Reviewed by Dannielle Viera
In this sixth installment of the Pow Pow Pig series, the time machine drops the Z Team into the middle of a fruit battle in ancient Japan. The monkeys and the foxes both blame each other for theft of jewellery from their communal workshop. Pow Pow Pig and his friends – Kung Fu Duck, Cha Cha Chicken, and Barry the Goat – convince the animals that war is not the answer and set out to discover who the real thief is. A trip into a creepy forest uncovers the culprit, as well as a secret romance between the daughter of King Fox and the son of the Monkey Queen.
The humour in Anh Do’s tale is sharper than a samurai sword, and it will appeal to little ninjas aged six to ten. Absurd action springs from page to page, with twists and turns that keep a tight hold of young readers’ attention. The power of togetherness is an obvious theme, but even the toughest warrior in the story learns something new: the value of being true to oneself.
Peter Cheong’s angular, black-and-white cartoons add a dynamic layer to the book, bringing the action to life and letting it fly across the spreads. The images also help to break up the text into bite-sized chunks. Hesitant readers will appreciate being able to clearly picture the characters and events described in the story.
With
time-travelling heroes, as well as animals of all shapes and sizes learning to
live in harmony – plus plenty of puns along the way – Pow Pow Pig: Forest
Secrets is sure to be
another smash hit for Anh Do.
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