The Giggler Treatment Book

Roddy Doyle is used to tough critics, with many an adult novel to his name including the Booker Prize Winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. But here he takes the plunge with the toughest critics of all--children--in his first book for the young, The Giggler Treatment. Doyle's wry sense of the ridiculous is evident in this brave attempt (indeed, anyone who turns their hand from writing for adults to writing for children is exceptionally brave), dealing as it does with the daft, but rather appealing idea, that small creatures called Gigglers work in league with the dogs of the world to avenge the children of the ills of adults. So, every time a cross word is said to a child by a grown-up, or every time anything that is deemed unfair happens (eg: if an adult farts and blames a child, or an adult puts fish on a plate but says it is chicken) the nearest Giggler has a quiet word in the shell-like ear of the local hound who promptly produces a steaming pile of poo for aforementioned adults to stand in. Great idea, and for an author tackling the children's market for the first time it is certainly impressive--adult fans of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha will already know of this author's talent for getting into the mind of a 10-year-old boy. Writing for children is not easy, but Doyle's strange little creatures who are always on the side of the kids, the liberal piles of poo and the fantastical storyline that develops in the most extraordinary manner and takes place over a matter of minutes, will certainly appeal. There are rambling moments that do little to keep the reader's interest, and at times Doyle's style can be irritating. But on the whole he has tapped into a fantastic idea that will certainly appeal to children of all ages (not to mention their parents). With the short chapters, witty illustration and the languid, irreverence of a fine author to boot, The Giggler Treatment is set to make its mark. (Ages 8 and over) --Susan HarrisonRead More