Magda Szubanski (text) and Dean Rankine (illustrator), Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony: The Great Escape Fartist (Book #3), Scholastic, April 2021, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781743832189
In a house full of boys anything to do with bodily functions is sure to appeal, especially farts! We have been excitedly awaiting the next instalment of Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony adventures and this did not disappoint.
Timmy has really hit ROCK BOTTOM! He’s been sent to THE PITS – the darkest, scariest place under Earth! He needs to find a way out. But only one pony has EVER managed… a GREAT ESCAPE. Now Timmy’s planning a greatER escape! Surely it’s not that hard to get outta there?!
In the third and latest book in the series from award-winning author and comedian Magda Szubanski the reader is taken along on Timmy’s wild and often rude ride as he plots and plans his great escape from The Pits – the place ‘where you get sent for committing the worst of the worst crimes’. Crimes like ‘eating boogers’ and ‘not thinking farts are funny’, or in Timmy’s case pooing on a few people and ‘causing a poo and vomit explosion of epic proportions’.
Szubanski appeals to the humour of young readers with the use of ponies and poop which are brought to life with Dean Rankine’s illustrations. Rankine’s drawings have a comic feel to them including big pony teeth, lots of speech bubbles and of course – stink lines! I know with my boys that these types of illustrations encourage their engagement as they create interest and enhance the humour of the text.
I have noticed with each of the books in this series that there has been a colour theme, with this edition being purple. Throughout the pages, black and purple are the only colours used to effectively bring the story to life.
Timmy the Ticked Off Pony is an ideal read for children aged six and above as it supports varying levels of readers, whether that be those who a reading with a grown up at home or school, or those who have developed the confidence to begin reading on their own. Exploring themes of friendship, fame and celebrity, humour, ponies and farts – there is sure to be an element to capture the attention and imagination of most young readers.
I enjoy hearing the giggles coming from my young readers as they delve into Timmy’s latest escapade, I have no doubt that’s thanks to farts jokes and puns galore!
Reviewed by Raquel Mayman
