The 169 Storey Treehouse

The 169 Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, illustrations by Terry Denton (Pan Macmillan Australia) PB ISBN9781760987855

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

So far there have been 13 books in this best-selling series, and this is the thirteenth (and perhaps the last). In the 169^th storey book, Andy and Terry have built what they say is their biggest and most astonishing treehouse yet. It has everything a young reader could wish for including an electric pony stable, a Santa land, a NOISY level, a kangaroo-riding range, a 100% edible gingerbread house and more.

In this book, Terry leaves open the door of the Whatever-Weather-You-Want level at the time a tornado is blowing. He, Andy, and their friend Jill, enlist people and animals from all over the treehouse to help push them up the steep tree against the gusty tornado so Terry can shut the door. 

In the next chapter, Mr Bunkoff, a school truant officer, tries to get the three friends to enroll in school, but they manage to escape (using the tree’s elevator). They arrive at the hall of funhouse mirrors where they have an adventure with a trio of doppelgangers, ending in them being tied up. And there’s more…

Like all the books in the series, there’s non-stop adventure, imaginative characters, and lots of unlikely, zany adventures. The end of this book includes such things as inflatable underpants, a flying rabbit, a UFO, rampaging monkeys, a tranquiliser gun, a demolished school, a supersonic paper aeroplane, a Grabinator, and finally, a 13-storey treehouse school.

Every page of illustrations needs a pair of eyes alert to all the humorous happenings, and there are thousands of them!

This 250-page story is the product of incredibly fertile imaginations and writing and illustrating talents. No wonder kids are hooked!