Slime Squad vs The Fearsome Fists by Steve Cole

cover image

Random House, 2010. ISBN 9781862308763.
Highly recommended. Another good versus evil by the creator of Astrosaurs, with lots of boy appeal (ie slime, sewers and smelly feet). The unlikely monster hero is Plog and the enemy are the Fearsome Fists. The battle takes place in Trashland where its inhabitants read newspoopers and watch smellyvision. Other members of Slime Squad are Furp, Zill and Danjo whose leader is the 'all seeing PIE', a computer directing them to rescue characters like Mrs Bumflop. Trashland is full of monsters living in 'suburbs' with very humorous names such as Mucky Mattress Marshes, Poo-nited States, Heavy Metal Hills and Plastic Bag Forest, just to name a few. (An extensive list can be viewed on the story map included at the beginning.) Illustrations by Woody Fox enhance written descriptions of Plog with cauldrons on his feet (to stop the smell), and the ugly Fearsome Fists engaged in battle with the Slime Squad. I highly recommend this story for children who love to see good triumph and a monster with nothing going for him become a hero.
Vicki Nunn

booktopia