The Lost Treasure of Little Snoring

December 15, 2014
An intrepid lad and his smart-girl best friend repel a pair of particularly putrid pirates in this unbridled farce.Catching wind of buried treasure near Little Snoring on Sea, twin co-captains Gruesome and Grisly McNasty steer their scabrous bark Rotten Apple shoreward-only to be met by 10-year-old Tat Trout and his classmate Hetty (the latter given to doing six impossible things before breakfast every day). Having already pulled the treasure out of a hole so deep that kangaroos come out, the young folk must not only make shift to keep it away from the pirates, but heroically scotch a further nefarious scheme to sink a boat carrying Tat's unwitting family. Gardner festoons the narrative with references to leeches, boiled cabbage ("smelled like cats' pee") and other revolting foods, buckets full of slime, cautionary warnings to readers and like crowd-pleasing fare. To accompany these, Asquith supplies sight gags like pictures of a "Big Mactopus" (they "taste of brussels sprouts with custard") and a "horned dilemma," portraits of the characters (notably, Tat is dark-skinned) and larger cartoon scenes replete with stomach-churning details. In fact the McNasty brothers are last seen churning the stomach of a whale, though sequels already published across the pond suggest that they'll be back. Flashes of wit notwithstanding, the gross is shoveled in with such vigor that even readers who revel in such stuff may weary. (Adventure. 9-11)

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February 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-Gruesome and Grisly McNasty are the meanest pirate twins to ever sail the seven seas and they've invaded the village of Little Snoring on the hunt for treasure. Only best friends Hetty and Tat can stop them-if they find the treasure first. With a narrator who addresses readers directly, loads of silly, gross-out humor, and plenty of black-and-white illustrations throughout, this is a laugh-out-loud offering for kids who enjoy the over-the-top, goofy antics of series like "Captain Underpants" (Scholastic).

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 Twin pirates, the Ghastly McNasty brothers, have zeroed in on Little Snoring as the site of their dastardly hunt for treasure. Thanks to the Pirate Post, they have heard rumors of a long-buried treasure in the town and decided they want it for their own. Also in the market for fast cash is Tat, short for Trevor Augustus Trout, whose family members are facing eviction if they cannot raise some money. While his parents and younger sister are away for the weekend, Tat, his brilliant friend Hetty, and his cat named Dog decide to try to find the rumored treasure, which pits them against the McNasty brothers. The beginning of a new series, this will appeal to young readers who like their humor on the absurd side and with a British flavor. The drawings not only illustrate the action and give clues to what is going to happen but they will give a good laugh to readers who take the time to study them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
The awful McNasty brothers are pirates staking out Little Snoring on Sea in search of treasure. Villagers Tat and his friend Hetty (think a young Hermione Granger) find the treasure first and must outsmart the pirates and help Tat's family avoid eviction. This transitional reader is full of pirate-speak and humorous asides to readers; engaging illustrations help break up the text.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)