Watch this Space, Out to Launch by Colin Thompson
Published by Random House Australia
Watch This Space, Out to Launch, written and illustrated by Colin Thompson is absolutely hilarious with laugh-out-loud moments, whacky ideas, quirky characters and cartoon like illustrations.
Radius Limpfast, owner and producer of LIMP-TV has a brilliant idea for a new reality television show - to put an ordinary family of a mother, father, two children, a dog and a grandmother on the moon. With the potential of billions of viewers every night, Radius pulls out all stops to get the project off the ground but with one hundred and fifteen million applicants, selecting the right family proves a problem.
Stark Contrast, his wife Laura, daughter Primrose and son Jack are plucked from the millions who line up to audition and are whisked away to Radius’s hideaway mansion to prepare for the moon launch.
Radius is ably assisted by Fiona, who secretly wishes to marry Radius and constantly saves the day when things start to get out of control.
A robot, rRego is created by scientists in ‘white coats’ to keep the family alive on the moon and is always one step ahead of Radius, Fiona and the cameras. rRego’s antics and quick thinking responses are the cause of many giggles throughout the book.
An office tea-lady, Apricot is convinced by Radius to play the role of the grandmother for the family but is not as demure or grandmotherly as expected.
Radius is all about saving and creating money resulting in the cost-saving measures of aluminium foil and gaffer tape used to build the MUD- Moon Unit Dwelling and the family’s launch into space seems fraught with danger.
Colin Thompson also wrote the extremely popular and funny, The Floods series and is on a sure winner with this one. This is the first in a series and ‘there will be more than three-hopefully lots more’ and I can’t wait for the story to continue with Watch this Space- in the pink for more whacky adventures with rRego and the Contrast family.
To pick up a book and be laughing within the first two pages is a great way to start or end the day and Watch this Space, Out to launch is one of those books. I loved it.
After working your way through all the activities of your choice one thing is for certain, your accommodating mum will be in need of a rest, so perhaps you could make her sit down and relax for half an hour or so, and fetch her a nice cool drink, too!
CKT Book Reviewer
Author: Colin Thompson
Title: Watch this Space, Out to Launch
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 9781742756202
Published: May 2015
Age: 9+
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Creative Kids Tales offers a brilliant platform for established and emerging creators to keep in touch and learn from each other. That is a great thing for this most isolated of all professions (apart from On-site Antarctic Penguin Imitators). - 
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