enjoy humorous gross-out horror will definitely want to book an appointment of their own with the Demon Dentist.” — Wall Street Journal
“Dahl-esque in the extreme…Frenetic humor for middle grade fans of the funny and fearsome.” — School Library Journal
UK PRAISE FOR DAVID WALLIAMS: “No one has any business being as talented as David Walliams. He is the heir to Roald Dahl-and that’s saying a lot.” — The Spectator
“Walliams’s books will become classics.” — The Guardian
“Unlike other celebrity authors, Walliams can write; his energetic fairytale will be relished.” — The Times (UK)
“The joy of David’s books are that he completely understands how children think and feel and is never ever patronising.” — The Sun (UK)
“Further proof that Walliams has become a master storyteller. Walliams manages to infuse his novels with genuine wit and sly commentary.” — Heat Magazine
“Comedian David Walliams has taken the publishing world by storm.” — Metro
“A triumphant mix of wit and warmth.” — Telegraph (UK)
A Dahl-esque mix of humor and horror that will appeal to fans of both.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A goofy, gory, outlandish tale of deep evil and terrible tooth-rot-and sweetness of heart. Kids who enjoy humorous gross-out horror will definitely want to book an appointment of their own with the Demon Dentist.
Walliams gives Grandpa-and [his] Spitfire-a grand send-off. A pleaser for fans of similar escapades engineered by the likes of Roald Dahl or Frank Cotrell-Boyce.
UK PRAISE FOR DAVID WALLIAMS: “No one has any business being as talented as David Walliams. He is the heir to Roald Dahl-and that’s saying a lot.
Walliams’s books will become classics.
The joy of David’s books are that he completely understands how children think and feel and is never ever patronising.
Unlike other celebrity authors, Walliams can write; his energetic fairytale will be relished.
A triumphant mix of wit and warmth.
Comedian David Walliams has taken the publishing world by storm.
Further proof that Walliams has become a master storyteller. Walliams manages to infuse his novels with genuine wit and sly commentary.
A Dahl-esque mix of humor and horror that will appeal to fans of both.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
A goofy, gory, outlandish tale of deep evil and terrible tooth-rot-and sweetness of heart. Kids who enjoy humorous gross-out horror will definitely want to book an appointment of their own with the Demon Dentist.
Comedian David Walliams has taken the publishing world by storm.
Comedian David Walliams has taken the publishing world by storm.
A Dahl-esque mix of humor and horror that will appeal to fans of both.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
12/01/2017 Gr 3–6—The Lord Funt Hospital in London is a rambling building with a rather odd staff. Twelve-year-old Tom Charper finds this out when the admitting doctor poses 192 questions before treating Tom's bump on the head. Tom soon joins the Children's Ward on the 44th floor where he meets Amber, Robin, George, and Sally. The children—except for Sally who is gravely ill—escape the horrible Matron each night at midnight. The children pretend to visit the North Pole, fly, and enact other grandiose plans with the help of the caring porter. Tom's desire to participate disrupts his friendship with Sally who asks Tom to include her. The Midnight Gang's final dream is tragic and boisterously youthful. Ross's numerous black-and-white illustrations mirror Walliams's lawless, uncontained revelry. The author creates a surreal world in which adults are remote and children set the stage with their wildest imaginings. The giant hospital makes for a contained yet boundless setting where children find the supplies to fuel their dreams. Take-charge Amber directs events from her wheelchair and conniving George uses drugged sweets on the Matron. The dark cloud of Sally's prognosis cannot be ignored, yet Walliams portrays it as one element in the glorious fabric of childhood. VERDICT Irreverent as Roald Dahl, Walliams is a unique author who's created a memorable world and cast of characters.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT
Author and narrator David Walliams tells the tale of young Tom, who is sent to the children’s ward of the local hospital after suffering an injury at his boarding school. When night falls, Tom and the other children secretly form the Midnight Gang, which meets to make one of the child’s dreams come true each night, using only the limited resources of the hospital. Sound effects and musical interludes between chapters add to the whimsy of the story. The large cast of narrators helps to create a distinct voice for each of the children and staff members. Listeners will be drawn to the key players in this quirky escapade, which expresses the importance of childhood and friendship. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Author and narrator David Walliams tells the tale of young Tom, who is sent to the children’s ward of the local hospital after suffering an injury at his boarding school. When night falls, Tom and the other children secretly form the Midnight Gang, which meets to make one of the child’s dreams come true each night, using only the limited resources of the hospital. Sound effects and musical interludes between chapters add to the whimsy of the story. The large cast of narrators helps to create a distinct voice for each of the children and staff members. Listeners will be drawn to the key players in this quirky escapade, which expresses the importance of childhood and friendship. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2017-11-13 Plucky, sometimes-mean children come together to defeat diabolical hospital administrators and evil headmasters.When Tom gets hit on the head with a cricket ball, he is sent to a horrible hospital, with clueless doctors, a horrid matron, and a porter with "the most monstrous face he had ever seen." In the middle of the night, Tom follows the secretive children in his ward and discovers the Midnight Gang, the mysterious society of child patients who have nighttime adventures. With the porter's help, the children, all apparently white, create a North Pole adventure and a whiz-bang balloon journey. The excited prose, supplemented by a variety of typefaces and Ross' not-quite-Quentin Blake illustrations, describes disgusting school dinners of "deep-fried otter" and adults who revel in "a touch of cruelty." Despite clear Roald Dahl parallels, Walliams' nastiness and yuck aren't accompanied by Dahl's charm or wicked wit. The humor is found in "plump-looking" George's candy eating, Robin's and Amber's disabilities, and—unexpected from the author of The Boy in the Dress (2009)—Matron's cruel insistence on dressing Tom in a pink frilly nightdress. An eventual lesson about bigotry against ugly people is undercut by prose that delights in describing the porter as "pongy" and having "rotten and misshapen teeth."An entertaining tale that will definitely find an audience, but fans of icky, vicious comedy deserve better. (Fiction. 9-11)