Title: Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent

Written and Illustrated by: Pippa Curnick

Published by: Hachette Children’s Books

Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent is the first of a new series from author/illustrator Pippa Curnick, aimed at the 7+ age range. The humour is similar to David Walliams books.

This ingenious story is about Indigo and her little brother, Quigley, who is deaf. Their parents are famous exploders who go on a lot of expeditions to the known and unknown lands leaving them home alone. They post Indigo a unique assortment of orphans and misfits, such as the yeti twins, pink Ollie and blue Umpf, whose luminous coloured fur make them highly conspicuous in the snow and the ferocious looking but kind-hearted Queenie, the sharp-clawed goblin. They all live in a massive house that is different to any of the other houses on Jellybean Crescent but none of the neighbours seem to notice. That is none but Madam Grey and her pet dog Pebbles who lives opposite.

Forty-seven Jellybean Crescent is a sanctuary where the Monster Mail deliveries can belong without being bullied or afraid. They are all listed in The Abracadarium, an incredibly imaginative compendium of sketches with How To Train your Dragon style notations of Indigo’s observations on the magical creatures she has encountered.

The book opens with a newspaper style article of when the Wildes found Indigo. We then meet Indigo at the age of about ten when she receives some new Monster Mail that sends the comparatively peaceful household into chaos. All the inhabitants have to pull together to solve the problem of the missing creature and the complaints from the nosy neighbour.

Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent is jam packed full of beautiful illustrations guaranteed to capture even the most reluctant readers attention and bring Pippa’s characters to life. There are some amazing double-page spreads for young readers to explore. This book would be ideal for all primary school book corners.

This book was originally reviewed for Armadillo Magazine