WeirDo

WeirDo by Anh Do, illustrated by Jules Faber (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-758-1
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

It’s Weir’s first day in a new school and he knows he will have trouble living down his name – Weir Do. He does not understand why the rest of his crazy family has normal names, Sally and Roger, while he got lumped with his mother’s maiden name as a first name. But he does manage to get through the day, make a new friend and even impress the seventh-best-looking girl in the class.

As soon as I saw the author’s name and the moving animated cover of a bird on Weir’s head I was eager to read it, expecting a funny story. And I was not disappointed. WeirDo is full of the dry humour Anh Do dishes up in his comedy. This humour, mixed with Weir’s crazy and embarrassing family, awkward school life and the wonderful illustrations by Jules Faber, makes for a very entertaining read. With as much illustration (in black, white and red) as text, children between six and eight will be comfortable reading this alone. The humour is beautifully suited to this age group.

Anh Do is a comedian, television personality and award-winning author. WeirDo is the first book in a new series.