Nick Long (text) and Robin Tatlow-Lord (illustrator), The Forbidden Journal of Rufus Rumble: Worst Space Crew Ever!, Affirm Press, June 2024, 240 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922863355
The entry-level sci-fi book the Forbidden Journal of Rufus Rumble is the first in a new series that is sure to entertain the 7–10-year-olds in your life.
Rufus Rumble, lives with his Uncle Grumbo, a grouch of a children’s author, in a world where space travel is normal. There is also a very strange group in charge of Earth, the Throwbackers, who want to rewind progress and might just be willing to force the issue. As Rufus sets of on an adventure into space aboard Captain Clewston’s rocket he begins to notice some very worrying signs. Like should a spaceship have that much duct tape? And why is the all-you-can-eat-pizza-buffet made up entirely of potato-based foods? And what is about salami that is so dangerous to the proper functioning of a space craft?
Things get even weirder as the various characters who make up the crew are introduced. I found myself laughing at the witty writing: ’There’s only one thing worse than sending a robot and a merman and a pirate into space!’ Captain Clewston shouts above the noise. ‘And that’s ALSO sending a dragon!’ But the dragon isn’t even the end of it as chaos ensues.
This book is a highly illustrated, first person narrated, semi-chapter book (there are breaks indicated by the passing of time, but not strictly chapter breaks), very similar in layout and flow to Liz Pichon’s popular Tom Gates series. There is pace about this book too. Readers don’t have to put in too much effort to get into the story, it’s right there from the beginning.
It’s a winner for primary school libraries and middle grade humour collections for public libraries. It sits really well along side Real Pigeons, Ninja Kid and Tom Gates.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
