Jamie Oliver, Billy and the Giant Adventure, April 2023, Puffin, 325 pp, RRP $414.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780241637807
Jamie Oliver, yes, that Jamie Oliver – the Naked Chef, Masterchef Australia guest star and just about everyone’s favourite chef – has written his first children’s book.
Oliver has been open about his dyslexia, and like him several characters in his book are dyslexic. He counts his dyslexia as a strength, something that never held him back but rather propelled him forward – including in creating stories for his children at bedtime.
And that’s where Billy and the Giant Adventure comes from.
Billy and his friends live around Waterfall Woods, an area that is very definitively out of bounds for everyone. But does that stop Billy, Anna, Jimmy and Andy? Not at all.
What they find is magic: sprites, boonas, and giants to be exact and adventure. Their adventures are exciting, and influenced by Oliver’s day job, and his passions in the food industry. He weaves those into the story, making the accessible to young readers and helping them understand why they should ask questions about pollution and where their food comes from.
But where the book shines for me, is the characterisation.
Billy is our central character, the one around whom the group and the adventure belongs. He is funny, brave and oh so relatable that any reader will love him. Oliver imbues him, the other characters and the story with such warmth and empathy, it’s easy to fall into their group, to want to be right there with them as they venture into the woods and their adventure. It’s kind of like being wrapped up in a warm friendship, knowing you’ve found your spot in the world.
So, it won’t be any surprise when I say friendship, the bonds you choose to make are what drive this story. The gang’s sense of right and wrong, of backing each other up shine in the book.
Then there’s Billy’s family – while they aren’t a major part of the story, when they are there they add another layer of warmth and help us understand Billy just a little bit more.
The book is also filled such gorgeous illustrations by Spanish illustrator Monica Armino that I wished for more in the book. They are just mesmerising.
And last, this book is made accessible to young readers with dyslexia in all its formats: the physical books have design elements that make the test easier to read (note the font in the paperback) and the audio version includes sound effects, and multiple voices, including Oliver for an immersive experience.
Reviewed by Verushka Byrow
