'Once Upon a Slime' by Andy Griffiths
The phrase 'Once Upon a Slime' conjures up all kinds images. For those who are partial to all things gross the title is yet another clever marketing tool in the package that is Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.
In this latest addition from the dynamic duo Andy returns to his teaching roots and educates those who want an insight into his writing technique.
Once Upon a Slime is packed with a plethora of writing activities, there are 45 in total. Andy describes different scenarios such as; explosions, do's and don'ts, crazy machines and inventions and map-making. The list goes on and on. Best of all Andy provides the tools and encouragement for the reader to step into his shoes.
Each exercise is made easy with clever references to chapters and/or books from Andy's award winning library. Even his rhyming books do not escape his scrutiny.
The reader is taken step by step through each exercise. If one option seems a little difficult Andy offer us another way round, in the end achieving the same result but leaving the reader in charge of his or her own choices.
The award winning Terry Denton also imparts his wisdom offering plenty of drawing exercises throughout the book to give an all-round Griffiths/Denton lesson in 'Writing for children 101'.
This is a book where we are clearly reminded that writing is fun! Let's face it when you are in the thick of a story a light at the end of the tunnel can seem like an eternity away.
It doesn't matter whether you are writing for children or you are a child writer. This is the book to get the creative juices flowing and whip your imagination into a frenzy.
I particularly enjoyed the 'Random idea generator' near the end of the book; it’s a great starting point.
It doesn't matter whether you read the book from front to back or mix it up in between. Each chapter is unique in its teachings and can be used when creating certain scenes within your work.
With that said, Andy would be very disappointed if you didn’t read his full list of credits at the end.
The only next best thing from this book would be sitting with Andy himself. Enjoy!
CKT Book Reviewer