The Grumble Rumble Mumbler

As a child, I was never particularly proud of the country I was born in. I always wished I had been born in England and sent to an English boarding school like the characters in my favourite books, so I could have midnight feasts with my dorm mates. Upon reflection maybe I was a bit too obsessed with food as a child.

I was also in love with the idea of finding fairies in the woods and mermaids in the lake beside the boarding school. Even as a child I associated the "fey" with England, it was a magical, exciting country. New Zealand had rugby, not something I have ever felt that passionate about to be 100% honest.

As an adult however, I have developed a strong connection with New Zealand. I am proud of the fact that we are nuclear free and that we are developing, however slowly, a cultural heritage and most of all we are unique in so many ways. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed the book I am about to review so much. It has a very distinctive New Zealand feel and is published by Huia Publishers "an award-winning independent New Zealand book publisher producing wonderful and provocative books with a uniquely New Zealand or Pacific perspective" (www.huia.co.nz). If books such as this one were around when I was a little girl, maybe I would have found the beautiful surrounds of Aotearoa that much more exciting. So without further ado here is my review for:

The Grumble Rumble Mumbler by Melanie Drewery.

Most small children hear strange noises in the night and immediately conjure up visions of monsters under the bed. This little girl brings a distinctly Kiwi flavour to the mix. When she hears a grumble, rumble, mumbling noise she believes it is a maero (wild person). When splurgle, gurgle, urgling noises disturb her sleep she automatically thinks it's a taniwha (a water monster). Her poor sleep deprived mother helps calm her down, but what is making all of that racket?

This book has flaps to lift which conceal the different creatures and help keep the kids transfixed. I have read it to both my 4 year old and 2 year old before bed and Poppy has been known to chuckle away at the creatures revealed. It is entertaining for children and adults alike and the illustrations are fabulous. If you are an ex-pat but are wanting to keep the bond with New Zealand alive for your kids, then I would strongly recommend this book. What makes it even better is that there is an explanation of what each creature is at the end. To end this review I lay down a challenge, can you figure out what is making all of the ruckus before you reach the end of the story? Let me know.