boy_baron

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard
Gregory Rogers

Allen & Unwin 2004
32pp., hbk., $27.95
186308722X

When a little boy is playing soccer outside of a building, you wouldn’t think anything would go wrong. But it does. The little boy kicks the ball through the window of this tall building and he finds himself on a deserted stage or so he thinks. He has actually gone into the building of a most famous stage!

He walks on to the stage where people are actually acting and so the bard runs on to the stage to get him off. The little boy starts running away from him and as the boy is running away he finds a hiding spot in front of a cage. Then he finds a bear in the cage so he helps him out and they run away together! They pass a jail cell; they open the door to one of the cells and let a baron from the cell out because the executioner will chop his head off if they don’t take him out.

The cover of the book represents all the characters. It shows their expressions so you get the idea that they are sneaking around or they are making sure no-one will see them when they walk. On the cover it only shows three of the characters - the boy, the baron and the bear. It does not have the bard on the cover because that is who the little boy is running away from.

The pictures in the book are fantastic. They use great detail and good expression in peoples faces. This book is recommended for older readers because you have to look at everything in one picture to know what is going on. I think it is fabulous book and I rate it 7/10.

Zuzanna – 12yrs Epping

'The Boy, the Bear, The Baron, the Bard' is a brilliant book about a little boy and his adventures starting with a soccer ball. This book has no words but is a true masterpiece. The boy is mucking around with his soccer ball and accidently kicks it into a window of a large and important theatre. The boy scampers and scurries to find it, and mucks around in every room his ball lands in. He gets into big trouble when a man sees him making fun of his precious costumes in front of huge crowds. He then chases the boy out on to the street, where the boy finds he has gone back in time. In this past time, the boy has wonderful adventures while meeting loads of mammals, great and small, and the boy makes some new friends.

This book is a bit challenging to understand, so I would recommend it for nine year olds and up. The illustrations are breathtaking and spectacular as you read and look at all the mischief the little rascal gets up to. It is for anyone who loves , adventures and friendships. I really enjoyed this story book and I hope you also enjoy it.

Julia, aged 11, Victoria.

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