Kev and Trev: Snot scary jungle stories by Kylie Howarth

Cockatoo Kev and marine iguana Trev are megafamous after publishing their first book and now are taking their popcorn powered houseboat to the jungle, the setting for their next creation, hoping to find some pugorillas to please their puglisher. When Mr Happy, their grumpy squid editor disappears leaving a note that he has gone on holiday, Cappy the capybara quickly becomes their editor and guide. There are certainly adventures to be had in the jungle and a big hairy spider is the inspiration for their first story but Cappy’s editing is a little imprecise and the title becomes the Pig Fairy Spider, followed by the Poison Fart Frog. The stories are in clear but clever rhyming couplets with simple illustrations introduced to the reader by the main characters. Meanwhile the search for the pugorillas continues with numerous encounters including being bitten by a jaguar and eaten by an anaconda. 

The Snot scary jungle stories are fast paced with lots of fun puns and word play while imparting some jungle facts about the inhabitants, like the not crocodile or alligator but cayman they harness to ferry them to their boat. With a colourful, sparkly cover the inside grayscale graphics work well on quality paper and the big cast of expressive animal characters that like to party and tell bum and fart jokes are easy to like, especially the cute pugorillas.

Themes: Graphic novel, adventure, cartoon humour.

Sue Speck