The Complete Adventures of Figaro and Rumba written by Anna
Fienberg and illustrated by Stephen Michael King (Allen and Unwin)
PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760292997
Reviewed by
Daniela Andrews
The highly
imaginative tales of Figaro and Rumba are written by Anna Fienberg, author of
the Tashi books, and accompanied with full colour pictures by the talented
Stephen Michael King. Both books in the series have been published together for
the first time in a colourful, eye-catching paperback.
Figaro (an
excitable, adventure-seeking dog) and Rumba (a sensible, musical cat) have been
the best of friends since they met in Cuba. The first story, Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Café,
is driven by the characters’ desire to get on ‘the Very Fast Train’. They seem
destined to keep missing it though, with one zany adventure after another. The
story is fast-paced, enticing readers to keep turning the pages to find out
whether Figaro and Rumba ever do get on the train. Eventually, they meet a sly,
Cuban crocodile who gains Rumba’s trust. It’s a good thing Figaro’s instincts
are on high alert though, because something just doesn’t seem right.
The second
story, Figaro and Rumba and the Cool Cats,
is far more musical in nature. (You might find yourself tapping along to an
imaginary Cuban beat!) Rumba seems quite at home singing with the Cool Cats,
but Figaro is bored. The cats just want to sing all day and he can’t join in
because their leader, Marta, does not like his singing. Plus, he’s feeling
disturbed about that grey monster he keeps seeing. When he meets another
like-minded adventurer, Dora, they sneakily take Marta’s car and go exploring.
Their adventure doesn’t go smoothly though and, in trying to fix things, Figaro
winds up meeting the ‘monster’, joining forces with Rumba again, and
discovering a musical talent he never knew he had.
These
entertaining stories about friendship are great for 5–8 year-olds. The chapters
are short, with lots of dialogue. Much humour is provided in Figaro and Rumba’s
banter, along with their dog and cat-like differences. King’s comical
illustrations are naturally complementary, appearing on almost every single
page. Fienberg’s writing is superb. The Cuban accents are perfectly portrayed,
and there are some great alliterative lines like: ‘Isn’t he a rascal, a
ruffian, a rogue and a reptile?’ The ending is terrific, both closing the
stories and alluding to further adventures.
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