Tag: WeirDo

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Next week is a big one for Weir and his friends. Hoping to improve on his previous disasters, Weir is busy prepping for his school photo. The afternoon of the school photos, Weir and pretty much everyone in his class are trying out for a TV ad for Tommy’s Famous Ice-Cream.

Weir isn’t the only one primping and practicing. Mullet has offered to give everyone new haircuts for the occasion and, true to his name, he specialises in one style. I’m not entirely sure how he does it but kids whose hair was originally short suddenly have mullets, the back of which is significantly longer than before Mullet worked his magic.

Meanwhile, Weir, Bella, Henry and Wendy are trying to find ways to make their auditions stand out.

Most of Anh’s recent books could double as advertisements for his other series, with crossovers that don’t always make sense. I was relieved that the characters who showed up in this book were from this series.

Cheesy Weird! felt more like the earlier books in the series, with plenty of dad jokes, things that don’t always go according to plan and friendship goals. While I’m ambivalent about a number of Anh’s series at the moment, this now isn’t one of them. I’m looking forward to seeing what Weir and his friends get up to next.

Once Upon a Blurb

Say Cheese!

Not only is it school photo day, but there are try-outs for an ice-cream ad!

Can Weir and his friends score the starring roles? Or will their TV dreams melt away?! It won’t be easy … but it will be funny!

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Miss Franklin is excited about a writing competition. The best entry in the class will be entered in the regional competition. The school that wins gets a voucher to spend at Buster’s Bookshop. Miss Franklin wants her students to incorporate what they’ve been learning about history in their stories.

By chapter two, what was promising to be a fun and creative story devolved into advertising for the one of the author’s new series, Pow Pow Pig. Even weirder, these series have different publishers.

When Weir, Henry, Bella and Sue decide to hang out after school, they find Weir’s father’s old costume box. This results in them dressing up as a chicken, Barry the goat, a duck and a pig. Uh huh. Then there are the not so subtle sound effects…

The illustrations were fun. The one where the kids slide down the neck of a brontosaurus to get to the playground reminded me of how Fred Flintstone’s workday finished. 

But I just can’t get excited about a book whose sole purpose is to plug another series.

Once Upon a Blurb

Weir and his friends have been busy working on stories for an awesome writing competition! Will mixing heroes with history help them win the prize?! Only time will tell! It won’t be easy … but it will be funny!

Illustrations – Jules Faber

While Miss Franklin is busy channeling her inner Kate Winslet circa 1997, Weir’s class will be getting to know a substitute teacher. It’s good timing, too, because Weir’s basketball team, the Lions, are about to play against the Hyenas and they need all the help they can get. Fortunately, Weir’s new substitute teacher has a thing or two to teach the team. 

Meanwhile, Granddad is having a difficult time.

Of course, there were the requisite dad jokes and others that travelled so far in the direction of bad that they became groan funny. My favourite basketball joke was: 

Why do basketballers like cookies?
Because they can dunk them! 

The Do’s visited somewhere Nelson from Ninja Kid spends a lot of his time. Weir’s dad lends a hand in his own unique way, which also had me wondering if I was going to get to see Nelson’s Grandma. While my anticipated Ninja Kid crossover never happened, I want to believe Nelson, Kenny and Grandma were there, just off the edge of the page.

Be on the lookout for a shark who’s very happy about its potential meal, lots of dribbling and Jedi Weir.

Bonus points for the positive disability representation.

Once Upon a Blurb

LET’S GO, LIONS!

Weir and his basketball team REALLY want to WIN! But Bella and Henry’s ALLEY-OOP is more of an ALLY-OOPS! Toby’s DUNK is more of a CLUNK! And Weir’s free throw is more of an OH NO!

Can their new teacher Miss Carroll help out?

It won’t be easy … but it will be funny!

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Today’s a big day for Weir. It’s his birthday and after school he’s going to celebrate with everyone from his class. This year Weir is having a monster party!

It was going to be the best night of the year! Even better than the time a truck full of lollies spilled its load in the main street!

But that’s not all that’s happening today. It’s also Planet Day and Miss Franklin’s class are doing their part to make their school more environmentally friendly.

With a cake-tastrophe, a tough looking bird called Tyrannosaurus Pecks, an overabundance of toilet paper (this book must have been written pre-COVID …) and lots of green, this was a great addition to the series.

The costumes are a lot of fun (be on the look out for the bum monster!) and there are plenty of smiles.

I love the can-do attitude of Weir and his family and friends. When things don’t go to plan, everyone looks for creative solutions and, because they’re all working together to make the best of an unexpected situation, it all works out in the end. I love this series!

