Magda Szubanski (text) and Dean Rankine (illustrator), Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony and the Poo of Excitement, Scholastic Australia, April 2020, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781743832165
Opening a parcel and seeing a brand new children’s book by a national treasure such as Magda Szubanski is a pretty cool experience. Teaming up with illustrator Dean Rankine, Timmy the Ticked-off Pony and the Poo of Excitement is Magda’s first publication for children.
Timmy is a brash, egotistical, short-fused, self-centred show pony. He is proudly living the high life, complete with cars, a personal chef and a stalker, Lorraine. Timmy’s life is – or rather was – what any wannabe TV star could dream of until it all comes crashing down. But what led to Timmy’s embarrassing demise? The short answer: Tony. The long answer: you’ll just have to read the book…
Timmy the Ticked-off Pony will surely become a popular series in the Australian children’s book market, especially with a big name like Magda Szubanski attached to it. The story itself is not breaking new ground, but then for the key demographic (newly independent readers), it doesn’t need to. The most likely readers of this book need funny, slightly predictable, fast-paced stories with plenty of visual aids that they can finish in one sitting, and this is exactly what ‘Timmy’ will provide them.
It features black and white and bright green images which remindes me of Anh Do’s Hot Dog series. This is a helpful connection, as the reading level and content level is also very similar.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
