Title: The World’s Worst Children 3
Author: David Walliams
Illustrator: Tony Ross
Published: May 29th 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins Books Australia
Pages: 288
Genres: Children (7+)
RRP: $24.99
Rating: 4 stars
From the phenomenal number-one bestseller David Walliams comes another collection of more hilariously horrible children! Illustrated in glorious and gruesome colour by artist genius, Tony Ross, these stories will appal and delight young readers.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your bookshelf, 10 more horrendously hilarious stories about the absolute worst children ever! From ten-year old Hank and his endless pranks on his poor, long-suffering family, to Tandy and her titanic tantrums – this brand new collection is the perfect companion to World’s Worst Children books 1 and 2 and an ideal gift for the worst children in your life!
This compendium of catastrophically horrid boys and girls is brought to you by the phenomenal number-one bestseller David Walliams, and every story is illustrated in glorious and gruesome colour by the artistic genius Tony Ross.
2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of David Walliams’ first novel, The Boy in the Dress.
My review:
Imagine a collection of the most hateful and despicable children, committing the most awful deeds fathomable, The World’s Worst Children 3, penned by comedian turned author David Walliams, is this and more! The third installment in Walliams popular short stories collection, this is one book that will have you rolling around in laughter in one breath and shaking your head at utter disbelief the next!
If you dare…David Walliams is back with another edition of the shocking escapes of ten more of the ‘world’s worst children’. With the help of illustrator extraordinaire Tony Ross, this group of ten appalling children and their despicable behaviour are brought to light, in the grossest and most stomach churning way possible. This time around, we meet a set of triplets who get a taste of their own medicine in the worst possible way. We also meet a young girl who has gigantic tantrums that can be heard across the other side of the world. Finally, we become acquainted with a peculiar boy who takes his endless pranks just that one step too far. There are many more individuals that the reader meets in this laugh out loud guidebook to, The World’s Worst Children 3.
Although I don’t quite fit into the target audience and the right age demographic for The World’s Worst Children 3, I will say as a long standing fan of the author David Walliams from his Little Britain days, I found this book incredibly funny. I also read it in a sitting and I couldn’t wait to share the rip roaring tales with my older son, aged eight. As a family, this is our first turn with the written work of David Walliams and it sure was a hit in our household.
Often it is hard to motivate my older son to read independently and few books seem to capture his interest. The World’s Worst Children 3 seems to be quite the exception, we both couldn’t get enough of these very funny, wacky and relatable tales. Walliams knows how to tap into a young mind and the topics he includes in this particular book are all the things that appeal to this age group. Think plenty of toilet humour, amazing pranks and zany behaviours. Since we discovered this book, reading is no longer a chore, it is something we can both find joy in.
Supporting the humorous text in this novel is the amazing work of the very talented illustrator Tony Ross. I have come across the work of Tony Ross before, but he seems to take on another dimension in his work with Walliams. These two work in harmony, so the illustrations in this novel perfectly compliment the text. Ross and Walliams go that extra mile in constructing their text, the font is often varied in size and style. The illustrations reflect what is happening in the text and the whole experience comes across as interactive. We even have to turn the direction of the book from landscape to portrait in some instances of this story collection. It is a book that definitely captures the reader’s attention in a variety of ways.
Structurally, the book is divided into ten separate stories. This helps those readers who struggle to read a long length of text at a time. For my own Mr 8, a struggling reader, this helped immensely. For myself, I raced through these in one sitting! Adding to the experience is a very amusing introduction from the ‘The Desk of the President of The United States of America’. This slight dig at President Trump made me chuckle. At the end of The World’s Worst Children 3, readers can expect a message from the author David Walliams reminding them that this time their wicked deeds were not included but another collection awaits! This is a great and subtle reminder for children to keep their behaviour and morals in check! I thought this end touch was a fantastic way to close off a children’s book collection.
If you are yet to discover the written work of David Walliams, this book collection, The World’s Worst Children 3, is a superb place to start. It is incredibly funny and I guarantee more than a few belly laughs will occur once you delve into the hilarious escapades of these ten most atrocious children.
The World’s Worst Children 3 by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross was published on 29th May 2018 by Harper Collins Books Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The World’s Worst Children 3, David Walliams, visit here.
*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of these books for review purposes.