Once Upon a Blurb

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE! Not only is it PLANET DAY, it’s also Weir Do’s BIRTHDAY! 

And his party’s going to be so HUGE you’ll see it from space! It won’t be easy … but it will be FUNNY! 

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Miss Franklin has an exciting announcement: her class is going to elect a class captain. Weir is one of the three students who are nominated.

In between working hard on his campaign posters and deciding which three things he would do to improve the school if he wins, Weir accidentally has a very bad hair day.

Even if I’d never heard of this series, the lenticular covers would suck me in. Jules Faber’s illustrations are always fun. I particularly enjoyed the pictures featuring a hungry garbage truck and an evil lawnmower.

Although this wasn’t my favourite WeirDo book (probably because the news keeps telling me about elections), it still had all of the elements I’ve come to expect from this series. Weir’s family are adorable, Dad jokes are plentiful and there’s always a positive message.

Once Upon a Blurb

It’s time to vote! Weir Do’s in the running for class captain … but will an EPIC HAIR DISASTER destroy his chances of winning?!

It won’t be easy … but it will be funny!

Illustrations – Jules Faber

The WeirDo series always makes me wish I could turn back the clock to enable me to appreciate them from the perspective of a child. Sure, adult me loves them but I’m certain kid me would have reread them so often my copies would be practically falling apart. Kid me definitely would have been in awe of their brilliant lenticular covers!

In Weirdomania!, Miss Franklin has asked her class to write about the jobs their parents have previously done. Weir’s mother currently works at the animal hospital and his father is a firefighter but he doesn’t know any jobs they’ve held before these ones.

Weir and his friend Bella learn interesting and funny new stories about their parents. They also discover their families share a love of wrestling, in particular a champion wrestler called ‘The Block’. (Hmm, that name sounds familiar …)

There are plenty of dad jokes to go around in this book, so many in fact that even the kids join in.

‘I guess I’m just a chip off the old BLOCK!’

Bella and her family are looking forward to seeing ‘The Block’ beat his opponent, Ka-Boom, at Wrestle-Crazia but Weir’s family don’t have tickets. Weir is hoping to win them by putting together the best costume for Funny Friday, but first he needs to think of a brilliant idea.

It all works out in the end and everyone has a great time at Wrestle-Crazia,

where things go even better than expected!

I really enjoyed this story. I loved finding out the occupations of some of the parents of Weir’s classmates. Weir’s imagination was working overtime coming up with so many funny and unusual ideas for costumes, all of which came to life in the illustrations. I even learned something new about one of Weir’s family members.

The jokes are always so corny in this series but I still can’t keep the smile off my face whenever I read another book. Even the animals think this book’s funny!

As usual, Jules Faber’s illustrations enhance the humour, complimenting Anh Do’s story perfectly.

I would be quite happy to go back to the very beginning and binge reread the entire series. I love Weir and his family and I can’t wait to find out what they’re going to be doing next!

Once Upon a Blurb

What’s a sheep’s best wrestling move? The LAMB CHOP! 

Everyone is going nuts for WRESTLE-CRAZIA the coolest wrestling show around! Can Weir come up with an awesome idea to WIN tickets for his whole family to see the show? It wont be easy … but it will be FUNNY!

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Weir is dreading his school’s swimming carnival and I know exactly how he feels. After attempting to fake his way out of having to attend [“COUGH! COUGH!”] Weir relents, deciding he will attend but not participate in any events. After all, if he’s too ‘sick’ for the swimming carnival then he won’t be able to attend the first family dinner with the Do’s new next door neighbours.

When he accidentally wins a race at the carnival Weir not only has to worry about his family embarrassing him in front of Bella and her family at dinner the next evening, he also has to face almost certain humiliation at the Regional Swimming Finals! Weir’s classmates, who have featured earlier in the series, make appearances in this book; naturally Han Some is as brilliant at swimming as you’d expect.

After reading the previous ten books I feel like I know Weir, his family and his friends. Anh Do’s books are always funny but I’m finding them funnier as the series progresses as I’m getting to know everyone better.

The illustrations always add to the humour of Anh’s books. My favourite image this time was the family pets playing a game of limbo. While I definitely enjoy chuckling my way through them Anh’s books always make me wish I had a kid to read them with.

Once Upon a Blurb

The school swimming carnival is on and Weir isn’t looking forward to ANY of it! Not the TINY cozzies! Or getting water UP HIS NOSE! And especially not the RACING! Can Weir win for his team? It won’t be easy … but it will be FUNNY!