Illustrated by Phil Corbett.

Published by Chicken House, 2021.

The Cartoons That Came to Life is a brilliantly funny illustrated chapter book bursting with madcap adventure, witty dialogue and loads of laughs.

Finn loves drawing comic strips featuring Arley and Tapper – two cartoon characters he’s created. But after being bullied at school, he finds he can’t draw them any more and throws his sketch book in the bin. The next morning when he wakes up he’s shocked to see that Arley and Tapper have come to life and are right there in his bedroom! With the help of his friend Isha, Finn needs to find a way to draw them back to their comic world – and quickly …

The story is pitch perfect for its target audience with its engaging illustrations of wacky cartoon characters, use of comic strips, and the slightly naughty humour (including evil villain Professor Fart-Munch, and Tapper’s ‘snot-shot’ special move!).

I really liked how, in addition to all the humour, the book also explored the themes of friendship, loyalty and individuality, while touching upon children’s insecurities and anxiety as well.

I know that The Cartoons That Came to Life is going to be in high demand in my classroom; I predict that a queue of children will be clamouring for it each week!

Rating: 💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to Chicken House for sending me this book to review.