Zubert

by Charlie Sutcliffe

Overview

What happens when you’re bored, you’ve finished all your books, and you’re hanging around in the biggest and best hotel in London, the Savoy? Follow Zubert and his new magic friends, the Spinglefranks, as they find out! Buffalos in the lobby . . . monkeys in the bedrooms . . . an octopus in the swimming pool . . . and an elephant in the kitchen! How to hide all the animals from the hotel inspectors? Can Zubert and friends find a way to let the animals keep their home?
Drawn in a beautiful, distinctive, and characterful style, this is the first book from bright new illustrator Charlie Sutcliffe, showcasing his imaginative and unique talent.

Praise for Zubert
"A notable debut."
—-Publishers Weekly

"It’s a playful, even psychedelic feast for the eyes."
—Kirkus Review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849761215
Publisher:	Tate Publishing
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Charlie Sutcliffe is a London-based artist/designer/maker who has worked with a wide range of clients over the years, including DMG World Media, Sony, EMI, Jaguar Shoes, and Nokia. Zubert is his first book.

Editorial Reviews

2014-03-03
Attendees at a convention of extraterrestrials mingle with equally strange, large-headed children as young Zubert rides with his mother in her van to deliver flowers to the best hotels in London. While waiting for her in the lobby of the "smartest hotel of all," Zubert becomes involved in a mission to rid the hotel of pesky animals in advance of an imminent visit from the hotel inspectors. Snoring Spinglefranks, a herd of blue, bespectacled buffalo, and a gaggle of troublesome monkeys are shooed from the rooms; a giant octopus is removed from the swimming pool; and all kinds of destructive pests are expelled from the kitchen. There, a perfect meal is prepared for the inspectors thanks to Zubert's quick wits and the "slightly magic" powers of the Spinglefranks. The hotel inspection is completed, and the inspectors are satisfied, unaware of all the hijinks going on around them. There's a lot to look at and signs to read in these fanciful cartoon illustrations, filled as they are with intriguing and sometimes-mysterious details. The endpapers in grayscale charmingly depict the hotel's lost-and-found cabinet, which is filled with insects, food and artifacts. Perhaps acknowledging its second-banana status to the illustrations, the all-uppercase text is too small and sometimes hard to find on the page. It's a playful, even psychedelic feast for the eyes, but don't get it for the story. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews