Meg Banana
Lisa Forrest
Wayne Harris
Hodder Childrens (Hotshots) 2004
78pp., pbk., $10.95
0733618324
Meg Banana is the President of the Littletown Secret Investigators Club, but she is the only member. One day, a black umbrella starts following her around and leads her to a warehouse where bad guys are trapping the umbrella’s friends. They catch Meg and lock her up. She looks to escape but not before she finds a magical island.
Wayne Harris’s black and white illustrations show us some interesting-looking faces as well as enable us to visualize the umbrellas hanging in mid-air.
This adventure fantasy in the Hotshots series would appeal to all those fantasy-lovers who like things a little out of the ordinary. Readers aged 7 to 9 with lots of imagination would enjoy this peculiar story.
Sarah (9 years) Bayside Brisbane
Meg Banana loves a good mystery , so much so that she forms the Littletown Secret Investigators' Club. But even though she sent out fliers and had her mum bake a chocolate cake, no one came to the meetings.
But even worse than being the only member of the club was the possibility that there were no mysteries in Littletown ... until Meg is followed by a strange umbrella, which was black on the outside but the most vibrant colours on the inside. At last there is a mystery to solve.
This is a most unusual story, perfect for those who can let reality go and enjoy something quite different. I thought it was a bit strange to start with but as I got into it I found it hard to put down.
Stefania, 10, Melbourne
This is a fiction book filled with mystery and fantasy. Personally, I think it was very entertaining and it captured my attention. I soon became intrigued in the book when the umbrella started following Meg and led her to a mysterious warehouse with suspicious men who had stolen exotic and valuable plants, disguising them as umbrellas. The plants had magical powers that made the umbrellas come to life.
I think that the author was trying to tell me that nature and our environment is precious and to treat it with respect.
Rating 9/10 Because this story is captivating and extraordinary.
Enjoyable for all ages
Amber Year Five Bundaberg.
