Uncle James and the Delicious Monster (Eng)
ISBN: 9780-624-04217-4
Oom Japie En Die Monsterplant (Afr)
ISBN: 9780-624-04218-1
Written by Nick Paul and Illustrated by
Tafelberg Publishers (SA) [May 2005]
AWARD: Shortlisted as Illustrator for 2005 IBBY SA Vivian Wilkes Award
Joshua couldn't sleep. What was that sound? It sounded like the rustle of leaves. It sounded like the creak of a pair of strong and green and skinny legs tiptoeing slowly down the corridor. On hot summer nights, Uncle James said, when the moon is full and everything is all silvery grey and spooky, the Delicious Monster gets hungry, and he stirs and wakes and goes looking for something to eat. Uncle James and the Delicious Monster is a wonderful story about family and closeness and imagination – and monsters – by a talented new writer.
Format (soft cover): 265mm x 200mm; 32 pages Readership: Read aloud & Young Readers
Review by Jay Heale (Feb 2006)
Uncle James and the Delicious Monster written by Nick Paul and illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden (Tafelberg, 2005)
This is great! The best read-aloud text I’ve met for a long time, full of rhythm and patterns and fun and frolic and Scary Bits. The weird storytelling of Uncle James suggests the night-time danger of a roaming Delicious Monster – and it’s Uncle James himself who has to be rescued by a no-nonsense young lady called Mary. The pictures play games with monster leaves and create real children as the heroes. This is stylish and enchanting and ready to be read through again and again with fresh giggles every time.
