With a shiny new bucket and spade, a brand new Bingo dabber (not even sure what that is!) and a full English breakfast made of rock.
I hear it has been raining while I've been away but quite frankly I was unaware as I had my puggish snout well and truly buried in Alex T Smiths brand new Claude book Claude on Holiday.
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| Needless to say I didn't need the sun tan lotion! |
My heart was all a-flutter when this landed on the doorstep of Book Sniffer Towers! *GASP* (and swoon)
A magical package of wonders - the envelope exquisitely decorated in such a way that as it was carefully unwrapped it revealed hilarious puggish doodles one after the other - What a delight!
Mouse and I were in rapture as we opened the letter to reveal, yes our very own copy of the long awaited new Claude Book Claude on Holiday - Can you imagine the will power required to save this treasure for our holidays - I can tell you we've been sitting on our hands ever since it arrived.
The time came to head off on our annual jolly jaunt to the coast to take in the air.
Being the dutiful pug I packed Mouses case for her complete with tiny cat sized pink fur curlers, a photo of R-Patz in a heart shaped frame and a small tin of sardines in sunflower oil. Naturally I can't travel quite so lightly but was persuaded to leave behind my beloved smoking jacket and slippers.
No sooner had I donned my handkerchief hat than the heavens opened - I ducked into the nearest and finest tea room and whipped my copy of Claude on Holiday out of my satchel.
Merely opening this book on the first page made the whole world seem sunny again.
Having only recently lived the real life trauma of packing for a holiday myself I did chuckle so when I read the page which describes Claude packing for his holiday - tehehe amongst other things..some underpants, a tambourine, some squirty cream, a lampshade some sticky tape (which comes in handy later in the story) and some slightly squished sandwiches.
Claude looks ever so pleased with himself as he stands over said bulging suitcase, And rightfully so - Alex T Smith is a master of humorous observation and every tiny detail is carefully put in place to cunningly make you laugh out loud in the most inappropriate of places (like a crowded tea room full of old ladies)
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| Everyone should take squirty cream on holiday non? |
I had tears literally running (ne POURING) down my puggy cheeks as we are treated to Claude practicing his French on the locals and ordering a juicy bone ice cream,
and ...sellotaping his oversized trunks in place !
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| Over sized trunks secured with sticky tape!!! |
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| Swit swooooo ; ) |
So dear readers if bone flavour ice cream, a dramatic shark rescue, an equally gripping sandcastle competition, an encounter with a gruesome band of pirates AND a beret full of piratical loot aren't enough to wet your appetite then more fool you - you need to get yourself to the nearest bingo hall.
This is absolutely without doubt my fave summer holiday read and that my friends is a FACT.
What a perfect way to while away the hours on a damp weekend away in Skeggy.
I have arrived home full of beans and completely and utterly over the tippety top excited about Claude THREE!!! (there will no doubt be alot of sittings on hands until then! )
Thank you to the sunshiney ray of loveliness that is Mr Alex T Smith for sending us a copy of this stionkerrific story and for generally being an out and out smasher!
If one has managed to wet your appetite you simply must check out the following toot sweet!
- Claude Facebook Page
- Claude Blog
- Alex T Smith's Blog
- Hodder Children's Books
- Alex on Twitter @Alex_T_Smith
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